Hallways are often the most ignored rooms in the home. They can be narrow and viewed as a "pass-through" rather than a feature in and of themselves. But the space is important because it connects your home. And hallways also present some surprising features and spaces that not many think about in the home design process. Continue reading to get some hallways ideas on hallway lighting, cabinets, and even your hallway width.

Don't Overlook Your Hallway

The hallways of some homes might not be as grand as those found in historic mansions or modern glass accented homes, but there's still plenty of opportunity to make them look great and even add function to your home!

The hallway is often overlooked as it's just a way to get from one room to another. Or is it? Maybe there's a way to include features in your hallway that give space unto itself, rather than just overlooking it.

Hallway Ideas

The challenge with hallways is that they can be long and somewhat narrow. We have some hallway ideas for you that surprisingly turn this space from a pass-through, to a functional and usable living area.

Hallway Desk

Instead of just having a long hallway that doesn't have any features to it, break up the length with a hallway desk. Have a small enclave with a built-in desk, and maybe a hallway cabinet. The space doesn't have to be big, and take away from other areas of the home. But it also gives a space for kids to do homework, away from the distractions of the other living areas.

Hallway Cabinet

Even if you don't include a hallway desk, it's pretty easy to include a hallway cabinet. It takes hardly any space at all to have a built in hallway shelving unit, or cabinet. It makes this space just interesting enough to notice it, but not take away from the main features of the home.

Hallway Lighting

Choosing the proper hallway lighting fixtures can be difficult. Unlike other rooms, hallways seldom receive any natural light and are often too narrow to put a lamp down without sacrificing space. As a result, any illumination in a hallway must be built-in, but finding fixtures that match the confined width and high ceilings may be tricky. There are some hallway lighting options.

Wall Sconces

Wall sconces are a natural choice for hallway lighting as they are built in and take up space in the hallway. Wall sconces can provide dramatic lighting, even casting light up or down. Yet, they often don't provide quite as much light as other types of fixtures, so if the hallway is very long, it could need additional lighting.

Ceiling Light Fixture

The height of your ceiling will determine what kind of ceiling light fixture you're able to use in your hallway. If you have higher ceilings, then a chandelier style of fixture could be an option for you. If you don't have high ceilings, then a fixture that hugs the ceiling or even recessed lighting might be the better way to go.

How Wide Should Hallways Be?

Your hallway width will determine a lot of things. For example, if you have very narrow hallways, forget purchasing that accent piece or hallway narrow table. You just won't have the space for it.

On the other hand, if you have the space, push those dimensions out a bit and get some breathing room. One "hallmark" of luxury or high end homes is that they do have wider hallways. How wide? Well if you have a very narrow piece of furniture, a 48 inch hallway may accommodate it. But if you really want to use the hallway for decor, then it's better to have hallways closer to 72 inches wide.

Hallway Flooring

Hallway flooring usually follows whatever flooring you have in the rest of the house. If you're carpeting the home, then carpet can be used in the hallways as well. Though beware, hallways concentrate traffic into very specific areas and wear out more quickly because of it. For that reason, wood, tile or stone flooring is a good choice for hallway flooring. It is possible to have hard floors of some kind, and then add hallway runners. This is a popular choice in the East Coast. See what fits with your style and decor and choose accordingly.

Conclusion

If you want to make the most out of your hallways, then the best thing that you can do is think about how it fits into the rest of the house and what will go well with the overall design. This way, the transition from one room to another will feel like a cohesive whole rather than something stuck in between.

If you have questions about other hallway ideas or building a custom home, feel free to contact us for a free consultation!


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