Celebrities understand the importance of making a great entrance – just watch them gliding glamorously down the red carpet at glitzy premieres and award celebrations.
But while the famous like to make a show, as witnessed annually at the Oscars and Baftas, there’s no need to let them hog the limelight.
You could transform your own ‘entrance’ into a star feature by giving the hallway of your home a make-over.
Switch on the glamour with a sparkling chandelier, add a rich, red carpet if you really want to join the glitterati, and just wait for the compliments for your ‘award winning’ taste!
“Turning on the style in a hall couldn’t be more important,” says interiors expert, Andrea Maflin for Fun On The Floor, an association of carpet specialists.
“After all, a hall is the first space visitors encounter and its decor sets the tone for the whole home.”
All too often though, hallways wouldn’t win any prizes for their decor as they’re dowdy, neglected areas, collecting only clutter and debris rather than admiring glances as family and visitors pass through them.
“But these days halls and glamour should go together,” stresses Maflin.
“It’s easy to get a fabulous ‘welcome home’ feeling with a thick, velvet pile carpet, perhaps in a stunning, bold colour such as ‘red-carpet’ red.
“And there’s no need to hold back from making a statement. Use oversized accessories for drama, such as a huge mirror or a striking chandelier.”
Naturally, halls have to accommodate practical details such as storage but that needn’t limit the scope for imaginative effects, says Claire Hornby, creative stylist for Barker & Stonehouse.
“This is an area where you really can stamp your personality. A hallway and stairs are the core of a home, and provide a link to all the other rooms, but you can afford to be bold with decor style and colour because it’s not an area where you are going to sit and relax.”
You need to think flooring before walls as it has a dramatic effect, especially in a hallway where the eye is naturally drawn downwards and to the key feature – usually the stairs.
“Don’t rush into a flooring choice,” advises Maflin. “Mistakes can be expensive and it is more costly to change than paint or wallpaper.
Generally, I’d use the same flooring for hall, landings and stairways as this will give continuity to the scheme.”
Skinny, narrow, short or square: Rather like figures, hallways come in all shapes and sizes.
But just as we use clothes to make the best of our appearance, paint and colour can also do a lot to ‘trick the eye’ and appear to alter the shape or size of this space.
In a dark hall, for instance, enhance the light by using gloss paint on walls. Alternatively, bring a lofty ceiling down a peg or two by painting the area above a picture rail a warm shade, one which is darker than the walls below.
Lighting sets the mood in halls, says expert Sally Storey, design director at John Cullen.
“Often hallways are narrow and can look dull but you can overcome that by featuring an oversized lantern or chandelier. Do ensure though that the light levels can be altered by having it on a dimmer switch,” she advises.
“In a long hallway, avoid a central downlight, and instead use shallow wall lights or table lights to break up the space by providing a soft glow. Recessed downlights could create a wash of light on one wall.”
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