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The right shade can completely transform even the tiniest of spaces
Hallways are often painted the brightest white going, in the hope of widening a narrow space and reflecting back what little daylight makes it through the front door. But white walls can look flat and faintly grey by mid-afternoon and every scuff from bags, buggies and bike handlebars shows up against them.
The paint colours that add both a sense of space and a touch of luxury to a hallway tend to be considerably deeper and more luscious than the safe neutrals most of us reach for.
Each of the six palettes ahead make the most of low light, help modest proportions feel more generous and offer a cost-effective route to a more polished and sophisticated design scheme.
Limewash feels expensive because it has the visual signature of something applied by hand. And all that unevenness is especially useful in adding some richness and depth to a plain stretch of hallway.
In this bungalow in Camber Sands, the pinky tones have that slightly aged quality of old plaster, which brings with it lovely associations of sunny Mediterranean buildings. The glossy white wall panelling is your small-space solution here, balancing the light-absorbing limewash with a light-reflecting finish.
A muted sage green – here Vert De Terre by Farrow & Ball – has a strong precedent in British interiors, which gives it a sense of history and tradition. The grey in the mix takes the brightness out of green, making it feel that much more grown up and sophisticated.
The space-expanding trick here is taking the paint over the skirting and up to the cornice – lots of colour changes means lots of hard boundaries which chops up a small space.
White is hard to beat in small spaces and for a bit of subtle, laidback luxury, reach for a chalky off-white.
If plain walls feel a bit underwhelming to you, few features deliver as much polish and definition as architectural mouldings. Lightweight coving, architraves and ceiling roses – in MDF or even polystyrene at B&Q – can be cut and glued in place. Once painted, they’re indistinguishable from the real thing.
Burgundy is like the sophisticated big sister of pink and red, rich in historical associations, with a built-in sense of opulence. As a colour it's quite complex, with several undertones that offer up something different – red supplies the warmth, brown makes it feel muted and muddy, and hints of blue and black give it a dense, wine-dark quality.
Reserving your burgundy paint for your woodwork means you can introduce dark colour in a small hallway whilst also taking full advantage of a brightening white elsewhere. Plus, a deep colour on your skirting boards hide the scuffs from wellies, vacuum heads and everything else that gets carried in from outside.
Pictured:Hallway designed by Studio Duggan
If your small hallway receives cool, indirect daylight, warm shades can turn a bit drab and drag the whole thing down.
Blues can work miracles in these instances. Something with a touch of grey – this is Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball– has a slightly smoky quality that feels more elegant and grown-up than bright or pastel blues. And if you’re relying on traditional details such as elaborate mouldings or a chandelier to add a sense of luxury, it provides a period-appropriate backdrop.
Black can work brilliantly in a small hallway when it is confined to the woodwork and given a gloss finish. The pale walls still return plenty of daylight, while black paint gives quite ordinary woodwork far more presence, much like lacquered or ebonised joinery but for a fraction of the cost.
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