How to Make Any Hallway Less Boring (10 Ways)

Hallways serve an important function in houses; they connect separate rooms and provide a direct access route. Since they are mainly functional spaces, they tend to be overlooked from a decorative standpoint. But it doesn’t have to be that way; there are ways to make hallways less boring.

You can make any hallway less boring by choosing a theme and intentionally dealing with your placement. Light up your hallway properly, put up art, and add plants. Lay down a rug, protect the furniture, and redecorate your doors. Finally, hang up a mirror and avoid unnecessary clutter.

What follows is an in-depth guide with some recommendations to help you on your renovation journey. Keep reading to learn more about how you can make your hallway less boring.

1. Choose a theme to show more dimension and personality

Like with any decoration project, it’s best to start by choosing a theme so things look more cohesive and less chaotic. Even though some designs look good with a bit of chaos, it’s generally preferable to have one to three colors in your palette, especially for beginners.

A cohesive design also gives your otherwise cramped space more dimension. An article from BBC Future explains how patterned wallpapers make smaller spaces appear larger by tricking the eye with a sense of depth.

On the other hand, patterned walls can feel constricting as your eyes can precisely recognize the boundaries.

Hanging patterned wallpapers give you an opportunity to show your personality. Do you like royal themes? Then you should try intricate patterns with Fleur-de-Lis. Perhaps you prefer summery designs? Then I suggest you look into wallpapers with two-tone sunflower patterns.

2. Be intentional with your placements

Now that you have a general theme to follow, you can consciously place your decorations. This is especially important if you have limited resources, space, or time.

By ensuring that each purchase and placement counts, you can also make sure your designs end up in the right place and follow your specific vision. For example, you wouldn’t place a one-to-one meter drawer made of classic mahogany into a one-and-a-half meter tall door with minimalist designs, would you?

On the other hand, placing an artistic porcelain vase in a more spacious hallway with an East Asian theme looks natural.

Furthermore, you’ll also realize that you’ll need to remove hallway designs or furniture that require screwing or unscrewing for inconvenience. Imagine filling putty into holes you made three days ago just because you can’t decide.

3. Light up your hallway properly

A proper lighting setup can tie together the overall design of your hallway. A neutral white wall can evoke a summer vibe when combined with warm natural light at less than 5000 K. On the other hand, they can look cold and unnatural with colder lights at more than 6500 K (which is not always bad).

An article from East West Eye Institute, however, claims that colder lights emitting a bluish hue may potentially affect your sleep cycles and disrupt your body’s natural circadian rhythm.

For this reason, I recommend using warm lights only to illuminate your hallways, especially if they lead to your bedrooms.

You should also choose ceiling lights with aesthetics that match your theme. Classic designs, for example, can benefit from brass-colored light fixtures, while minimalists may opt for silver-colored holders.

Additionally, you should also highlight focal points, like a painting or sculpture, to accentuate their beauty.

The Best Ceiling Lights for Your Hallway

Here are some of my top picks for your hallway lights, available on Amazon.com.

FEMILA Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light

This beautiful brass-colored ceiling light is perfect for classic designs that focus on gold and warm themes. Its standard US socket can accommodate an E26 bulb with a maximum power of 60 watts.

Depending on your preference, it can also accommodate a dimmable bulb to provide you with warm to cool lighting.

Gruenlich Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light

This type of ceiling fixture is suitable for an industrial design with black-accented finishes. The metal covers also provide the practical bonus of protecting your bulb, which is especially useful if you live with children. It also has a standard US outlet that can accommodate bulbs with added safety.

Semi Flush Mount Ceiling Light with Remote Control

This ceiling light is perfect for modern and minimalist designs. It features a remote control that allows you to conveniently adjust your light temperature from 3000 K to 6500 K. It also has a night light function that automatically and gradually turns off your lighting after 30 minutes.

4. Put up some art

Paintings and sculptures can breathe more life into your hallway when placed correctly. Art has the power to evoke strong emotions and, depending on the artwork, bring relaxation.

Larger frames can create the illusion of larger walls and deeper dimensions, similar to how your wallpaper patterns work. They can also serve as “windows” that give you a glimpse into other perspectives.

Sculptures work well when paired with specific designs and the right amount of space. For example, an abstract sculpture fits well with postmodern designs, while solid and sleek ones go well with minimalist decor.

5. Add plants in aesthetic pots

It’s scientifically proven that adding plants to any part of your house cleanses the air and lifts your mood. However, from a design standpoint, it’s best to match your plant pot to the theme you’ve chosen.

For example, a tall floor vase in metallic silver finish works best in modern settings.

However, indoor plants are sometimes difficult to maintain, especially in areas without natural light. In this case, I suggest using artificial plants instead. They still give you the beautiful green look that natural plants have, but without the high maintenance.

The Best Artificial Plants for Your Hallway

If you want to add some green to your hallway, I’ve selected some of my favorites for your hallway’s artificial plants.

Flybold Fake Snake Plant

This 36-inch (91 centimeters) tall snake plant gives you vibrant leaves that look just like the real thing. It comes with a white pot with a three-legged metal stand. Its overall design is perfect for almost any theme, but I personally see it in a minimalist or modern hallway.

Nearly Natural Areca Palm with Vase

This artificial plant and its vase are perfect for rustic hallways that evoke tropical forests. The vase is a work of art in itself, featuring intricate patterns of wicker and vines.

SIGNWIN Artificial Tree with Geometric Pattern Plant Pot

This small artificial plant stands at 168 cm tall and comes in a beautiful pot with a cool-looking geometric pattern. Designed by experienced designers, it fits well with most modern designs, is easy to assemble, and gives you 36 different variations to choose from.

6. Lay down a rug or vinyl runner

Just like patterned wallpapers, rugs or vinyl runners can give your hallway a sense of depth and personal touch.

They are the easiest design add-on in this list to set up, so installation shouldn’t be a problem. They also come in various designs, so I’m sure you’ll find something that matches your chosen theme.

Aside from giving your hallway a bit of renovation, they also protect your floors from wear and tear.

The Best Floor Runners for Your Hallway

Honestly, there are almost limitless possibilities for your hallway runners, but these three I can personally recommend due to their designs, prices, and quality.

Pauwer Vintage Distressed Runner Rug

This floor runner features a vintage floral pattern for classic and traditional themes. It has a non-slip coating of high-quality thermoplastic rubber (TPR) on the back so you don’t have to worry about slipping. Its fibers are also lint-free, making it easy to vacuum the surrounding area. You can clean this runner with a vacuum cleaner or washing machine without a problem.

Non-Slip Runner Rug for Home, House, and More

This floor runner has a simpler and more streamlined design that allows it to fit in with almost any theme. It also has a high-quality TPR anti-slip mat on the back to prevent accidents. It’s also made of high-quality low-pile olefin fiber, which easily resists stains from everyday use. It’s also easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner. It’s not machine washable.

Nautica Runner Carpet

This runner carpet is perfect for hallways with Viking or Roman themes. It comes in four colors and four design variants, totaling 16 different variations. Its knotted variants reminiscent of Viking Celtic knots, while the diamond and cross variants resemble Roman patterns. Furthermore, its appearance allows it to blend into modern themes with similar palettes.

Like the others, it has a rubber back to prevent slipping. It captures moisture and dirt that can damage your flooring, especially if it’s wood. It’s also easy to clean with a vacuum cleaner, a damp cloth, or a washing machine.

7. Protect the furniture

You shouldn’t overdo it with the placement of furniture, especially with limited space. However, if you can’t help it, use a multi-tiered cabinet instead of a single-tier table that only holds a vase or a valet stand.

You can also use your furniture to hide a protruding radiator. Not only will you remove a design obstacle, but you’ll also have something to place your additional tabletop designs on.

You can also create a custom vertical storage cabinet that showcases what’s inside, like shoes, books, and small vases. This works well when placed at the end of your hallway.

Alternatively, if you don’t like cabinets that block the path of your hallway but still need extra space, you can install floating shelves.

8. Redecorate your doors

Remember when I said that chaos sometimes works for some designs? Well, this is one of those moments.

Doors can represent the room owner’s personality, so there’s no stopping you from making one door stand out from the others.

If you want to maintain uniformity but still desire some personalization, you can hang or attach small decorations to your door that match the overall aesthetic of the hallway’s theme. You can also customize your doors and their doorknobs. This could also be your chance to experiment with some wooden materials. For example, doors made of white pine wood are appreciated for their grain and naturally white exterior.

The doors can also be equipped with a metal doorknob of your choice to further highlight your featured designs.

9. Hang up a mirror at the entrance or end of the hallway

Mirrors are the most incredible optical illusion for your hallway if you want to make them appear more spacious than they are. While a mirror at the entrance of the hallway serves a more practical purpose, mirrors placed at the end can create an “infinite bounce” effect.

Furthermore, mirrors look great as standalone statement pieces depending on their frame, size, and material. Some cultures even believe that placing mirrors in certain locations brings luck and wards off evil spirits.

10. Avoid unnecessary clutter

Now that you’ve beautifully decorated your hallway, you should do your best to maintain the beauty of the finished look, if not add to it.

Pick up any clutter that disrupts your theme, such as a misaligned book from your multi-tiered bookshelf or fallen leaves from your indoor plants. It would also help if you made it a habit to vacuum and dust your hallway at least three times a week.

Of course, you can still make changes to your finished setup. Your opinion on some of your decorations may change, their placements might need adjustments, or you might want a completely different theme. If so, you can always refer back to this article as a guide.

Final Thoughts

You pass by your hallway almost every day of your life. It’s only natural to make it less boring and fit your personality. Perhaps the sight of your hallway designs can brighten your mood after a long day at work.

Once again, here are some ways you can make any hallway less boring:

• Choose a theme to show more dimension and personality and light up your hallway properly.
• Put up some art and add plants in aesthetic pots.
• Lay down a rug or a vinyl runner and protect the furniture.
• Redecorate your doors if needed, hang up mirrors, and avoid unnecessary clutter.