The hallway is one of those spaces in the home that is often overlooked, but it really shouldn’t be as it has lots of roles within a modern family home. It should welcome people to your home, store bulky winter coats, muddy boots, hats, gloves, umbrellas, scarfs, dog leads, keys, handbags, etc. etc. It’s also a place that we often give ourselves a quick once over before we head out of our homes. Even though it’s a small space we should spend a little more time thinking about and making sure it meets all these many needs.
You want a hallway that shows off character – not clutter!
It is a good idea to start with the main storage requirements first – this is where you need to think about what could be left lying around during normal day to day usage by all in your household. Do the kids have big school bags that need to be tucked out of sight? Do you often come back with muddy boots after walking the dog? If you have a big storage cupboard under your staircase or a coat rack, then you won’t need to add a lot of extra storage. You can just opt for a rustic console table – this alone will give your hallway plenty of character as well as providing storage for smaller easily misplaced items. The Mitcham Industrial Oak Console Table is a perfect piece for a hallway – it’s hardwearing with a gorgeous rustic solid wood top sitting on sturdy dark metal legs – and it’s practical too with an extra shelf underneath for hidden storage.
Shoe storage is another big consideration in the hallway no one wants to walk into a sea of shoes strewn across the floor – it can be dangerous too. So you really should invest in a hallway storage bench that will help keep some of the clutter down – you can put shoes in or underneath it to keep them safely out of the way.
Years ago the hallway was a space where just the landline telephone was kept – but with mobiles and handheld home phones we are keeping them in much more convenient places in the home. So now you have storage addressed you can devote the hallway area simply to looking good stamp some character on the space.
Reclaimed furniture is a great foundation to bring in some character – each piece is unique and will give a warm homely feel to your home as soon as you or your guests walk in.
A lighter neutral colour will work best as the hallway is often a little on the darker side. You can add character in the decorative items you place in there, as you will only be adding a couple of items you can opt for just a couple of statement pieces. A feature wall mirror hung over a console table to help reflect light, a stylish wooden sideboard or floor lamp and a couple of other decorative items is all you need.