Hallway update: 6 ways to make a good first impression

Hallways. The home of discarded shoes, junk mail and the husbands wallet (seriously, why does it never quite make it to the designated wallet basket?!) Ours has always looked a bit uninspiring and unloved. Seeing as its the first thing you see when you walk in after a long day, and the first impression visitors get when entering your home, you'd think hallways would be top priority when decorating. But this part of the house always been a bit of an afterthought for me, a boring, plain space that I've always struggled with. 

So a revamp has long been on the cards. And that's what I've been doing slowly over the past few months, with the intention of not only adding more colour and character, but making the space more practical too. And as always, this has all been done on a tight budget. There's no major renovations or redecoration taking place here - I've tried to do what I can with things I already own, and some new accessories, to show that you can make big changes in your home without spending a fortune. 

The way it was

There's lots of pictures of what our hallway looked like before in this post from the archives here - it was absolutely fine but lacked something, and felt a little boring in my opinion. It has pretty much looked like this for the last five years too, so definitely time for a revamp. 

Update no.1: New gallery wall

I started with creating a brand new gallery wall on our stairs. A full post and DIY tutorial can be found here, but I decided I wanted this boring, plain space to look a little more classic. While we're blessed with high ceilings, the space can be hard to fill, so I put up a grid-like formation using large A3 frames. I then filled them with black and white photos, to create a more cohesive look.

Update no.2: Painting the banister

After going monochrome with the gallery wall, I then felt that the white stair banister wasn't really adding anything to the space (isn't that always the way - complete one job and give yourself another one!) So I took the plunge and went dark. I'm very much a neutral-lover, so this really took some building up to, but I'm so glad I went for it. Doesn't the colour finish off this space perfectly?

The banister is painted in Farrow & Ball Off Black, colour matched by Decorating Centre Online (brilliant way to save some pennies!) in an Eggshell finish. I didn't bother with any prep work beforehand as it was originally painted in regular emulsion, however you many need to sand and prime beforehand, depending on what your woodwork is painted with (you can find a quick guide to paint finishes here).

Update no.4: Upcycled chair

Because I can never stay away from an upcycling project for too long, I've given a wooden dining chair a little makeover to fill this awkward space by the stairs. Me and this chair go way back. Its one from my childhood home which, like most of my upcycling projects, I rescued from my parents garage a few years ago, intending for it to be a maternity leave project. Two years later I've finally got round to doing something with it - and have decided to go for something a little different.

Firstly, I sanded the chair back, and then painted it in Farrow & Ball Calamine and Railings (again colour-matched), adding a small gold trim for interest. To finish it off I upholstered the seat using some fabric I had leftover from my kids table & chairs DIY. To do this I simply removed the chair's seat pad, wrapped the fabric round and secured with a staple gun. It's the perfect fit for this space isn't it! Want to have a go at upcycling something yourself? My beginners guide is here.

Update no.4: Seating area

Next up: the space by the door. This corner has always been a bit of a headache, and I've never been totally happy with it. The radiator obviously isn't the most attractive feature, I think if I had the budget I'd replace it with a more stylish column rad, but needs must so its been hidden with a radiator cover for a number of years. However, wanting to do something a bit more practical with this corner, the cover is gone and has been replaced with a bench from IKEA - a bargain find and the EXACT measurements for this tiny space. Couldn't say no could I? I've styled it with a new, larger mirror as the previous one no longer looked right. This is from William Wood Mirrors, and measures a massive 90cm diameter - which I was worried would perhaps overpower the hallway, however its a great way to bounce light around and make the space look larger than it is.

Update no.5: Painted inside of front door

The outside of the front door has always been a pale green, however the inside has been a boring white for years, not helping with the plain, boring feel of this area. I've given it a lick of Farrow & Ball's Sulking Room Pink, a beautiful, dusky colour which I think works really well against the pops of black in the mirror and cushion. 

Update no.6: Accessories

Finally, to finish off the look: some new accessories. I replaced our light shades with some pretty chandelier-style pendants from Marks & Spencer, and popped my homemade cushion covers on the bench to create a cosier, more welcoming look. I also found a gold planter in Homesense for a bargain £12.99, and have styled an old rug out here too. 

I've actually got another little update I'm currently working on for out here too - a little something to transform that ugly doormat, so hopefully I'll be able to share that really soon! 

So there you have it - how to transform a boring, plain hallway into something a little more stylish, but still practical for a messy, young family.

What do you think? Is your hallway somewhere that's a bit neglected?

Thanks for reading,
Sam Xx

*A sander used to upcycle the chair was gifted as part of a paid collaboration, however this blog post is not paid of that collaboration*