Your hallway — the first impression visitors have of your home’s interior — may sometimes be challenging to decorate, especially if it’s on the more narrow side. The right choice of paint colour can significantly transform the look and feel of this space. So, what is the best colour to paint a hallway? Here, we’ll explore some of the best paint colours that can make your narrow hallway feel more spacious and inviting.
What Colours Make a Hallway Look Wider?
1. Embrace Light Neutrals
Light, neutral shades such as off-white, beige, or light gray can do wonders for opening up a restricted space. These paint colours for small hallways are classic choices because they create a sense of airiness and amplify any natural light entering the space, making the hallway feel larger and more spacious.
2. Cool Tones for the Illusion of Depth
Colours on the cooler end of the spectrum, like soft blues, greens, and grays, can create an illusion of depth and visually push the walls back. Consider painting the end wall of the hallway in shades like sky blue, mint green, or even pale lavender to give a sense of elongation to the space. By doing so, you can create the effect of the narrow hallway being more extended than it really is.
3. Warm Colours for an Inviting Atmosphere
While cool tones help create a sense of depth, warmer colours can make the hallway feel more inviting and comfortable. If you prefer a more cozy aesthetic, consider painting your hallway walls in warm shades of taupe, beige, or even pale yellow. These colours create a welcoming atmosphere and make the space feel cozier.
Narrow Hallway Paint Ideas
Are you a little subconscious about your home’s narrow hallway? It can be such a pain, right? Especially if it’s right near an entryway where you need that extra space. Never fear though, as your house is far from the only one! A lot of people, especially those with older homes experience this home issue as well.
What you have that these other homeowners may not have are painting ideas that can improve the feel of your narrow hall. There are actually lots of ways to work within that narrow space and feel as if things have suddenly expanded. So, what are you waiting for? Keep reading to find out how you can change the walkways of your home from claustrophobic to wide open by choosing the best colour for painting a narrow hallway!
1. Go Light With Your Interior Painting
- Typically, a lighter shade of paint will make smaller spaces appear more bright, which creates the appearance of width. That being said, picking a basic white isn’t the best option due to its tendency to show scuffs and imperfections. A good trick to remember is that the trim along the narrow hallway should be painted two shades lighter than the colour chosen for the walls.
- If you’re stumped on what interior painting colour to go with for your narrow hallway, allow us to help! Tapestry Beige is light and offers a nice warmth to a space.
- In case you want to go a little more modern in your narrow hallway, Sterling is a beautiful cool gray that’s still nice and light.
- Another great choice could be Glazed Green. It’s a soft and airy green that’s completely versatile for narrow hallways that lead to the main rooms of your house.
2. Open Up Your Narrow Hallway Space With Mirrors
- This is especially good to know when trying to make a narrow hallway appear wider. If you have windows in your hallway, adding large mirrors to the opposite wall can really draw the eye away.
- Also, if you put a mirror at the end of your hallway, it can work to extend it even more. Plus, you’ll likely get a nice reflection of light, which always helps to open up a space.
- Choose a nice light tan colour, like Danville Tan. It works really well to better play off the natural light. Or you might even enjoy a light yellow, like Light Of The Moon.
- The Ellis Mirror from Structube is a beautiful choice if you have space on your wall. It’s big, but not too large. Plus, with the arched top and the metal dividers, it really makes a statement!
3. Hallway Ceiling Paint
- It’s not just the walls that can be painted to make them appear wider.
- Painting the ceiling white as well can double the illusion of a larger space.
- Benjamin Moore’s Waterborne Ceiling Paint offers super easy application as well as a smooth, flawless finish.
- If you want some more tips about painting your ceiling and avoiding such issues as peeling, visit this blog here.
4. Colour Matters
- Hallways that do not have any windows or doors can be painted a light green or blue colour to create a more tranquil vibe.
- For a nice light green option, Dancing Green from Sherwin Williams is a beautiful choice.
- If light blue is more your thing, Open Air is soft and nice on the eyes.
- Another option is to paint the narrow hallway more than one colour, going for a deeper shade for the base of the wall and a lighter interior paint colour for the top. This can be done by painting the wall about 3 feet from the bottom, then using painter’s tape to create a straight border line parallel to the floor. Then paint the top part of the wall that lighter colour. This will create a stylish block colour look and improve the visual of it being a bigger area.
5. Add An Accent Wall
Adding an accent wall by painting one of the narrower ends of the hallway in a bold, eye-catching colour can help draw attention away from the narrowness of the space. This powerful visual element can distract from a lack of width and create a focal point that captures visitors’ attention. Some popular options for accent walls include deep blues, rich reds, and vibrant oranges.
6. Use Continuity in Flooring and Baseboards
Aside from wall colours, don’t forget to consider other design elements in your hallway. Flooring and baseboards can contribute to the illusion of more space when coordinating them with your chosen paint colour. For a more spacious feel, match your baseboard colour to your walls. Light-coloured flooring, such as pale wood, can give the hallway more visual continuity, further enhancing the sense of openness.
Paint Finish, Last Colour Tips & Interior Design Ideas For Narrow Hallways
• Add an eggshell, gloss, or satin finish to the paint of your choice, and your hallway will both reflect light and be easier to clean.
• The best interior paint colour choices for narrow hallways are taupe, light tan, light gray, creams, and definitely light greens and blues.
• Also, you can always opt to cover one side of your narrow hallway with artwork or photographs as well. If you want tips on how to make a stellar gallery wall, see this blog here!
• You might also go for a long run down your narrow hallway. It can really work to draw your eye towards the end of the space. This Runner from Amazon is a nice modern choice.
In Conclusion
Selecting the right paint colours for a narrow hallway can dramatically impact the ambiance of the space. Light, neutral shades, cool colours, and the strategic use of an accent wall can all help create the illusion of a more open and inviting hallway. When combined with thoughtful design elements like coordinated flooring and baseboards, you can ensure that your hallway, despite its narrower nature, makes a great first impression.
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Now that you’re aware of what the right interior painting colours can do for a narrow hallway, you can open up the space easily without investing too much time and effort. If you don’t have the time to paint your hallway yourself, why not give Home Painters Toronto a call? Our team of professional house painters has over 36 years of experience behind them. Call us NOW at 416-494-9095 or email us at Brian@HomePaintersToronto.com for a free painting quote estimate for your narrow hallway painting project. And don’t forget to follow us on all our social channels below!
