THE CHALLENGES WITH HALLWAY DESIGN

‘The most common issues customers come to NOOK wanting solutions for revolve around space,’ Rhona says.

‘They’d like somewhere stylish to store their shoes, with additional hanging space for jackets and coats. For many, having somewhere to actually sit down in their hallway to change their shoes is also desired.

‘Another common pitfall with some hallways is the amount of light available to them. This can often make them feel small and dingy, so a lot of our customers come to us wanting a hallway that feels lighter and airier. Colour consultancy really comes into play here.

‘As well as advising on all elements of interior design, the single biggest way we can help customers at NOOK is through our furniture. Our made-to-measure furniture can provide welcoming and practical solutions to all the challenges I’ve mentioned here.

‘And, as it’s entirely handcrafted, this furniture will be unique to our customers’ needs – meaning they can balance bespoke functionality with a style that is completely individual.’

CONSIDER YOUR COLOURS AND LEARN ABOUT LIGHTING

‘At NOOK, we’ll always encourage the use of colour to accentuate walls and provide depth and interest to your interiors, and the hallway is no different,’ Rhona reasons. ‘But where hallways differ from other rooms in the home is in the natural light available to them. This can affect what colours work best.

‘Contrary to what you might think, bright white is not the best colour for a dark space. The reason white is so bright is that it reflects natural light; if natural light isn’t abundant, the white will seem dimmed and will make your hallway close in on itself.

‘We’ve found that lighter shades of blue or green work well in hallway décor, especially those without windows or doors, as they really bring a sense of life and brightness into the space.

‘If you do have windows that flood your hallway with natural light, I’d suggest playing about with darker, bolder colours; you might be surprised how effective they can be. Similarly, creating a feature wall – especially one that nods to another room in the home – is a great way to bring character into the space without completely committing to a darker colour scheme.’

WALL PANELLING DO’S AND DON’T’S

‘Many years ago, it was common to have wooden panelling in entrance hallways,’ Rhona remembers. ‘These tended to be rather dark and went out of fashion. Many were painted over.

‘But today, panelling in hallways is right back on trend. Either traditional rectangular panelling or simple tongue-and-grooved bead boards below a dado rail with paper or painted walls above are proving popular. There’s a range of exciting shapes and styles in all sizes available now, which has really recreated panelling into a contemporary interior design trend with panache.

‘To help create the illusion of light, I’d suggest a two-toned approach to your panelling using a slightly darker shade on the bottom of the wall (normally around 900mm), then a lighter shade on top. This also adds a sense of texture and depth, which promises to make your hallway look more expensive, too.’