Two tone hallway painting ideas can help a hallway feel more considered while tying the rest of the home together. A split wall, dado rail, darker lower section or painted feature can add character to a narrow or high-traffic space without relying on furniture. These hallway colour scheme ideas cover two-tone walls, small hallway colours, dark schemes, warm neutrals, feature walls and designer tips for making a hallway feel like part of the whole home.
When tackling a whole home renovation it makes perfect sense to leave decorating your hallway to the end – the last thing you want is furniture scuffing the paintwork and builders boots on your beautiful new stair runner!
But make sure you think about your hallway vision from the beginning. Keep your chosen hallway paint swatches close to hand as you plan the other rooms so that you can make sure they play nicely with each other.
So without further ado, let’s turn your hallway into the perfect prologue to your masterpiece.
Key points
- Two tone hallway painting ideas can use an existing dado rail or a taped line to split the wall, usually with the darker shade below.
- A hallway colour scheme should consider how the space needs to feel, the quality of light and the colours used in adjoining rooms.
- Small hallway colour ideas do not have to default to white; warm neutrals, darker tones and wallpaper can all work when tested in the actual light.
- Dark hallway paint can make adjoining rooms feel lighter and brighter by drawing people through the home.
- Colour washing walls and woodwork in the same shade can reduce visual breaks in a small hallway.
- Doors, stairs, arches and feature walls can all become painted focal points in a hallway.
How to choose hallway colour scheme ideas
Trick question – there’s no such thing! The right hue for your hallway will depend on three things:
1. How you want to feel in your hallway – your hallway is where you are welcomed home after a long day. Do you want to feel bright and lifted or warm and comforted?
2. The quality of light – is it dark and gloomy, lacking the warmth of sunlight? Many neutral tones look flat and dull without natural light. Similarly, many dark tones look almost black in without natural light.
3. The colour of the adjoining rooms -make sure your hallway colour scheme is complimentary of the design in each room that leads off from it. This doesn’t mean they need to be the same, but the hall should use elements from each room to create a cohesive feel in your home.
Small hallway colour ideas for narrow spaces
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Narrow hallways are a common conundrum. After all, why use up valuable space on a room that you just need to pass through?
One option is to keep the walls fresh and bright, especially if you have great natural light like the image above. Alternatively, you can go for a dark paint colour in your hallway as they recede, giving the illusion that the room is bigger than it is.
Patterned wallpaper is also a great way to add depth to a narrow hallway, as it tricks the eye into thinking that there’s space beyond the pattern in the forefront.
Need hallway inspiration? Take a look at our hallway designs in our portfolio. You can even shop the look!
Paint colours for hallways with limited natural light
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
As well as being narrow, hallways are usually dark and lack natural light as they run through the middle of your home.
You might think this question has an obvious answer – surely you paint it white to make it feel as bright as possible? Nope! Without natural light hitting them, white paint colours can look extremely dull and flat. Natural light is what brings neutral tones to life. Darker colours in contrast are in their element in dark spaces!
If you’re still keen to keep your hallway neutral, perhaps to work best with the adjoining rooms (if you were paying attention earlier!) then choose neutrals with warmer undertones like yellow or red to replace some of that natural sun the room is lacking.
Hallway paint colour ideas and schemes
1. Dark painted narrow hallway
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
This is a perfect example of how a dark hallway colour scheme can be your answer! Our designer here has cleverly created a number of feature walls keeping in mind the view from the adjoining rooms.
Hallways are also the perfect place to show off your gallery walls. With little floor space, your walls will need to do all the talking.
Need hallway inspiration? Take a look at our hallway designs in our portfolio. You can even shop the look!
2. Two tone hallway painting ideas with or without a dado rail
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Why settle for one colour in your hallway when you can have two?! Older properties tend to have a dado rail that runs through the middle of the wall. Celebrate this period feature by having a two-tone hallway with a darker colour on the bottom.
For a classic two-tone hallway, keep the heavier or darker colour on the lower part of the wall where scuffs are more likely, then use a lighter or softer shade above to keep the hallway feeling open.
No dado rail? No problem. You can create the same effect but it will require a steady hand! Watch our tutorial with Lick to get a perfect straight line:
3. Go for a dark hallway to make adjoining rooms feel larger
Image credit: My Bespoke Room and Lick
Dark hallways are a wonderful way to instantly feel relaxed and comforted when you come home after a long day. They also have the added benefit of making the adjoining rooms feel lighter and brighter, drawing you through the house like a moth to a flame!
Make sure you test samples throughout the day in different qualities of light before committing. Without light, some dark colours can just look black.
Transform your hallway from £495 by booking a room design easily online!
4. Think of pink as a neutral
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Gone are the days when pink was just for little girls’ bedrooms. There are so many wonderful new pinks available that are much more grown-up.
Think of pink as a new neutral and a great alternative to just choosing white throughout. Certain pinks can look light and soft in the day, then come alive in the evenings with warm ambient artificial lighting.
5. Use gloss paint in your hallway
This great tip comes from the wonderful Joa Studholme from Farrow and Ball. She suggests using gloss on the walls rather than emulsion. Gloss bounces the light around a room which you can really clearly see in the image above.
Gloss is also more forgiving with scuff marks which hallways are prone to collecting.
You can catch our interview with the lady herself here:
6. Paint a feature wall
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
You can’t help but be pulled through this hallway to the end! Painting a stripe at the end of this hallway draws your eye through and distracting you from how narrow it is.
Need hallway inspiration? Take a look at our hallway designs in our portfolio. You can even shop the look!
7. Colour wash your hallway walls and woodwork
Another trick for small spaces is to colour wash your walls and woodwork in the same colour. If the dado rail and skirting were white in the image above, it would break up the walls and make them look even shorter.
8. Create a maximalist’s dream with patterned wallpaper
Image credit: My Bespoke Room and Lick
Don’t miss the opportunity to have fun in your hallway! You never really spend much time in it as it’s a transient space making them the perfect spot for bright colours and patterns. Plus, your neighbours will be craning their necks with curiosity to see more!
Maximise your hall’s potential with expert advice! Book a free call with one of our fab designers and get tips on making the most of your space.
9. Contrast your walls and door
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Light walls with dark woodwork is a winning combination in hallways. We love how the door has been turned into a real feature in this hallway drawing your eye upwards.
Painting your door frames dark as well, ties it all together and also creates a lovely moment of passing through a portal into the next room!
10. Make a feature of your stairs
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Your walls shouldn’t get all of the fun. Why not get creative with the paint colour of your stairs too? By painting this staircase dark it creates a real focal point that’s hard to ignore in this hallway, drawing your eye upwards.
11. Create a feature in your hallway with colour blocking
Image credit: My Bespoke Room
Feeling creative?! Create a feature with colour blocking to draw you in through your hallway. Remember, it’s only paint – if you don’t like it, you can cover it up and start again!
Looking for more inspiration? Have a look at these paint ideas that will transform your hallway!
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What are two tone hallway painting ideas?
Two tone hallway painting ideas use two paint colours on the same hallway wall. In period homes, an existing dado rail can separate the shades; in other homes, a taped line can create the same split-wall effect.
Which colour schemes work in hallways?
Hallway colour schemes work best when they reflect the desired feeling, the quality of light and the colours in adjoining rooms. The live article covers dark hallways, warm neutrals, pink, patterned wallpaper, contrast doors and painted stairs as possible options.
What colours make a small hallway feel brighter?
A small hallway does not always need white paint. The live article explains that white can look flat without natural light, while warmer neutrals, carefully tested dark shades and cohesive wall-and-woodwork colours can all help a hallway feel more considered.
