Transform Your Hallway: 3 Simple Tips for Adding Depth and Personality

By Mehnaz Khan

“Hallways are often overlooked in home design, but they have the potential to leave a lasting emotional impression. ”-Mehnaz Khan

With a few key design choices, you can bring personality, depth, and charm to your hallway. Discover how to elevate your hallway’s look and feel with simple yet effective ideas that are sure to inspire.

As a designer, I’ve visited countless homes, and one of the most overlooked areas in almost every space is the hallway. Often dismissed as a simple pass-through, it rarely gets the design attention it deserves.

I would argue the opposite; even though you don't sit down in a hallway with a captivating book, those few seconds passing through leave a lasting impact. The emotional effect lingers far beyond the moments spent walking through.

Don’t just take my word for it—try it yourself. You’ll notice how a well-designed hallway can shift your mood, offering a sense of joy and calm every time you pass through.

Today, I’m sharing three simple and easy ways to inject personality and life into any boring and lackluster hallway. These design changes are sure to bring a smile every time you walk by.

WALLPAPER

Just as you would use wallpaper in your living or dining room to make a bold statement and add warmth, the same magic can be worked in an empty hallway.

This formerly all-white and bland hallway, visible from the living room, impacted the overall design. To remedy this, I opted for statement-making chinoiserie wallpaper depicting flowers, vines, and birds.

The goal was to create a wow moment—a moment that encourages you to slow down and take in all the positive emotions.

You might think hallways are small spaces, and thus, small patterns are ideal. In fact, I urge you to do the opposite. Go big and bold, as this will help create depth and open up your small space.

PAINT

Hallways often have multiple doors leading into other rooms, which can sometimes feel like a design obstacle. Instead of seeing it as a bad feature, you can use it to your advantage to further add depth and personality to this small space.

In the project below, designer Katie Uhlenbrock of Katie Unicorn used a contrasting paint color on the doors of a neglected hallway leading to the primary bedroom!

The result? An added layer of depth and character.

WALL DECOR

To further enhance the sense of depth, layer wall decor over your paper. For this project, I chose ceramic sculptures that stood out against the busy pattern. The texture and 3D effect brought even more personality to the hallway.

Notice how Katie added a black and white photograph over the floral paper. The juxtaposition adds interest and creates the illusion of depth without the design elements competing.

When adding decor to a wallpapered hallway, the key is to choose items that complement and don't clash. Here, the silhouettes and materials of the sculptures were carefully selected to enhance the wallpaper without overwhelming it.

You can choose to apply all three design techniques to your own hallways or just pick one. The goal is to create a moment that feels good and adds depth.

Tell us in the comments which technique you would you love to use to enhance your hallways.

*Images Credit: Mehnaz Khan, Katie Unicorn

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