Best Colors for Hallways, Ideas and Color Combinations

Every home has one or more hallways, and the issue with designing them comes with deciding what the best colors for hallways are. It is common for hallways to be boring, with no obvious focal point. However, you can change that by introducing some natural light and the right paint color or colors, regardless of the size of your hallway.

There isn’t one specific color that can be regarded as the best color for hallways. Although some designers admit that using dark colors is better or visual aesthetics in the hallways, there are instances where bright colors have been breathtaking. Therefore, the best colors for hallways depend on your style and the size of your hallway.

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In this article, you’ll find paint ideas for hallways, the best colors for hallways that fit your style, and the colors for narrow hallways, as they can be a paint design challenge. Also, you’ll get to understand the things you need to give cognizance to when choosing the best color for your hallway.

Colors and Hallways – What You Should Know

Hallways are those parts of the house that lead to the living room or bedroom. They may be narrow or wide, depending on the style of the house. However, most homes are challenging to design, especially bare and poor lighting walls.

One of the ways to liven up the hallways is to use wallpapers on the walls. Another way is to add paint colors to the walls, usually creating a focal point commonly missing in this house. However, the choice of color is typically a cause for concern as it does not always agree with the homeowners’ style.

To choose the right paint colors for hallways, you need to ensure that the color suits the style of the house. Also, the hallway size is an important decider of your color choice. You don’t want dark colors in already dark hallways, nor do you like cool colors in narrow hallways.

Hallway Size

Hallways can be narrow and wide. Also, their length varies from home to home, which affects the paint color choice for the walls. Generally, a considerably large hallway can get away with most color choices, but narrow hallways are challenging.

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Narrow hallways are better with bright colors that create the illusion of more width. This means wall decorations are minimal or on only one side of the wall, and they are better with natural light. On the other hand, larger hallways can have wall decors and accent walls. They can also use artificial lighting.

Hallway Lighting

The effect of lighting on walls is established by making the space appear. For example, a narrow hallway needs bright lighting and reflects off the walls. In addition, they can help to improve the width-illusion the paint on the walls creates. Recessed lighting with high lumen is best for this purpose. However, natural light has a better effect during the day.

Wide hallways can employ wall sconces for lighting. They can also be used to announce the focal point of the hallways.

General Best Colors for Hallways

After considering your hallway size and lighting, you can choose any of the best colors for hallways, as included in this section. They do not make a narrow hallway appear smaller and darker, nor make wide hallways boring.

Neutral Colors

There is a reason why designers will always love a touch of neutral colors in the home; they blend with primary and secondary colors. Having your hallway – narrow, wide, or dark – painted with neutral colors is one of the go-to hallway paint colors when choosing one is tricky.

White, gray, brown, cream, beige, and other neutral colors help to announce natural light for your hallway adequately. They also allow you freedom of color when adding wall decorations to your hallway. With neutral colors, you can have accent walls that are bright and fun or a more reserved atmosphere.

Cool Colors

The cool colors are mostly the secondary colors. They combine well with neutral colors, and they can be excellent for accent walls. They include purple, blue, and green and their variations. Whichever cool color you choose for your hallway, you will get better results combining them with neutral colors to give that part of your home the aesthetic it deserves.

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They provide calmness in the hallway that balances that of the warm colors. Also, they function well in both hallways lit with natural light and artificial light. However, it takes some real sense of design to pull off, combining them with colors other than neutral.

Combination Colors

Combination colors for hallways include greige – a combination of gray and beige, otherwise called the Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray, cool green and gray – Benjamin Moore Moonshine, Gray with white undertones – Benjamin Moore Gray Owl.

These colors will be perfect for any hallway, as long as the home paint style includes any colors. It takes little stress to add wall decorations to complement the wall colors of hallways using these colors.

Best Colors for Narrow Hallways

Narrow hallways need special attention due to their size. As a result, overly bright colors are usually off, and extremely cool colors don’t work so well. However, combining cool colors with neutral colors or neutral colors with some primary or secondary colors will do the trick.

The trick with choosing the right color for narrow hallways is to appear more prominent. Also, your choice of color should help with illumination. While bright colors like red and yellow may seem like good choices, they will be better used on one part of the walls – the accent wall.

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The best colors for narrow hallways range from tapestry beige – gray color with beige undertone. Its undertone offers some warmth to the cool gray, creating a good balance. Another option is gray with some silver undertone. This choice of color is cool and exaggerates illumination. You can also choose light green or a lighter shade of purple or blue. In some cases, you can use any of these secondary colors for accent walls, while the other walls can be neutral.

Gorgeous Paint Ideas for Hallways

In this section, you’ll get some ideas you can apply to your hallways if you have difficulty finding the right paint color for your hallway. Regardless of what your hallway looks like, you’ll find a design that adequately works for your style.

Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl for Dark and Narrow Hallways

What does a dark hallway need most? Light, of course. But your choice of color is important in this type of hallway. For example, a narrow hallway needs a color that makes it appear bigger, but that color should support illumination as much as possible, to address the darkness.

Gray with a white undertone is perfect for these roles. The color is neutral and can easily blend with ceiling color and floor color. Also, it makes it possible to add wall decors in different colors. The white undertone of the color helps with illumination. However, the natural light that may get to the hallway needs to be supported by overhead lighting.

You can add wall arts, preferably framed arts, on one side of the wall to improve the outlook of the hallway.

Double Neutral Color Combination for Narrow Hallways

There is an argument among interior designers about the suitability of white as a good hallway color choice. Some think it is too bright; others believe it is perfect. However, no one can go against white and another neutral color like beige.

Divided by chair ails on both walls, the two neutral colors combine well to make a narrow hallway come alive. While the immaculate white on the wall helps with illumination and takes attention away from the narrow walls, the beige brings a warm tone and helps to bring harmony between the framed wall arts and the wall.

This color combo is best used in homes where the rooms are painted white. The addition of beige fits into the color scheme and gives the eyes a break from the brightness.

Brown-White Color Combination for Hallways

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It’s common to find ceilings painted in white. However, doorposts and chair rails in white are optional. Combining these white features of the hallway with another neutral color, this time with some character, introduces some class into your hallway.

As the term “narrow hallway” is relative, this color combination can be used in any type of hallway – dark or narrow. While you have the liberty of choosing your preferred wall art, to maintain the classy look, wall sconces should line the walls. Their number depends on the length of the hallway.

Pink and Gold Color Option for Hallways

For a hallway that will have guests stop and stare for a while, you need unusual colors that blend well with the home’s color theme. Pink isn’t a color that readily comes to mind for hallways; however, it is a potent cool color for any hallway. Add gold into the mix, and you’ll have a hallway with a focal point.

While combining these colors can come in different variations, it may be best with wholly pink walls with chair rails painted in gold. Alternatively, the gold color can be for frames holding wall art or a mirror on the wall. It will also work as an accent wall.

Make a Bold Statement in Your Hallway With Green

The most noticeable hallway stands out and makes a bold statement. While cool colors work well with neutral colors, they also do well independently. For example, consider the deep green on the walls of your hallway and see the remarkable difference it brings.

While this color may not be one for contemporary interior designs, it is perfect for homes with some ancient vibe. The deep green walls make a statement on their own, but they also aid the visibility of the rea rug and wall arts. However, they are best where enough natural light gets into the hallway. You can also provide more lighting with overhead lights.

Dark-Themed Hallway

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Does your style favor the dark hallways? Here’s one for you; a bluish-gray hallway with dark overhead lights and a white ceiling. Adequate natural light must reach the hallway during the daytime to reduce the darkness. You can achieve this with glass doors.

The entire wall of the hallway is painted with bluish-gray color. However, the wall arts provide breaks from the dark color by introducing warm colors, such as red. You can also introduce some bright colors, like white – maybe as wall art frames, for better effect.

All-White Hallway With a Faux Accent Wall

Depending on your home’s color scheme, white hallways are not too bright, as long as an accent wall defines the space. White hallway walls are perfect for narrow hallways, especially ones that link with another hallway. They improve illumination and offer wall décor flexibility.

The accent wall at the end of the hallway may be any color, ranging from dark colors, such as blue in darker shades, or cool colors, such as light gray. However, note that the darker the accent wall, the more striking the contrast effect.

Neutral and Cool Colors on Opposite Hallway Walls

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The color scheme of your home is important in determining the choice of colors you combine. If you want a fabulous home, choose cool colors. However, the combination of cool and neutral colors is most welcome in homes with such a theme. Also, you can have a faux accent wall.

Green on one side of the hallway walls and white on the other side combines a cool and a neutral color perfectly. The natural light that gets to the hallway through the door and window reflects the white wall, improving illumination. Also, the wall arts on the white wall have frames of different colors, making it the focal wall.

Final Thought

The best colors for hallways depend on the nature of the hallway. A narrow hallway needs cool and illuminating colors. Wide hallways can have different colors, depending on the color palette and theme of the home. However, neutral colors are the most common paint colors for hallways.