My minimalist hallway makeover | Mood board & plans

[Advertisement – this post references gifted items, but all words and opinions are my own]

The process of going through our house room by room and slowly making it our own continues, and next on the list is the hallway. It’s quite a challenging space to deal with, so I want to share my plans and the inspiration behind them.

Hallway decor is so often treated like an afterthought, and I’ve never really understood why. It creates that all-important first impression and, as it connects different rooms in the home, it helps ensure a sense of cohesiveness between the various spaces. But it’s about atmosphere as much as aesthetics, as Ferm Living so beautifully put it in its new catalogue: “It’s the manifestation of the feeling of coming home. The rattling of keys and that instant familiar feeling, letting you know this is where you belong.”

Sadly, our house doesn’t provide a particularly good canvas to work with, as you can see in the ‘before’ photos below. The first thing that greets you when you step through the door is a long, narrow passage, before the hallway opens out to a slightly wider section at the end. The stairs also run perpendicular to the hallway, with walls boxing them in on either side, so there’s no scope for creating a beautiful statement staircase like the ones I often see on Pinterest and Instagram.

The walls are already painted in the same soft white as the dining room, but I think there’s a lot more we can do to create the illusion of space and set the tone for the soft, minimalist look that we’re going for in the rest of the house.

As there isn’t much room for furniture, I’m planning to use lighting to make a statement when you first walk in. The challenge is finding something that’s eye-catching yet compact enough for the narrow dimensions, and the elegant, timeless ‘Miira’ pendant lamp from Danish brand Nuura will be ideal. I’m going to install a pair of them along the length of the hallway to help draw the eye towards the wider section at the end, with another on the landing above.

At the end of the hallway, I’m planning to have a sideboard where I can display a vase of flowers and a few chosen objects. Anything too chunky would make the space feel even smaller than it is, so I’m going to opt for Design Of’s minimalist, understated steel design or IKEA’s similar ‘VITTSJÖ’ unit.

Another key feature will be a coat rack. I’ll have to stick with a compact, wall-mounted version, and I love the look of Kristina Dam’s ‘Grid’ design (you can see more of my favourite coat racks and stands here).

For the finishing touches, I’m planning to introduce a mirror to bounce light around and help me check I haven’t accidentally put on two different shoes before I leave the house (don’t laugh – it’s happened before!). Then it will just be a case of hanging a few prints on the walls, and adding a table lamp (I already have the gorgeous ‘Miira’ version to match the pendants) to create a cosy, welcoming mood.

1. The beautiful hallway of Norwegian blogger and interior designer Elisabeth Heier | 2. ‘Miira’ opal-glass pendant light (also available with clear optic glass), €299, Nuura | 3. Black ‘Grid’ coat hanger (also available in white), €400, Kristina Dam | 4. The kind of soft minimalism I’m aiming for (photo credit: The Poster Club) | 5. Black steel sideboard (also available in white, grey and beige), €531, Design Of | 6. Sideboard-styling inspiration using the ‘Miira’ table lamp (photo credit: The Poster Club) | 7. Large oval mirror, £69.99, H&M Home

Work is already in progress, so I’ll share photos of the finished hallway soon…

Nuura is kindly providing free lighting for my hallway makeover, but all words and opinions are my own.

Most photography by Abi Dare; mood-board images as credited above