11 brilliant hallway lighting ideas

Lighting is a delicate and precise tool in which small changes can make a big difference. This can be done through light fittings like wall lights and pendant lights or lighting techniques like ambient or accent lighting. There are some great tried and tested ideas for lighting your hallway space used by interior designers and homeowners alike.

If you have a staircase, it is usually the focal point of your hallway and you should take steps to highlight its architectural beauty. Built-in staircase lighting is a great way to achieve this by accentuating each step, which also makes the staircase safe to ascend and descend. This is particularly important at night from a safety point of view, at which time a lit staircase will look especially dazzling.

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The hallway is a great place to display some of your most treasured pieces of art. After all, art is a great tone-setter but also expresses you as an individual. Without the right accent lighting, however, your art won't shine to its full potential. We recommend getting a light fixture for each of your hallway paintings so you and your visitors can appreciate them in their full glory

Make sure the entrance area to your hallway around your front door is well-lit by getting hallway entrance lighting. This is also important from a safety perspective to ensure that people don't trip or fall on their way in. Track lighting is a great option and ensures that the entrance to your home is a bright and welcoming environment for your family and guests.

There's no better or easier way to jazz up your hallway than by getting an eye-catching light fixture like a statement pendant light. There are so many great options, with a range of sizes, colours, and patterns to suit the design of your hallway. Some people go all-out and spend lots of money on an expensive statement light, but there are plenty of affordable alternatives that are still affordable and stylish in their own way.

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Warm, glowing natural light is easier on the eye, making a space feel cosier and inviting. Get a lampshade with warm glows to give your hallway a more welcoming feeling. Choose a fabric and colour that best complements your home's look. Smaller shades with lighter colours tend to work best in smaller spaces, and if you're really pushed for space, you can also get half-cylinder lampshades that can rest against your wall.

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The key to having an effective hallway lighting setup is to ensure that no one light is responsible for all the lighting. Because of the natural narrow and long shape of a hallway, multiple light sources are required or you’ll end up with a single light that floods certain areas and not others. The ability to layer your lighting is incredibly important. A table lamp that sits nicely on a designer console table is a great way of adding texture and depth to your hallway. It will ensure you have a lower-level light source to complement the ceiling light from a pendant light or otherwise. This layering of light will make the area feel more spacious and welcoming.

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An important aspect of your lighting set-up is how different elements, like a high ceiling light, wall lights, and table lamps, interact with each other. If one element's brightness is not well-adjusted, it can overpower the other. Installing dimmer switches allows you to fine-tune that balance to ensure that each element in your lighting setup complements the other.

Captivating wall sconces are one of the more popular hallway lighting ideas that many people are taking a shine to. Coming in a range of colours and sizes, wall sconces are installed into the walls of your hallway so they can be switched on and off centrally. They're a great way to subtly brighten up your home, draw attention to your stylish wallpaper and create more space.

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if you're having a social gathering, make your hallway the place to get the party started. Many colour-changing lamps and lightbulbs are available and can add an extra touch of fun and excitement to your event. Smart lighting options are remote-controlled and can even adjust to the beat of the music.

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Mirrors with built-in lighting are a fantastic way to brighten your hallway while enhancing its functionality. These mirrors often feature LED strips or backlighting, providing a soft, ambient glow that can make the space feel larger and more inviting. They also serve as a practical solution for quick touch-ups as you head out the door. Choose designs with dimmable options for versatility, allowing the lighting to shift from functional during the day to mood-enhancing in the evening.

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If your hallway has interesting architectural details—such as arches, alcoves, or exposed beams—use uplighting to accentuate these elements. Recessed floor lights or strategically placed LED strips can draw attention to these features, creating depth and visual interest. This approach can transform a plain hallway into a sophisticated and dynamic space, making it a conversation starter for anyone entering your home.

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Your hallway is not the most important part of your home, but it is where the experience for guests and visitors starts and ends. Redesigning your hallway lighting is a manageable and affordable way to elevate the look and feel of the space. By following these hallway lighting ideas, you’ll get a solid foundation to create a bright, cosy, stylish, and welcoming area quickly and easily.

This article was updated on 2nd December 2024

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