A botanical wallpaper was the starting point for this striking hallway makeover

Hallways can often be tricky to decorate, as it's a room that not only gets a lot of footfall and needs to be practical, but it's also the first impression of your home that guests will get – so it's important to make it a space that lifts you the minute you walk through the door.

If you're looking for some hallway wall decor ideas, it's worth remembering that many makeovers start with one item that the whole room is designed around, whether it's a paint colour, patterned carpet or even a mirror that you've just fallen in love with. That was the case for this homeowner, who saw a wallpaper and knew she just had to have it.

Hallway makeover

Kitty Jones from North Wales was desperate to change up her hall, but it wasn't until she saw the Kalina wallpaper from John Lewis that she knew how she'd go about it. 

'I knew I wanted to get rid of the orange wood when it came to decorating our hallway,' she recalls. 'And once I'd seen (and fallen in love with) this wallpaper the makeover went from there.'

Before

A grey-brown carpet on the stairs and orange woodwork were the things that Kitty was most keen to change in the hallway, but there was also a rather dated wallpaper that she stripped off as soon as she could. 

After

The new-look hall makes a vivid statement, with the botanical wallpaper the star of the show as it runs up the stairs. 'We colour-matched the dark blue colour seen in the wallpaper using Valspar paint on the banisters and stairs, so that it goes beautifully,' says Kitty. 

'As we wanted the maximum effect, we also opted for a runner so you can see more of the beautiful blue at the edges of each step.' 

That dark inky blue has been carried through to the door frames and also used on the under-stairs cupboard, giving the hall a big hit of colour that really makes an impact. 'Painting all of the skirting boards and door frames in the same dark colour adds interest against the light walls,' says Kitty.

'The accessories were purchased from all over,' she continues, 'but the star of the show has to be the arched mirror that we managed to pick up from Aldi's Special Buys.'

Picking out the dark blue colour from the wallpaper rather than going for a standard white for the woodwork has made a huge difference and finished the room off nicely – and it's a good trick to use if you're after some painted stair ideas.

Even the radiator got a glow-up, with a lick of paint and a shelf from Etsy added above it for accessories.

'As we had purchased wood and metal paint we were able to paint the radiator the same colour (using our trusted Zinsser B-I-N primer underneath). We also colour matched the white on the other walls to the background colour of the wallpaper.'

So, we know we love the new-look hallway, but is Kitty happy with the outcome? 'We're over the moon with the transformation and it reflects our style from the moment you walk in the door,' she says.

You can see more of Kitty's home on Instagram over at @hafod_home. 

Have you been inspired to give your entranceway a revamp?