Hallway Lighting Ideas - Hints, Tips & Inspiration for 2021

Inspiration For Lighting Your Hallway

The hallway of your house is a versatile, welcoming space. It’s warm, friendly, and it’s a hello and a goodbye from your home! So it's important to have the perfect hallway lighting to welcome friends and family into your home.

It’s the first thing you see when you open the front door and the last space you walk through when you leave your home. It should reflect what you want your home to be - and with some top interior lighting tips, you and your visitors can enjoy a unique touch in your house. A little attention to detail goes a long way when it comes to hallway lighting. 

Whether you have a small entrance foyer or a long and winding corridor through your house, making some bold decisions and having fun with the décor and lighting can really make the space pop. If you’re looking for inspiring ideas to light your hallway, you’ve come to the right place!

What Are The Best Lights For A Hallway?

Opinions on hallway lighting have certainly changed over the years! The first recorded use of a hallway, in 1597 by architect John Thorpe, would probably have been lit by burning torches - fitting for the time, but which would be a rather strange choice now given the wide variety of great lighting options available on the market!

The following table shows how you can bring atmosphere and ambience to your hall by utilising different styles of inspiring hallway lighting.

Type of lighting	Uses
Floor lamps	Great for long winding corridors with twists and turns. Placing a standing floor lamp in the corner brings light to an otherwise dark space.
Table lamps	Got a feature sideboard for ornaments, keys, trinkets etc? It’s perfect for a stylish table lamp!
Ceiling lights	Warm ceiling lights bring a welcoming ambience and tie together all the other carefully decided-upon design features.
LED lights	Running a strip of LED lights along the base of a vintage cornice moulding or behind features like mirrors brings a modern zest.
Wall lights	The eco-friendly, child-safe version of those burning torches! Placed at intervals throughout the hallway, they can provide a continuous, constant light or a feature all of their own!

How To Light Your Hallway

Every house is different, and so is every hallway. Your style and design preferences are what make your home, your home! However, there are common issues that apply to many hallways - so here’s a handy chart full of the solutions to your common hallway lighting problems.

Problem	Solution
Dimly-lit corners	Dimly-lit corners might seem drab and uninspiring, but can be easily improved with a statement floor lamp. A bold lighting choice brings a touch of excitement to the space and can be matched with a personalised gallery wall for full effect.
Limited space in the hallway	Small hallways can be made to feel bigger by pairing wall lighting with mirrors and artwork to add some atmosphere. This works particularly well in spaces with low ceilings.  Alternatively, use the limited space to create a welcoming and cosy entrance to your home with warm lighting and plenty of homely decoration.
A wide or long hallway	To make the most of a large and intimidating space, utilise ceiling lights to illuminate wide areas combined with table lamps on sideboards to create areas of interest throughout the hallway.

Hallway Lighting Ideas For Narrow Hallways

A common problem with entranceways is that they are narrow or long, making them awkward to style. Here are some great examples of people who have styled-out these difficult spaces.

• Turn a narrow and tall hallway into a stunning gallery, complete with a modern chandelier, like this:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/cozyhomeshots

 

Look Book Tip: Our Action Collage Pendant Light from the Hallway Lighting collection is a bold, taste-making choice for a gallery hallway like the one above!

• Use stylish wall lights to create a vintage feel, paired with spotlights to highlight architectural features:

 

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/hatcliffconstruction/

Look Book Tip: Our Wofi Fara Wall Light from our Hallway Lighting collection is beautiful both as a lighting choice both on its own or for spotlighting design features.

• Use minimalist, modern ceiling spotlights to keep the focus on your carefully chosen decor:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/desertgrovehome/

Look Book Tip: Our Navigare Oregon Spot 4 Spot Light from our Hallway Lighting collection is an industrial-inspired spotlight, perfect for bringing some edge to your hallway.

Lighting Ideas For Short Or Wide Hallways

Short and/or wide hallways present a similar problem - how to fill the space without feeling overwhelmed? Here are some ideas for hallway lighting for such spaces:

• Simple lighting compliments this colour co-coordinated foyer:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/elsinorehouse12/

• The table lamp and mirror over the sideboard in this entranceway provides a versatile space and stylish look:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/oneninebridgewater/

Look Book Tip: Love lamps? Our Navigare Olivia Floor Lamp from our Hallway Lighting collection is a great choice if you don’t fancy a sideboard but love the class and elegance of a standing lamp.

• The ultra-cool, super-minimalist matte black wall lights in this hall tie together the monochromatic feel of this space:

 

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/your_interior_inspiration/

How Bright Should Hallway Lights Be?

The brightness of your hallway lights should correspond with what space you have available. Brighter lights should be used to ensure the hallway is properly illuminated, while less bright lights like lamps can be used to improve the ambience of the foyer. Home lighting is usually within the range of 150 - 1500 lumens. 

1. 150-500 lumens is the perfect level for overhead ceiling lighting intended to light up the whole room
2. 500-1000 lumens works for lamps and wall lights used to brighten up dark corners or highlight specific areas
3. 1000 lumens and above can be used for spaces like sideboards for keys and other important items where it’s important to see what you’re doing

When thinking about how bright you want the hallway to be, consider:

• The size of the hallway
• The shape of the hallway
• Features you’d like to highlight

How To Light Your Hallway In Style

1. This quirky, coordinated space is super unique! Check out the disco ball lighting:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/the_brockleyfamilyhome/

Like the look but don’t want to commit to the disco ball? Try our Action Bloom LED Ceiling Light from our Hallway Lighting collection! We think it’s one of the best lights for the hallway out there. 

 

1. Maybe we’ve got the blues, but there’s something about this stunning marine home! 

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/wilder_eden_design_company/

1. Sleek, classy, timeless - what else is there to say?

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/sandstone_and_sawdust/

Lighting Ideas For Your Hallway

1. The chandelier in this sunny house speaks for itself:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/beautiful_homes_inspo/

1. Matte black seems to be having a moment, and we can see why when we look at this awesome corner arrangement featuring a complimentary table lamp:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/vintage_24designs/

1. The traditional feel of this entranceway is homely and welcoming, with a classic chandelier to tie it together:

Image source: https://www.instagram.com/our_edwardian_dream/

Be Inspired

As we’ve proved, there are endless options for your hallway, regardless of its size or style. With the help of this handy guide and our Hallway Lights, you can be sure that whatever choice you make, your hallway will be a beautiful, enjoyable space.