While you can easily shut the door to a messy kitchen or bedroom, if there’s one room you can’t hide from your quests – it’s the hallway. Considering how it’s the first and last impression one will have from your home – you should really go out of your way to make sure that your home’s entrance looks stylish and presentable. However, hallways are often narrow and small, which means you only have a limited space to work with. With that being said, here are some tips that can help you present your hallway at its best.

Keep It Open

Don’t forget the primary role of the hallway which is allowing your front door and the rest of your rooms to seamlessly intersect. As such, you need to make sure that you plan out the traffic flow carefully. Since most hallways do not offer much room, be wary of restricting the freedom of movement with bulky furniture and other elements that stick out. If your hallway is narrow, instead of a hall tree or a coat stand, opt for a sleek wall hook which won’t take up any floor space.

Organize It Wisely

In order for a hallway to be functional, you need to have some organization in place. You know how it goes: “A place for everything and everything in its place”. With that being said, try to create a strict order of the things in your hallway and this can save you from dealing with clutter down the road. You can introduce a variety of storage solutions to keep things neatly in place, like for instance baskets for keys and personal items, bins for umbrellas, sideboards for storing shoes, a wall hook for coats and hats, etc. If you’re really limited in space, wall-mounted shelves can help keep things off the ground and make the hallway roomier.

Use Tasteful Accents

I’ll emphasize again that hallways are limited spaces, which means it’s easy to go overboard with the decor. With that being said, avoid including too much statement pieces. A great idea is to use one particular bold item as a focal point. This can be an impressive painting, an exotic plant or a colourful runner. Against a simple backdrop, this one element will draw attention to the space. In addition, you can also try turning the functional elements of the hallway into a design statement themselves. Since the wall hook often takes the central spot, when properly chosen, it can become a charming accent piece. Brass hooks, for instance, can give the hallway a touch of classic elegance while also being a durable option.