It is not often that hallways have windows, but if you wish to add some softness with furnishings, you may decide to cover the door with a full length curtain or blind a great boon if you also suffer from a draughty entrance. Special curtain poles (portiere rods) are available that lift as you open the door so that the curtain won’t drag on the floor or get caught as the door opens; or you may find it useful to have a curtain on hinged pole that will swing back against the wall when you would like the curtain open.

For added interest in the hall and up the stairs display favorite pictures and paintings; have a low but long bookshelf along one wall which will also serve as a handy shelf; and hang a mirror for the last is an especially valuable addition to a hallway. If the space is long and narrow, a mirror hanging on one wall will enhance the width by reflecting whatever is on the opposite wall (a light, for example, would become doubly strong) and if it can be positioned to reflect some outside light, so much the better.

As the proportions of a hall are frequently rather uncomfortable a long and narrow room, or high walls leading up to stairwell this area is a prime candidate for playing with color and lighting to enhance the good points, and detract from the bad. To make the space seem wider and the back of a long, narrow corridor appear closer, paint the ceiling and back wall in the dark shade, but keep the side walls as pale as possible. Shiny surface will also reflect light making them appear slight sheen for the walls.

If you live in a period property, there may already be moldings on the walls of your rooms and the hallway is a prime candidate for them as they add decorative details and enhance proportion. The large expanses of wall can also be well served by adding a dado rail and being decorated with different color or finishes above and below. Authentic moldings are available in plaster or wood, or you may just prefer to paste on a wallpaper border. Getting the proportions right for positioning the top of the dado can be difficult, but the best place to aim for is about a third of the way up the wall. Experiment by drawing chalk lines along the wall.