A warm welcome

From the Resene colour inspiration – latest looks gallery

Stepping into a stunning hallway sets the tone for what’s in store throughout the rest of a home.

Make a beautiful first impression in yours with a warm and welcoming wall colour. While you’re at it, why not go further and add another layer of interest with an eye-catching pattern?

Although your hallway may feel small and lacking in space, it’s still worth giving it some love with paint. Not only are the walls the ideal place to apply personality, but you can extend your colours using painted accents on any elements such as a console table, coat stand and photo frames. Your front door could even continue your décor theme.

Broaden your horizons with a gentle neutral on your main wall, try off-white Resene Arrowroot. Easy to live with and versatile, it is a shade that suits any interior. This hallway has been given a further creative touch with Resene FX Paint Effects Medium coloured with Resene Half Alabaster. Resene FX Paint Effects Medium is a semi-transparent product, that can have colour added to it. By way of different application techniques, such as sponging or ragrolling, it creates a unique effect on your walls. It’s particularly handy if you have a few marks that you want to cover!

Bring in the darker, plain colour of Resene Explorer on your side wall, echoing it in accents such as your desk and vases or bowls. Pot plants make a big difference to the look of a room too. When you paint the pots in a coat of Resene Arrowroot or Resene Explorer it will help pull the entire room together.

For the final dimension to this dynamic hallway, paint a pattern in a subtle light colour on the floor, like this one that mimics pebbles. The ‘tiled’ paint effect on the floor is in Resene Midwinter Mist, with painted ‘grout’ in Resene Stack. Not only will this create a sense of drama, but it will also encourage the eye to look around the room.

If you’re worried that the space is too small or doesn’t receive enough light from a small window, a mirror will bounce what light there is around, creating a greater sense of space. There may not be much floor area, but there is room above, so reach up and use this vertical space with a free-standing coat stand. Stylish and practical, it can be coated in Resene Explorer to provide colour continuity as well as providing a handy storage solution for coats and bags.

A rattan chair in Resene French Grey painted in a complementary hue brings the room to life even further with its interesting weave. Maybe you have an heirloom item of furniture that you can’t bear to part with yet aren’t sure how to incorporate into your interior? Be sustainable and reclaim it instead of buying something new. Painted in your accent or background colour, you can give it a modernised look.

With all of the beautiful colours available, you could consider a warmer, brighter shade on your side wall the following year to keep your interior fresh and exciting. Resene Whiskey Sour is a beautiful soft orange, or try Resene Glamour Puss for some punchy fun. Resene Arrowroot will still provide a timeless creamy partner, a base from which you can explore different colours on your wall and accent items.

The visual impact here is lively and fun, without creating a headache. Such a patterned neutral wall is welcoming and inviting, the ultimate atmosphere for a hallway entrance. It's an achievable look that isn't too busy due to the subtle colour choices. And it shows that it’s not just the shades themselves that provide personality, it’s also the way you use them.

Surely after a long day you’d love to step into an entranceway that inspires and uplifts, reminding you of why you love home?

Project by Kate Alexander. Images by Bryce Carleton. 2021