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8 Ways to Bring More Natural Light into Your Hallway
Brighten up a dark entrance with these light-boosting design ideas
A hallway can be a tricky space to design, but, when it’s done well, it can transform the look and feel of your home from the moment you step through the door.
Although this area gets a large amount of footfall throughout the day, it’s often small and lacking in natural light, and can easily be overlooked. If your entrance is in need of a little brightening, check out the clever ways these designers on Houzz have transformed an ordinary hallway into something special.
Although this area gets a large amount of footfall throughout the day, it’s often small and lacking in natural light, and can easily be overlooked. If your entrance is in need of a little brightening, check out the clever ways these designers on Houzz have transformed an ordinary hallway into something special.
Choose glass internal doors
As this compact little hallway demonstrates, it’s not just glazing from the front door that can help to lighten up a hallway; the connecting doors into the rooms beyond can also play an important role.
By glazing the top two-thirds of these internal doors, Eva Byrne of Houseology has brought light into the hallway from the living room. The windows connect the entrance to the rest of the house while still allowing the space to be closed off when needed.
Discreet blinds at the top of each door ensure the hallway can be also screened off if required.
As this compact little hallway demonstrates, it’s not just glazing from the front door that can help to lighten up a hallway; the connecting doors into the rooms beyond can also play an important role.
By glazing the top two-thirds of these internal doors, Eva Byrne of Houseology has brought light into the hallway from the living room. The windows connect the entrance to the rest of the house while still allowing the space to be closed off when needed.
Discreet blinds at the top of each door ensure the hallway can be also screened off if required.
Draw in light from connecting rooms
The next step up from installing glass internal doors is to fit a wall of glazing around an internal doorway to allow maximum levels of light through from connecting rooms.
The Crittall-style glazing seen in this scheme allows plenty of sunshine through into the hallway beyond while still retaining a dividing wall. This ensures the room can remain cosy at night when the door’s closed.
The next step up from installing glass internal doors is to fit a wall of glazing around an internal doorway to allow maximum levels of light through from connecting rooms.
The Crittall-style glazing seen in this scheme allows plenty of sunshine through into the hallway beyond while still retaining a dividing wall. This ensures the room can remain cosy at night when the door’s closed.
Go large with your mirror
A mirror above a slim shelf or console table is a classic hallway design combination – and for good reason. A large mirror will grab any light that filters through glazing panels and reflect it back into the space, magnifying the effect and creating the illusion of depth in a narrow room, as in this scheme by Square Foot Basements.
If you’re considering a mirror, it’s worth going as large as you can manage to really maximise this light-boosting effect, and prioritising mirror size over an elaborate frame or decorative shape.
A mirror above a slim shelf or console table is a classic hallway design combination – and for good reason. A large mirror will grab any light that filters through glazing panels and reflect it back into the space, magnifying the effect and creating the illusion of depth in a narrow room, as in this scheme by Square Foot Basements.
If you’re considering a mirror, it’s worth going as large as you can manage to really maximise this light-boosting effect, and prioritising mirror size over an elaborate frame or decorative shape.
Create an optical illusion
Even if you don’t have room for a hallway table and mirror combination, you can still use mirror to dramatic effect, as illustrated in this design by Brown & Brown Architects.
In this small entrance hall, the designers have glazed an entire wall with a bespoke piece of mirror glass to create the effect of a much larger space. As such, the light from the front door and connecting rooms is instantly doubled and reflected back into the little hallway, transforming what could have been a dark and gloomy corner and creating a bright optical illusion.
Even if you don’t have room for a hallway table and mirror combination, you can still use mirror to dramatic effect, as illustrated in this design by Brown & Brown Architects.
In this small entrance hall, the designers have glazed an entire wall with a bespoke piece of mirror glass to create the effect of a much larger space. As such, the light from the front door and connecting rooms is instantly doubled and reflected back into the little hallway, transforming what could have been a dark and gloomy corner and creating a bright optical illusion.
Choose a sunny paint shade
If you’re looking for a quick solution to brighten up a dark hallway, consider bringing in a burst of sunshine via your wall colour, as in this zingy design by A New Day - Interior Design Studio.
A bold yellow will lighten up even the smallest space, and bright colours can work well in a hallway, where visitors are just passing through, rather than in a room where people are spending large amounts of time.
Alternatively, a coat of bright white or a pale neutral will also have a brightening effect, especially if you choose a satin finish for walls and gloss for woodwork.
If you’re looking for a quick solution to brighten up a dark hallway, consider bringing in a burst of sunshine via your wall colour, as in this zingy design by A New Day - Interior Design Studio.
A bold yellow will lighten up even the smallest space, and bright colours can work well in a hallway, where visitors are just passing through, rather than in a room where people are spending large amounts of time.
Alternatively, a coat of bright white or a pale neutral will also have a brightening effect, especially if you choose a satin finish for walls and gloss for woodwork.
Add sidelights
If you’re in a position to upgrade your front door, consider adding sidelights to bring in even more daylight. Even a slim panel of glass, as shown here, will have a significant impact on the light levels in the hallway beyond.
If you’d like to update your front door but don’t know where to start, talk to a designer to see what might be possible.
If you’re in a position to upgrade your front door, consider adding sidelights to bring in even more daylight. Even a slim panel of glass, as shown here, will have a significant impact on the light levels in the hallway beyond.
If you’d like to update your front door but don’t know where to start, talk to a designer to see what might be possible.
Draw light down from above
While door glazing and hall windows will bring in varying amounts of light, depending on the time of day and the position of the sun, overhead glazing will naturally let in stronger rays for a longer period of time.
If you’re in a position to add a skylight or light tunnel, this can totally transform a dark hallway. Even if you’re not currently undertaking any renovation work, some roof glazing can be fitted retrospectively. To find out what could be possible in your home, chat to an architect or interior designer to see what they would recommend.
Tell us…
Have you used any of these ideas in your own hallway? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
While door glazing and hall windows will bring in varying amounts of light, depending on the time of day and the position of the sun, overhead glazing will naturally let in stronger rays for a longer period of time.
If you’re in a position to add a skylight or light tunnel, this can totally transform a dark hallway. Even if you’re not currently undertaking any renovation work, some roof glazing can be fitted retrospectively. To find out what could be possible in your home, chat to an architect or interior designer to see what they would recommend.
Tell us…
Have you used any of these ideas in your own hallway? Share your thoughts and photos in the Comments.
The first and most obvious way to bring more light into a hallway is to maximise the glazing in your front door. The more glazing panels you can manage, the better.
If privacy is a concern, there are plenty of frosted, coloured or decorative finishes available that will still let light through without allowing passers-by to see in.
The beautiful stained-glass panels in this hallway by Hartmann Designs demonstrate how glazing can be a work of art in itself, providing colour and pattern as well as privacy.