19 Hallway Wall Decor Ideas For Ascending Style

These hallway wall decor ideas are perfect for beautiful ascending style. Use those stairs as the prime opportunity to elevate your hallway game.

From what type of wall art to choose, and where to place it in a small hallway, to what other options there are to dress your walls, delve into these 19 hallway decor ideas for total inspiration to help you level up that entrance way to your humble abode.

19 Hallway Wall Decor Ideas For Ascending Style

1.Layer With Half Wall Paneling

Half wall paneling is one of the best ways to add depth and character to a period property, whilst being in keeping with the architectural parameters of the property.

Team with carefully placed artwork above the panelling so the work elevates as you climb the stairs, opt for bold black frames for some much needed definition against light walls.

2. Introduce A Mirror

Adding a round mirror to your hallway wall will instantly elevate a dark space, bounce around natural light available, whilst a round or arched mirror adds an overall softness to the space.

I love the placement of artwork on the wall here, it’s the one place your eyes directly meet as you enter the hallway and it creates visual interest and a pull towards the stairs.

3. Mix Styles For A Boho, Rustic Feel

For an eclectic look, mix up the pieces on your wall for you own unique gallery wall. Try different styles of frames, different shaped mirrors and any vintage pieces that may be heirlooms, or trinkets you’ve picked up from your travels.

The result is a boho, rustic space that creates an exciting place which elevates the interior.

4. Small Hallway? Stick To One Wall

If you have a small narrow hallway, some of these hallway wall decor ideas are still an option. I’d actively encourage adding wall art to the walls of a small hallway to use it to your advantage.

The best tip? Always stick to one wall, it will stop the space feeling claustrophobic and with careful placement it will help to draw the eye up, making the hallway ceiling feel taller than it actually is.

5. More Is More!

When it comes to executing the perfect gallery wall in a hallway, more is more is definitely a thing! A gallery wall is a really unique opportunity to compile your favourite artwork, and differing sizes, frames and colours are welcome here.

In fact, the more colour and style you can use here, the more interesting and warm the space can actually feel. This style of gallery wall can encroach a space so it’s best for larger hallway spaces with lots of natural light to bounce around.

6. Perfectly Symmetrical Monochrome

There’s something sexy about magic monochrome, and black and white accents can make a hallway pop.

Creating a symmetrical gallery wall creates uniformity in a space and it looks perfect with monochrome prints and bold black frames. Adding a hot colour behind it will make the definition look even better.

7. Enter With Colour

It’s not all about gallery walls. A single, thoughtful print with gorgeous colour can be a perfect way to enter a hallway.

Opt for a generously sized frame that is in proportion to the size of a hallway. Adding a frame that’s too small will make the space feel inadequate, if you have the space, it’s always best to go larger for maximum impact on your walls.

8. Elevate With Each Frame

Keep things simplistic with a trio of frames, and gently elevate them in position in accordance to the stairs. This look is perfect for contemporary and minimalist spaces where a subtle amount of colour is all you need.

Opt for white frames to keep the space feeling pared back. Positioning frames like this naturally draws the eye up, making the hallway feel bigger and more spacious.

9. Embrace Two Sides

For larger properties and period homes that need gravitas to match their enviable high ceilings and beautiful architecture, you’ve got to embrace two sides.

Layering both sides of the walls with beautiful artwork will keep the space visually interesting as you step inside, the playful touches of the wallpaper continue that note of interest that wraps around the entire space.

10. Play With Scale

Playing with scale is a crucial element in creating a visually appealing gallery wall – everything goes.

Incorporating artwork of different sizes adds visual interest and breaks up the monotony. It creates a dynamic display that catches the viewer’s eye and invites exploration.

Use this opportunity to also mix frame finishes, colours and how prints are bordered within their frame.

11. Layer With Books

These hallway wall decor ideas aren’t just limited to frames and mirrors, books are good too!

Layer with books via shelving picture rails in discrete corners and otherwise dead spaces, it brings a vintage element to the space and placed into the ceiling, it draws visual interest up.

12. Add Picture Rails For Height

The thought of drilling lots of holes into a wall to create a gallery wall can be a harrowing thought on freshly plastered or painted walls. But there is another way…

A set of picture rails reduces the DIY involved, and it can actually provide a visually exciting way to display prints.

Remember to play with scale though. It provides an opportunity to mix and match pieces that resonate with you, regardless of their size, creating a unique and personalised gallery wall.

13. Personal Prints & Clocks

We may be in an era of Instagram perfect homes, but they shouldn’t be completely devoid of family and your personality.

Family prints can bring a nostalgic and homely feel to a hallway, think about style of frames and the type of prints – sepia or black and white photos can add a lovely dimension.

For a quirky addition, a placement of a clock adds a playful, and well, functional role in a hallway space.

14. Mix & Match Frames

We know that playing with scale is important in creating a stunning gallery wall in a hallway. Mixing and matching frames, and even empty frames can create a charming aesthetic as you climb the stairs.

By layering pieces and varying the distance between them, you can create a sense of spatial depth that adds intrigue and texture to the overall display.

16. Introduce Foliage For A Natural Feel

Climb the stairs with a mixture of elevating artwork and stunning wall mounted, trailing foliage.

Adding foliage to any room in the home can help to bring life and freshness to a space. For a hallway, it will guide the eye and soften the space whilst introducing natural colour and depth.

However, if you’re not any good at keeping plants alive, it’s probably not the best hallway wall decor choice for your hallway.

17. Perfect Rows

There is just something about perfect symmetry of artwork on a wall that can sometimes be more visually appeasing than a staggered gallery wall.

This no nonsense structure works perfectly in modern, contemporary and minimalist spaces. Use this as an opportunity to feature your favourite landscape or family portrait shots.

18. Motifs & Welcoming Slogans

Intersperse your colourful gallery wall with thoughtful slogans and motifs that tell a story in your own home.

Varying the scale of the artwork and signage like this helps to establish focal points within the gallery wall.

19. Floor To Ceiling Artwork

Why stop at a few? Carry that artwork up from floor to ceiling for maximum impact in a hallway. Mixing and matching scale is even more important when done at a large scale like this.

By mixing small, medium, and large pieces, you can distribute visual weight and create a pleasing arrangement. For example, you might place larger pieces in the centre or at focal points, surrounded by smaller frames that elevate your eyes up to the ceiling .

Which of these hallway wall decor ideas is your favourite?

Before You Go…

Have a dark narrow hallway? Or a hallway that just seems dark no matter what you do? I show you my exact Victorian terrace hallway transformation, teamed with actionable tips you can take onboard to help lighten your hallway and make it feel bigger without structural amends.

How to lighten a dark narrow hallway