An Edwardian hallway is arguably that bit easier to decorate than a Victorian one.
Edwardian hallways boast the same high ceilings, and beautiful architectural features, but the hallway spaces are generally much roomier than those tell tale narrow Victorian hallways, and they have the benefit of more natural light from windows and nearby rooms.
They’re nothing short of magnificent, and using the architectural parameters to guide your interior design is a great place to start.
Here are 13 striking ways you can decorate an Edwardian hallway – featuring colour schemes, design hacks and more!
13 Striking Ways To Decorate An Edwardian Hallway
1.Use Striking Black Accents To Tie The Hallway Together
Sam & Jenny’s Edwardian terrace in London is nothing short of perfect. They have lovingly restored this beauty with DIY and lots of weekends!
A good black accent will go a long way at tying a space together and delivering some definition.
Use black on a few key areas such as floor tiles, bannister, frames and on a border of a stair runner, these few elements aren’t oppressive or in your face, but they tie the hallway together and contrast beautifully with the warm, neutral colour scheme.
2. Paint Woodwork In A Contrasting Colour For A Scandi Feel
Keep things simple with a black and white colour scheme, monochrome magic is an effective and iconic colour palette for Scandinavian interiors.
Keep walls and ceilings light and airy, and contrast your woodwork with a defining black shade. It grounds the hallway, and you can get away with painting skirting boards a different colour in a much larger space.
3. Introduce Baby Blue For An Inviting Look
After speaking with the experts as we looked at hallway colour trends for 2024, baby blue was one of those colours that made the list.
This soft shade isn’t best reserved for coastal inspired properties, it can bring a soft and delicate brush to a hallway, use on a half wall feature or woodwork to introduce some colour.
4. Use Stripes On A Carpet Runner For The Illusion of More Space
Stair runners are a design feature, and they look great on stairs that face the front door, leaving a firm lasting impression with your guests.
Whether you add a border or opt for a striped stair runner like this, stripes are a fail safe way to incorporate verticality to your hallway.
Whilst high ceilings are a defining feature of an Edwardian hallway, stripes will help to elongate your stairs too.
5. Position Your Front Door As The Focal Feature
Your front door sets the tone for what is to come inside, and Edwardian doors should be made a focal feature.
Tim Leonard, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet comments “Your front door is the face of the home, and the first thing people see, so if you’re looking to revamp your home – what better place to start?
“The easiest and most cost-effective way to update your front door is by giving it a fresh lick of paint. If you want to keep it classic, opt for greys, blacks, whites or browns that won’t make too much of a statement. But, if you want to make your front door pop, you can use bold statement colours like red, orange, yellow or pink. For a slightly more toned-down option of injecting colour, pastel shades like country green, powder blue or muted peach are all fab options for standing out subtly from the neighbours on your street.
“You can also consider updating your front door’s accessories, such as the handle, knocker and the house number/sign to suit the style or aesthetic you’re aiming for. Many vintage, thrift or second-hand shops and markets sell these for a percentage of what they cost brand new, so it’s worth shopping around for a bargain.”
6. Use A Dado Rail For Colour Separation
Dado rails are a classic feature of period properties, they provide perfect colour separation which can help to draw the eye up in a space.
Use a warm, modern neutral on the bottom half and add a bright white above, it will create a crisp contrast and make the most of those voluminous, high ceilings.
7. Draw The Eye Up To Stunning Architectural Features
If you’re lucky enough to have an Edwardian property that hasn’t stripped out architectural features over the years, you’re going to want to make a feature out of them.
These stunning features should be left in their entirety for a lasting impression. Keep things light and bright by keeping walls and ceiling the same bright white shade. You could colour drench with a bolder colour, or choose to draw the eye up by using a contrasting paint colour on the ceiling.
Needless to say, the light fitting you choose here is important as well. Add a stunning lantern for a touch of period authenticity, the black accent will define the all white hallway too.
8. Make A Bold Statement With Navy Blue
Navy blue has always been doted on as a regal and bold statement in an interior. It lends itself to use in a grand Edwardian hallway, grounding the space and complementing the airy, open feel.
Don’t be afraid to introduce black accents for additional definition and add a bright white to the ceiling and cornices to draw the eye up and through the space.
9. Lean Into Original Wooden Tones
Mahogany was primarily used in homes during the Edwardian era, but as the years have gone by, homeowners have either replaced or painted over what was once a design staple.
Do lean into those original wooden tones and give your hallway the nod to its era that it so deserves. The rich tones work beautifully with the black and white floor tiles and green colour scheme.
10. Use Half Wall Panelling For Uniformity & Character
Panelling was a traditional feature in period properties, and traditional half wall panelling wainscoting is an effective way at delivering character and depth.
Most Edwardian homes would have had this stripped out at some point, but it’s one of the easiest types of panelling to DIY yourself.
11. Use Your Original Floor Tiles To Set The Colour Scheme
Minton original floor tiles are a treat to come by in an Edwardian hallway if you can uncover them, their traditional dark, brown tones may feel difficult to work with, but only if you go against them.
To keep them a design feature you need to use them to set the colour scheme for the hallway so you can create a cohesive space. Use the colours throughout with accents in the hallway to tie the scheme together.
12. Restore Original Minton Tiles
We couldn’t resist sharing another stunning snap of original Minton tiles, stunning.
If you can uncover original floor tiles, you’ll need to assess the condition and work out whether they can faithfully be restored. Do check with a professional as it’s a specialist job that isn’t designed for DIY’ers.
13. Introduce A Restorative Feeling With A Dark Green Hallway
A dark green hallway can be a gorgeous colour scheme for an Edwardian home. Like navy blue, it’s considered a regal colour that works beautifully with design accents from the era such as brass and gold.
Pair with black and white floor tiles to ground the space.
Which of these Edwardian hallway ideas is your favourite?
Before You Go…
Looking for more hallway inspiration? Why not try one of the most on-trend colours, brown. This unsurprising suitor for your interiors is actually perfect at delivering an earthy, relaxing feel. Not convinced? Check out these ideas!
