10 Bright Hallway Colours to Transform Your Entryway

The hallway is often overlooked, treated as one of the less exciting parts of the house. Yet think how often you pass through it, and how it makes you feel as you open the front door and step inside. More to the point, how would you like that entrance to make you and your guests feel? A bright, airy, interesting hallway can change the way everyone feels on arrival, so make a great first impression with bold hallway colour. Here's our pick of the ten best bright hallway paints to liven up your entryway.

1. Yellow: the sunny hallway colour

What better welcome than the colour of sunshine? Bright yellow genuinely lifts the mood and makes you smile. Hallways are typically starved of daylight, so a sunny yellow can bring an uplifting boost of light and warmth where there is none. Mylands' Wharf Sacking™ No.127 is a soft, creamy yellow that's warm and inviting; used on the stairs and wall below, it works perfectly with a bolder, darker shade for contrast.

If a fully yellow hallway feels daunting, how about a yellow entrance like the one below? It's enough to make an impact as you step in and add sunny brightness to a dark hallway.

2. Green: the fresh hallway colour

A natural green scheme feels wonderfully fresh, evoking the outdoors across countless shades, and green can relax you just as being in nature does. The green you choose will depend on your hallway's natural brightness. Light green is beautifully versatile and gives a sense of space, a real bonus in a small or narrow hallway.

Dark green makes a great accent in a naturally bright hallway; below, Mylands' Brompton Road™ No.205 turns the wooden panelling into an attractive feature, while the neutral surrounding walls keep the space bright and stop it feeling enclosed. Deep, dark green works so well next to earthy shades and natural textures like wood and stone tiles.

3. Light blue: the calming hallway colour

How do you want to feel moving around your home? If serene is on the list, pale blue is a perfect hallway idea, bringing softness to an often stark, functional space and helping it feel light and airy, which is hard to achieve in an enclosed, dark hallway. Light blue pairs well with other pastels or white, as below with Mylands' Mid Wedgwood™ No.113 on the woodwork, for a fresh, clean scheme.

4. Pink: the playful hallway colour

Hot pink is a bold choice, but if you want to make a dramatic statement, why not do it in the room seen first? It makes a striking first impression and hints at what the rest of the home holds. Pink is wonderfully warm and inviting, by turns fun and playful, vibrant and dramatic, delicate and soft, and it can liven up an otherwise neutral taupe or grey hallway as an ideal contrast. Mylands' Covent Garden Floral™ No.270 blends red and pink tones for impact, a charming shade you'd find in an English rose garden; for something gentler, try Floris™ No.27, closer to a blush.

5. Bright blue: the vibrant hallway colour

Nothing brings energy like a bright, vibrant blue, uplifting and bold with real depth, much like the ocean, carrying a sense of movement that's ideal for a transitional space. Cobalt blue is a very modern shade that instantly updates a neglected hallway; evocative of sunny Mediterranean holidays, it's an eye-catching introduction to the rest of the house that will intrigue and impress guests. The statement feature wall below shows Mylands' Proper Blue™ No.67 with Sorrel Green™ No.207 on the woodwork.

6. Orange: the warm hallway colour

Orange is a brave choice but also great fun; a splash adds instant warmth and is so uplifting and vibrant it gives an immediate energy boost. A single pop of bright orange does the trick, on your front door, a shelving alcove or the entryway. A bright orange interior front door is so eye-catching that it draws the eye along the hallway, a handy visual trick in a narrow or small passage. Mylands' Lolly Pop™ No.205 dates back to the 1960s, so it works beautifully with mid-century styling.

7. Peach: the fresh hallway colour

Peach may not seem bright, but it brings a warmth and softness you won't get from stark white, a comforting shade that oozes freshness, easy to live with and wonderfully relaxing. It makes a great backdrop for stronger accessories such as luxe metals or geometric prints, subtle enough not to compete for attention yet interesting enough to make a point. For a contemporary take, pair peach with mid-tone wood and white woodwork.

8. Red: the dramatic hallway colour

A bright red hallway may feel a touch too bold, but red is such a showstopper that it shouldn't be dismissed if you want drama at the entrance. A red front door looks classic yet modern, and don't forget the inside; match front and back or mix them, so if you want something subdued outside for all to see, do, but inside add personality and theatre. Similarly, you could paint the lower half of a wall red and pair it with white or stone; it's a wonderful accent that adds depth, warmth and interest.

9. Grey: the refined hallway colour

Grey can make a hallway feel bright and airy, a soft, calm shade with timeless appeal; if your hallway is naturally dark, a pale grey will lift it and add much-needed light. Different greys read warmer or cooler, so choose mindfully for the mood you want. A light grey like Mylands' Grays Inn™ No.167 adds warmth and works especially well next to white, while Stirrup™ No.114 is more silver and cooler. A warm grey makes a good contrast on woodwork, dado rails and door frames against pale walls.

10. White: the light hallway colour

It may not be exciting, but sometimes only white will do, bringing freshness and light to a space often starved of daylight, a simple way to brighten an internal area, especially a small hallway. Remember there are countless whites, from bright white to off-white. Use a white hallway as a backdrop to interesting artwork or alongside a bright feature wall for warmth and personality; the vivid blue staircase below is all the more striking against the white skirting and walls around it.

Things to consider when creating a bright hallway

A bright hallway offers a warm welcome to guests and to you, drawing you in to discover the rest of the home and teasing your décor, lifting the spirits and offering comfort. Just remember it should enhance rather than compete with the living room, kitchen or dining room it adjoins. Mylands paints are formulated to last, and since hallways are high-traffic areas you want paint that endures the inevitable scuffs; our matt emulsions are hard-wearing and made to cope with busy lives. For more hallway inspiration and DIY advice, read our blog on hallway paint ideas.