8 Instagrammable hallway decorating ideas for Christmas
Hallways, usually busy thoroughfares, are important spaces to decorate in the home, and for Christmas, attention turns to creating a warm, festive welcome.
'The hallway really comes into its own at Christmas time,' says interior designer Julia Kendell, who suggests getting your hallway organised from the get-go. 'It's all about creating a welcoming environment in your entrance hall and as people arrive they will really feel the Christmas spirit.'
Definitely not a space to be neglected, here we suggest some hallway Christmas decorations and styling tips to help you transform your space.
1. Set the scene
Think about the first thing you want your guests to see. 'Create a warm and welcoming entrance with candles in lanterns or tealights in a jar,' Julia suggests. 'Even outside the house you can have a pretty welcoming sign, or lanterns leading up to the house.'
Festive fragrances evocative of a Christmas past are a touching addition to your hallway. The most familiar Christmas scents are fir trees and pine cones, spices like ginger, cloves and cinnamon, and something warming like a log fire or roasting chestnuts.
Scentsicles Candy Cane Forest Scented Christmas Ornaments
Midnight Scented Ceramic Star Decorations – Set of 12
Fir Tree Ceramic Bells With Spray – Set of 8
Fir Tree Ceramic Bells With Spray – Set of 8
Scentsicles Spiced Pine Cones
Scentsicles O Christmas Tree Scented Ornaments with Hooks - 3 Bottles
Scentsicles Cinnamon Scent Sticks
Scentsicles Cinnamon Scent Sticks
Scentsicles O Christmas Tree Scented Ornaments with Hooks - 3 Bottles
Spiced Pinecones Scented Tree Decorations, Jar of 6
Pack of 6 Christmas Tree Scented Stick Ornaments
Christmas Berry Scented Tree Decorations, Jar of 6
£6.00 at John Lewis & Partners
Scentsicles Cinnamon Scent Sticks
White Winter Fir Scented Tree Decorations, Jar of 6
£6.00 at John Lewis & Partners
O Christmas Tree Scented Tree Decorations, Jar of 6
£6.00 at John Lewis & Partners
2. Decorate with a wreath (or swag)
Decorating your front door and the exterior of your home at Christmas is a must, but don't forget to dress your interior doors, too. You could pop a wreath or swag on all internal doors or door handles.
A Christmas swag is a great choice indoors if you keep your showstopping wreath for your front door. Swags are usually made up of a fir or spruce tied together with a ribbon, and hung vertically from hooks like this fabulous Annie Sloan example below. You can add baubles or LED lights if you wish, or keep it natural, showcasing the rich green of the branches.
3. Create ambience with lights
With the nights drawing in for winter, it's an ideal opportunity to use some festive mood lighting in your hallway. 'Nothing says festive cheer quite like a string of fairy lights or some flickering flames. Lighting is a crucial element in interior design and, as such, shouldn’t be overlooked when decorating for Christmas,' says Catharina Björkman, Scandi interiors expert at Contura.
Warm white fairy lights and LED candles are a great option for winter months, as the warm glow provides a welcome respite from darker nights. Micro lights work well in this setting too, as they're subtle and pretty. You could use LED tealights to dress your console table, while taper candles look gorgeous in front of mirrors and on sconces.
4. Dress your staircase
The staircase is a focal, if not the main, fixture in your hallway, so use this to your advantage and make sure it's looking super Christmassy. Our first recommendation is to deck the halls with a Christmas garland.
For a chic and fresh look, choose eucalyptus, or for a more traditional feel, opt for pine cones and berries. If you have any spare or loose baubles or tree decorations, work your way up the stairs and tie these along the handrail – it'll look ultra festive.
Do you want to create an Instagrammable hallway display? Start with an evergreen garland layered with dried hydrangea heads, sprayed metallic and jewel-coloured foliage, and finish with micro LED fairy lights. Follow this step-by-step:
1. Simply wind the garland in and out your bannister from top to bottom to affix.
2. Spray paint your own foliage. Cover the surface you're painting on, get some protective gloves on, and lay out your chosen blooms. Hold them by the base of the flower head, lightly spray in your chosen colours, and leave to dry.
3. Now it's time to start decorating! Use a mixture of blousy and trailing blooms for ultimate impact. This stairwell features pom-pom hydrangea heads, festively fragrant eucalyptus, and beautiful gypsophila sprayed in turquoise, purple, silver, and gold.
4. For a final touch of festive sparkle, wind fairy lights through the garland, up and over the rail is best to keep them nice and secure. Battery operated lights are best for this look, as you can easily hide the battery pack and don't need to worry about running wires to nearby plug sockets.
5. For a cute and quirky Advent vignette, secure old applique numbers to the stairs, which is a lovely way to get excited for the Christmas countdown. You could even add a little present each day for an alternative Advent calendar.
5. Utilise the console table
A console table or sideboard in your hallway can be a great base for decorating, and it's not exclusive to the holiday season either.
'Whenever I design a home, whether mine or a clients, I try and find a place for what I call a central table,' says Davina Stanley, creative director at PAPER+WHITE, an interior design and art consultancy. 'At Christmas they call out for perhaps another tree. At Halloween, a pumpkin display. At Easter, huge vessels with spring blooms. At family birthdays, loaded with cards and gifts. If you only have the time or inclination for just one project, make it this one. It's the perfect considered and effective way to set the tone for whatever the season.'
You can treat your console table much like you would a mantelpiece, using slim garlands and interspersing LED candles or baubles. Add ceramic ornaments, a tray of baubles or simply bunch together some dried winter flowers in a vase (or a fresh bouquet) for that Christmassy feel. You can also pile some wrapped boxes underneath in a rainbow of coloured paper and ribbon.
1.5m Eucalyptus & Laurel Christmas Garland Micro Light Bundle
Plain Garland, Green
Small Snow Christmas Tree 5Pcs
24pc Bottle Brush Christmas Trees
Frosted Brush Tree Garland
Golden Bell Christmas Garland with Lights
Frosted Fir Garland
10 Smoked Glass Mini Lantern String Lights
Mercury Bauble String Lights with Timer
6. Make wall art
Even bare walls can benefit from a little sparkle. Tap into one of this year’s biggest Christmas trends and invest in sculptural paper stars – the bigger and more intricate the better – and drape across your walls for a showstopping entrance.
To create more visual interest, play with height by hanging the attached string or ribbons at various lengths. It's also a great way to reduce your environmental impact during Christmas as it can be used year after year. You can achieve a similar look with a garland or bunting, either strung along the wall or used to frame your hallway mirror.
Large Hanging Lokta Paper Star
Paper Stars
Coloured Paper Shades
£38.00 at grahamandgreen.co.uk
7. Set up an additional Christmas tree
If you have the space (we know most of our hallways are pretty narrow), it's definitely a great idea to place a Christmas tree in the hallway, and it doesn't have to be as large or extravagant as your living room tree. You could buy a slim Christmas tree or even one that's smaller in size that you can pop on a console table or a stool for extra height. We love this modern oak tree from Etsy that could flank your stairs or front door.
Alternative Oak Christmas Tree
8. Add a mat and runner
A doormat and runner are essentials for the entrance of your home, so don’t forget to give these areas a festive makeover. There’s no need to go OTT – a subtle nod to the festivities will work, but a novelty doormat will certainly make guests smile. For the runner, choose rich colours like burgundy, emerald or gold to add warmth and comfort. Rich colours can make a space feel luxurious at any point of the year, but during Christmas the opulent look really does come into its own.
Green Washable Mistletoe Runner
Now Designs Merry Everything Doormat
$48.00 at anthropologie.com.uk
Hudson Stripe Red & Green Tufted Rug
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