In this next instalment of our Ask The Stylist series with Alex Carter of Harlow + Willow, a reader writes in unsure how to style a long hallway.
Reader question: We have a townhouse and the hallway has a huge plain wall on one side with rooms on the other. It’s like a bowling alley. What can l do?
Answer: Long hallways can feel a bit daunting but are also an awesome opportunity to add some extra features to your home and to show people what you’re all about as soon as they walk in the door!
As this reader has said, it’s only one side of the hall that has a large blank wall. This can sometimes be intimidating, but below I am going to suggest what can be done to make it a fun and interesting part of the home.
Gallery style hanging art
One option is to create a gallery style wall of art. This can be done with original paintings or prints; they can be by the same artist, pieces with similar colours, or you can go totally rogue and put up anything you love! There are no rules to this; the only condition that will determine the success or not, is commitment. For example, with the hanging style, if you go with a symmetrical and streamlined look this needs to be measured out and executed correctly. Similarly, if you decide to go for a more casual and mismatched look, make sure that none of the paintings match or line up. Commitment to any form of styling is the most important aspect – own your decision with pride!
Create a seating nook
Depending on space and the width of the hallway, another idea is to create a small nook with a bench seat. If this can be near the entry point of the house, it could be used by people when they enter the house to sit down and take off their shoes. There are very slimline benches available, such as the below HK Living Retro Webbing Bench, that make a statement without being too space consuming. Pop a piece of statement art above, and a cushion or any other accessories that will practically suit the space, and you have a winning feature!
The console
Another option is to put in an awesome console! Once again, there are plenty of slimline and space saving options so it doesn’t have to be a large cumbersome piece of furniture blocking the walkway. Consoles are great for displaying small interesting objects, such as ceramics, vases with florals, plants or even a pin board to house all your important messages and reminders. This can be your central spot for all of those pieces that seem to mysteriously go missing when you’re in a rush – wallets, keys and anything else you need to grab on your way out!
Got a question for Alex? Please submit it for consideration below!
These look lovely, but I’d love to see the OP’s question answered, of how to fill a long space (“It’s like a bowling alley”). These pictures all show spaces that look no more than 2 metres long.
I, too, have a long hallway space (about 5 metres). Putting a 1 metre wide benchseat or 1 metre wide console in the middle still leaves 4 metres of space that I’m at a loss to do with.
How do I furnish and style a long space?
I think a gallery wall suits a very long space well. You could also use more than one bench seat or console. Two very narrow consoles with something in between (such as a tall vase) to break them up can look very effective as well.