How To Light A Hallway

Hallways can be notoriously difficult to decorate as they’re often long and thin, lack natural lighting and are filled with the clutter of everyday life such as shoes, coats and bags. So how do you design an inviting hallway which complements your home décor?

Start by focusing on choosing the perfect hallway lighting – here’s how. Types of hallway lighting. The lighting you choose for your hallway will depend on its size, shape, your overall home design and what kind of mood you want to create; here are the four main types of lighting to choose from:

Ceiling
Light
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Fittings come in a range of  styles and provide the best overall lighting, so they’re ideal for hallways, which tend to lack natural light sources.

wall
lighting
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Wall lighting can be used to provide general lighting, as well as to accentuate wall hangings. Flush wall lighting is great for narrow hallways, but if you have more space you can choose torch-style fittings come in a range of  styles and provide the best overall lighting, so they’re ideal for hallways, which tend to lack natural light sources.

pendant Lighting
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These lights hang from the ceiling and provide general ambient lighting as well as task lighting to illuminate specific areas of your hallway, such as desks.

led strip lighting
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LED strip lighting can be used to run along skirting boards in your hallway and fits well with a modern, chic style of home décor.

Choosing light bulbs for your hallway

Once you’ve selected which type of light fittings you want to use in your hallway it’s important to choose the right bulb.

Halogen lights produce bright, instant light which can act as a substitute for daylight, while incandescet lights are traditional bulbs which are slowly being replaced by more energy-efficient options; they create a soft, warm light. LED lighting is energy-saving and provides instant, direct light, or you could opt for a fourth choice: Compact Florescent Bulb (CFL) lighting. These bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and now come in a range of tones and brightness levels. Nowadays, all of the above light bulbs can be bought in a range of brightness levels called Lumens - select higher lumen bulbs for brighter light. Similarly, bulbs also come in a range of colour temperatures, or Kelvins. Choose higher Kelvin bulbs to create cooler, brighter lighting and lower levels for soft, warm, relaxing shades.

TOP NINE HALLWAY LIGHTING TIPS

Remember, your hallway is probably the first part of your home visitors will see, so make sure it’s inviting by selecting the right lighting fixtures and bulbs for your space.