Hallway paint colours to ‘stay away from' - ‘makes your home look instantly dated'

The colour decisions homeowners make for their landing can be incredibly impactful, improving the flow between it and the spaces off of it. This is where paint ideas come into play, setting the tone for all adjoining rooms. However, precisely because a hallway is a space where colour can be used to link rooms of different colours, it can be easy to choose the wrong shades. Therefore, knowing which hues to choose and to avoid here is key.

From dark green to charcoal grey, interior designers are steering clear of some of this year’s most sought-after tones on their landing. Here’s what you need to know before painting.

Homeowners may think it would be hard to go wrong when decorating with grey, but it is possible to be wrong-footed by certain tones in this fleeting space.

Lucy O’Brien, the Principal Designer at Tartan & Toile suggested avoiding the colour charcoal grey in hallways.

She warned: “I would never paint a landing a charcoal grey.

“It is a colour trend that is fading out and will make your home look instantly dated so I would suggest staying away from it.”

Instead, she suggests using a dusty grey-blue aesthetic that is more likely to stand the test of time.

Beige might be popular, but it’s a much trickier colour to use on a hallway because of how it reacts in different lights and with other colours.

Lucy explained: “I would always avoid painting a landing any type of beige. It is one of the most tricky colours that exist.

“There are pink, gold, and yellow beiges, and all have very different colours that they can be paired with.

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“If you pick the wrong one, the whole thing will clash.”

For those looking for a soft tone that offers the comfort of beige without the risk of a clash, Lucy recommends opting for a warmer white or a more “muted white”.

Black will always have stylish qualities, but Lisa Rickert, the CEO and Creative Director of paint company Jolie Home warns against bringing this colour for practical reasons.

She said: “Black and off-black can be very chic, but not for your landing.

“If lights are dimly lit at night, you do not want to risk someone falling as they try to navigate the stairs.”

Since a hallway and landing is first and foremost a transitional space, the expert suggests choosing a warm white that will work seamlessly on your walls.

Lisa added: “[It can] run through the halls of a home, creating continuity and visually enlarging the space even if you do not have much natural light in the area.”

Dark green is another no-go paint colour for entryways.

Megan Dufresne, Principal Designer at MC Design said: “I tend to stay away from any dark, heavy colours unless the entire staircase is painted in one solid colour, and even then, it must be high gloss paint for it to work.”

She warns that dark green is amongst these “heavy colours” that are “generally difficult to work with or get just right in your landing”.

Megan added: “[These colours] also tend to make a space, especially a small space like a landing, feel even smaller and very enclosed.”

Amy Youngblood, Owner & Principal Designer of Amy Youngblood Interiors explained that bright red is best-reserved for social spaces that need to make a lasting impression, whereas hallways are best kept uncomplicated.

She said: “Bright and bold colours like red or orange may be stressful for people passing through your landing.

“You want your landing and hallways to be airy and open for company passing through.

“The landing is not a space for lingering, so it’s a good idea to keep it neutral and simple.”