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Wall art ideas for hallways
Hallways are seen in passing, so the art has to work fast. Three ways to make a narrow wall, a console or a staircase feel finished.
A hallway is the first room guests see and the one you walk through most. It rarely has space for a big gallery wall, but it is the perfect place for a small group with strong colour, because nobody stands still long enough for subtle art to land.
1. Stack a narrow wall
The House Proud Trio, shown at the top of this page, uses a narrow strip of wall beside a doorway. Two small prints hang one above the other, and a larger third frame leans against the wall at floor level. It turns a gap between doors into a spot worth looking at.
The House Proud Trio: two hung, one leaning.
2. Frame the console
If your hallway has a console or a low cabinet, use it as the anchor. The Olive Pair hangs two prints side by side above a sideboard with a lamp, so furniture and art read as one arrangement. Keep the pair a little narrower than the console beneath it.
The Olive Pair: two prints above a hallway sideboard.
Studio tip
Hallway art is seen from further away than you think. Choose bolder colour and larger shapes than you would for a bedroom.
3. Follow the stairs
On a staircase, hang the frames so they climb with the steps. The Staircase Pair keeps an even gap between frames and an even height above the stair line, which is what makes a stair wall look planned rather than scattered.
The Staircase Pair: two prints that climb with the steps.
Keep it practical
Hallways are busy. Use slim frames that sit close to the wall so bags and coats do not catch them, and hang the centre of each group around 145 cm from the floor, or from the stair line on a staircase.
Try these layouts on a photo of your own hallway with the Gallery Wall Builder, or see more ideas on our hallway page.
