If you’re looking for hallway ideas wallpaper is a simple way to refresh your space. With wallpaper, it’s easy to add colour, texture and pattern to your hallway, all without taking up any space or adding clutter. It’s versatile, so it can either be a statement-maker or it can play a background role, complementing other elements. It’s durable and practical, allowing you to hide uneven or cracked walls if necessary. But most of all it adds impact and a point of difference to your interior.
A hallway is usually a relatively smaller space so it’s a quick but satisfying change. You can completely transform your hallway in a day with wallpaper. And because hallways aren’t huge, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune, even if you hire a wallpapering expert to take over the application.
Below, I’ve assembled some of the best examples of wallpapers that span a range of styles, from subtle and understated to eye-catching and vibrant.
Barely there hallway wallpaper
I’m going to start with the more subtle wallpapers that make an impact without necessarily being boldly coloured or patterned. Think wallpapers with a faint, small scale patterns or heavily ridged woven, grasscloth papers.
1. Choose an ethereal print
Adding a subtle print to your hallway turns a generic, plain space into something much more interesting, or in this case, almost magical. This dreamy all-white space is given a whole lot of whimsical charm with a gentle botanical print, complete with a few sweet little birds.
2. Go for the palest of the pale
This hallway has adopted an extremely subtle approach to wallpaper, with a very faint blue pattern on a white background. Adding just that pale wash of colour stops the hallway being blinding white while still retaining the brightness. And the wallpaper adds visual interest, while not competing with the wall art.
3. Add depth to an all-white scheme
Subtle, neutral patterned wallpaper provides that dimensionality and depth that a flat paint job doesn’t achieve. Here, a pale, organic-looking print gently picks up the warm brown tones of the floorboards and the brass light fitting. This hallway also shows how wallpapering your hallway can help create a sense of unity, seamlessly connecting all the rooms the hallway services.
4. Make the walls the feature
The beauty of textured wallpaper for hallways is that it creates visual richness which makes the long expanses of flat, saturated colour much easier on the eye. Textured wallpapers also offer gorgeous shimmers of colour and warm, tactile texture, as you can see in this hallway.
5. Add interest without overwhelming
Amp up your interior design game with hallway wallpaper that adds a dose of colour and pattern without smacking you in the face with it. A gorgeous pale blue and white print like this one is great for transforming a hallway with colour, without looking garish.
Note, if you have existing wallpaper that you want to swap out and update, you can find someone who is an expert at wallpaper removal to help.
6. Level up from flat paint
Paint naturally has a flatness to it so to liven up a narrow hallway (like this one in front of a built-in robe), apply a textured wallpaper in your chosen colour instead. That’s the beauty of wallpaper—it turns a solid one-dimensional colour into a visually interesting textured surface. Here, even more, the texture is added to this grey-toned space with a luxe looped carpet.
7. Go for grasscloth
A beautiful way to add texture is to add grasscloth wallpaper. This natural, environmentally-friendly material (often made of reed, jute or arrowroot fibre) hails back as far as 18th century France but is increasingly popular in contemporary homes. It adds richness, depth, shimmer and a layer of luxury to a space. Below, it looks sophisticated against beautiful wall art and a vintage Pretzel armchair.
8. Make it touchable
This hallway features a mid-grey grasscloth, adding sumptuousness and a tactile feeling to a black and white accented hallway—you almost want to run your hands along the walls. To counteract the large expanses of grey, there’s a mirror to help reflect light, a quirky statement light as a focal point, and black-framed photography to add points of interest along the walls.
Flora and fauna hallway wallpaper ideas
Now let’s look at this major category of wallpapers. There’s something endlessly charming about florals, botanical prints and woodland scenes, so why not bring a joyful garden inside with a wallpaper print featuring pretty flowers or winding foliage.
9. Paper a wall with blooms
How about a secret garden at the end of the hall? These homeowners and their guests must leave the house with a spring in their step, with such a vibrant and bustling floral design. A box-like all-white space is the perfect canvas for a gorgeous floral print but stick to papering a single accent wall or risk looking a little too abundant (ie. overgrown).
10. Wander through a garden
If you have a large hall space, a busy and oversized floral print will make a statement without overwhelming. It helps to choose a print on a white background to keep things as airy and light as possible. At the base, consider painting your skirting boards in a complementary nature tone.
11. Make over your hall closet interior
Not wanting to make florals the first thing people see? You can still indulge a love of flowers with a tiny bit of wallpaper lining the inside of your hall closet. I love the minimalist baskets here too, and the way the shoe rack has been painted in a colour picked out of the wallpaper.
12. Mix florals with white panelling
You can enjoy a lively, energetic floral print without completely overpowering your space simply by adding clean white panelling to the lower half of the wall. If your hallway is also a mudroom area, a white backdrop makes it easier to keep items neat than a patterned one. The ledge also provides a handy way to store shoes but here you can find more shoe storage ideas.
13. Go a bit rock n roll
A narrow wall is the perfect spot to tszuj up with a slice of exotic or bold wallpaper like this romantic rose print. I like how the transparent acrylic table allows the print to peek through and also keeps the hallway feeling uncluttered. A vintage print and a zebra-covered ottoman add further pattern clash and eclectic charm.
14. Add sophistication and atmosphere
A chic black and white flower print make for a lovely combination of subtle and dramatic in a contemporary home. Keeping your wallpaper colour-free makes future décor changes much easier too—after all, any accent colour will work against black and white. In this hallway, there’s just a tiny touch of colour in the warm metal in the light fitting and the dark green foliage of the statement plant peeking out on the right.
15. Bring in the tropics
Create an oasis with a bold print inspired by nature–this leaf patterned feature wall sure adds a lot of oomph to this entranceway! This dynamic and vibrant space is enhanced by the layers of pattern and texture, and the plentiful white ensure it all works together. Minimalist timber flooring and real-live plants add to the calm beauty.
What’s on the other side of your entrance hallway? Get it looking just as gorgeous with our front porch ideas.
16. Stick to a simple motif
This little hallway mudroom space has been improved with a simple, restrained botanical print, here in a deep green and white colour combination. I like the white paintwork trim, pale timber floorboards, natural décor and egg-shaped white pendant.
17. Embrace bold and beautiful murals
A stunning infusion of pattern and colour into your hallway space can be achieved with wallpaper, especially if you choose a classic Chinoiserie style print. Chinoiserie is the Western interpretation of Chinese arts and designs, and is characterised by exuberance, asymmetry and stylised imagery. How beautiful are these colours? I love these teal-painted skirting boards too.
18. Enter a mysterious forest
This moody woodland wallpaper is another example of how you can introduce a nature print without having to bring in too much colour if you prefer a more monochromatic look. White painted stairs and railings—accented by a dark timber bannister to guide the eye—keep things feeling misty and dreamy.
19. Surround yourself with butterflies
Add a sense of whimsy to your hallway with a butterfly print wallpaper. A light-hearted look and one that will make you smile every time you leave the house. I like the colourful rug adding further texture to the space, and the black wainscoting that matches the ceiling trim and door paintwork.
20. Have a half wall with birds
This long, narrow entrance hallway features gorgeous birds and berries motif wallpaper that brightens up the space with its pops of green, red, yellow and purple against the white background. Adding white lattice to the bottom half of the wall is perfection and gives it all a farmhouse flavour.
21. Opt for Scandi style
Floral and botanical wallpaper can be neutral too, so if you prefer a soft Scandi-style colour scheme rather than something bright, opt for an understated print in a pale grey or other muted hue. The abstract tree design here is inspired by the forests of Scandinavia and the décor follows suit—simple, natural and rustic. I like this very minimal mudroom idea but find more mudroom ideas that perhaps you prefer.
22. Freshen up a feature wall
Brighten up a tiny hallway nook with a little glimpse of greenery, with a neat fern print like this one. Adding some intricate, lush plant motifs breathes life into a boring space and choosing a soft, natural neutral wallpaper like this means you’re less likely to tire of it quickly too.
Graphic and patterned wallpaper
Next, I’ve rounded up a small selection of hallways that feature patterned wallpaper to create impact. There’s really an endless choice on the market so you’ll be sure to find a look that suits your favourite interior style.
23. Add life to a dull hallway
Change the vibe of a small hallway by applying an energetic, vibrant, maximalist print like this bright blue desert theme. And then if possible match your pendant light in a gorgeous saturated colour—I love this simple, peacock blue lamp. Keep everything else in the hallway pared-back, here all that’s needed is beautiful polished floorboards.
24. Go for graphic lines
The hallway here has been given a revamp to add interest to a fairly plain space and tie the black staircase and white wall together nicely. A squiggly abstract pattern like this (which kind of reminds me of a fingerprint) is easy on the eye and just adds that lovely bit of texture to the space as well.
25. Add interest with arrows
Geometric patterns are a perennial favourite when it comes to wallpaper. A small scale repetitive pattern is visually pleasing and adds a contemporary touch to any hallway. I like how the cohesive flow of this neutral space, thanks to the repetition of the pattern in the hat rack and the rug. And a bench is always a handy addition to a hallway that also functions as a mudroom.
26. Go dotty
Give a plain hallway the style treatment with a simple geometric dot pattern. This subtle wallpaper adds a faint overlay of colour to this all-white contemporary hallway, lifting it from being a bland space. Mixing it with white panelling or wainscoting adds even more sophistication.
27. Make a statement with zigzags
If you have a flamboyant personality, convey that in your home and make a real statement with dramatic wallpaper like these aqua abstract freeform zigzags. Contrast the extravagance with a more subdued piece of hallway furniture—this vintage leather and timber seat gives the almost-childlike wallpaper a little maturity.
28. Dapple it with Dalmation spots
As with most strongly patterned papers, it’s a good idea to keep the ceiling white for balance. If you want to do a refresher on your ceiling paintwork yourself, our handy ceiling painting guide will help.
29. Choose a black and white print
A plain white corridor hallway can seem a little sterile, but adding a graphic black and white patterned wallpaper gives the space a big boost. Choosing a black and white print is a great idea if you like to change up your hallway décor frequently, as just about everything will look good offset against a black and white wallpaper.
30. Channel a classic look
Hallways can sometimes be darker spaces but you can translate this into a sense of cosiness and warmth. Play to the darkness by vamping up your hallway with a darker print, like this ethnic-inspired pattern. This hallway also features a harmonious mix of dark accents (the lantern-style ceiling light, table lamp, and vintage console table) and lighter ones (the paintwork, lampshade, and door). I love the decorative transom window which allows more light in.
31. Bring in nature tones
For a subtle way to add interest to your hallway, dress it up in a patterned print in a natural tone. Amplify the gentle, earthy vibes with décor in natural materials like timber and woven baskets.
32. Look for a loopy pattern
Inject your hallway with personality by decorating it with a bold abstract pattern like these intricate olive green loops. The green works beautifully against these reclaimed timber floorboards (and against the bike with its cane basket). Classic black and white wall sconces make a lovely accent and help prevent the hallway from being dim.
33. Think about terrazzo
Are you into the terrazzo look? If terrazzo floor tiling is out of your budget then you might like to find a terrazzo print wallpaper instead. This grey-toned terrazzo print with a faint sheen contrasts well with the dark grey painted wainscoting.
34. Make it metallic
If you love a glam aesthetic, it’s easy to bring in shimmer and shine with a metallic wallpaper. Reflective papers are great at catching and amplifying the available light, too. Here, a handmade gold-foiled wallpaper that has a slightly matted shine so it’s not too blingy. For a show-stopping entrance, add an extravagant chandelier, maybe in a mid-century style like this. Find more ideas for lighting up your hallway.
35. Rewind with retro
Finally, how about this gorgeous entryway, decked out in vintage Josef Frank wallpaper? Josef Frank was the influential Austrian-Swedish designer who put his own spin on Modernism, with his focus on artistic, colourful and charming nature-inspired designs. I also love the sculptural light fitting and of course who wouldn’t love a staircase like this, with such pretty white and timber steps?
And that’s my take on the best hallway wallpaper ideas around. Which is your preferred wallpaper style? I’d love to hear in the comments below. Personally, I love the whimsical retro and florals, but I also think subtly textured solid colours really lift a flat contemporary space.
Don’t forget you can organise your hallway wallpaper reno right here: find someone near you who can expertly handle your wallpaper installation needs.
