How to Brighten a Small Hallway

Paint skirting boards, doors and woodwork with white gloss paint. White creates a clean, fresh feel, and the gloss finish reflects light. Paint the ceiling white to create a feeling of space.

Create an uplifting, welcoming atmosphere with yellow-painted walls. Many cool, visually receding colors such as light blues can feel cold, especially next to white. Yellow, however, creates a spacious, uplifting and inviting atmosphere when used in a hallway. When combined with white, yellow creates a light, springtime atmosphere.

Use a front door with glass panels to allow maximum natural light to penetrate the hallway from outside. If there is wall space above and to either side of the front door, replace brickwork with glass panels or glass blocks.

Add glass blocks in the interior walls. This is a stylish way to allow natural light from other rooms in the home to travel through the hallway.

Fit spotlights or recessed lighting in the ceiling and spotlights along the edge of the floor. Spotlights create maximum light with no shadows created by lampshades.

Lay highly polished, light-colored wood flooring, such as pine. Wood flooring is ideal for a high- =traffic areas because it's easy to clean and hard-wearing. The light color creates a light, spacious feel, and the highly polished finish reflects light.

Hang a large mirror with a simple silver frame on one wall to create another surface for light to bounce off.

Decorate the walls with framed pictures or photographs. As well as being a simple and effective accessory, the glass of the frames provides another highly reflective surface.

Place a vase of bright red or orange flowers on a window ledge or small foyer table if you have one; alternatively, hang bright red signs or paint bright red or orange motifs on interior doors leading off the hallway. This gives a splash of bold, bright color to the light and airy space. You can also introduce reds and oranges in the pictures you hang.