Different Colors to Use in Hallways

Complementary Colors

• Using a color wheel can help you find complementary colors for a hallway. A color wheel displays complementary colors opposite each other on the device. For example, blue's complementary color is orange, which appears directly opposite blue on the color wheel. You don't have to use the exact colors on the color wheel. The device is only a guide. A soft blue, for example, can be paired with a soft orange.

Contrasting Colors

• Contrasting colors also can be used for hallways. This type of color scheme uses a dramatic contrast between two shades. For instance, a pale pink could be mixed with a dark blue. Mixing pale pink with pale blue does not provide a significant contrast. Contrasting colors create depth in a space. An option is to paint the end wall of the hallway dark blue and paint its walls pink. That color scheme will give the illusion of additional length in the hallway.

Different Shades

• If you don't want an extreme difference in a color scheme, use different shades of the same color. That technique is a variation on a monochromatic color scheme but provides more visual interest. Tan can be used with a dark ivory. Those colors are in the same family, but one color is definitely lighter than the other color. A medium blue can be offset with a pale blue. To widen a hallway, apply the lighter of two colors on the walls. For a dramatic effect, paint one wall with the lighter color and the other wall with the darker color.

Cool and Warm Tones

• Color tone can affect the ambiance of a hallway. Cool tones make a space feel stark, and warm tones are more inviting than cool tones. Two tone groups can be mixed in what is called split complementary coloration, such as using two cool colors and one warm color to draw the emphasis to the warm color, or vice versa. Tiny hallways are best served with accenting the cool color to make the space feel larger. A large and cavernous hallway can be made more inviting by emphasizing the warm color tone.