The hallway is the first place where people start to get acquainted with a house or apartment, and it is here that the first impression of your home is formed. Since hallways usually do not have windows, it is important to choose the right lighting fixtures to create a cozy and comfortable atmosphere.
Here are the main tips for lighting the hallway:
- Sufficient brightness of the lamps. The lamps and fixtures should be bright enough for you to easily find small items on the guest table at the entrance. Most people are used to leaving their keys and small items on the front door table. If there are several people living in the house, there may be several bunches of keys at the same time. Therefore, it is important that all family members can quickly distinguish and find their belongings.
- Ease of use of the mirror. The light should not hurt your eyes. If there is a mirror in the hallway, it is important that it is convenient to use, without excessive brightness. It is recommended to place the lamps slightly above eye level or on the sides of the mirror to avoid glare and provide uniform lighting.
- Moderate brightness of lighting. You should not make the hallway lighting too bright to create a pleasant, soft atmosphere that will contribute to coziness and comfort. The hallway should not be lit at maximum to avoid the feeling of excessive brightness.
- Create a cozy atmosphere. Experts advise lighting the hallway a little weaker than other rooms to create an atmosphere of comfort and coziness. It is recommended to use several light sources: lamps in the corridor, lamps above the front door, and lamps near the mirror. If necessary, you can turn on all the lamps to increase the brightness.
- Selection of lamps. LED lamps with frosted shades or chandeliers with frosted diffusers are recommended for the hallway. This choice will provide a pleasant, relaxing and soft light that creates a cozy atmosphere after a hard day’s work.
- Avoid sconces and pendant lights. Pendant lights or wall sconces are not recommended for the hallway, as the cable of a pendant light can be accidentally caught when putting on outerwear. Sconces are more suitable for the bathroom, bedroom or living room.
Zoning the hallway
Dividing the hallway into zones allows you not only to turn on several lamps at the same time, but also to use several switches in different parts of the hallway. This is very convenient when you can turn on the light from different ends of the corridor or turn it off when you go outside. This solution provides comfort and convenience of using the lighting.
Don’t forget about accent lighting. For example, the front door can be illuminated brighter from several angles, and the corridors can be illuminated by other lamps. It depends on the geometry and size of your room. In general, it is recommended to install luminaires above or near the door. If the room is elongated and large, you can install intermediate lamps.
Types of lighting for the hallway:
- General lighting: lamps near the front door.
- Localized lighting: to illuminate a cabinet, mirror or table.
- Decorative lighting: themed lamps on the walls or suspended track systems. They are used to create a spectacular interior.
General lighting in the hallway
General lighting is installed near the front door to provide visibility of the wardrobe and enough space to turn around, place things and close the door.
General lighting can be created with:
- A ceiling light above the front door – suitable for a small hallway with low ceilings.
- Aspotlight – especially if it consists of several elements, each with its own light source. Spots can be adjusted to direct the light in the desired direction.
- Aspotlight is an interesting option for suspended or stretch ceilings. Spotlights are not very powerful, but a large number of them will provide sufficient brightness even for a large room.
Local lighting in the hallway
Local lighting solves small tasks, such as illuminating a table with keys or a wardrobe. If you have tables with small things, a mirror or a wardrobe, it is worth installing local lamps. Wardrobe lighting can be either solid, built into the door, or on each individual shelf.
The mirror is also often complemented by lamps to assess the appearance before leaving the house. The lamps are placed on the sides or above the mirror, preferably with a frosted shade so that the light does not hit the eyes.
Decorative hallway lighting
Decorative lighting is not mandatory, but it can increase the comfort and pleasure of being at home. For example, you can use colored LED strip to illuminate the borders of the ceiling or floor, which creates a special atmosphere. It is also possible to use spotlights to illuminate paintings, photographs, or other decorative elements, which will add personality to the space. Decorative lighting increases traffic safety at night and adds intimacy to the atmosphere. Decorative lighting can also be used to highlight paintings, photographs or other decorative elements.
Lighting for corridors of different shapes
If the hallway has a regular square shape, lighting is not a big problem: a lamp near the front door and one near the mirror will provide the necessary level of light. However, non-standard hallways require additional solutions. With the help of zoning and cross-lighting, you can hide certain space imperfections.
For a long hallway, installing spotlights along the entire room is suitable. If the ceilings are high (more than 3 meters), it is better to use wall lighting to create a visual balance in the space. When the room is very narrow, it is worth mounting wall lights on only one wall.
In a short hallway, it is important to evenly illuminate all corners so that there are no dark areas. To do this, you can use adjustable LED spots that allow you to direct the light to the right place.
For hallways of any shape, you can use decorative elements and create unique lighting solutions to ensure that all corners are evenly lit.
As you can see, hallway lighting is an important part of your home improvement. Modern lighting fixtures allow you to choose a solution that meets your needs and provides comfort at the entrance to your home.
We wish you to create your own personal coziness at the entrance to the house with our help.
