Interior decorating: great ideas to spice up your hallways

It's easy to redecorate a home's primary areas. The living room entertains guests, the family room accommodates family, and bedrooms serve as individual retreats. But what about hallways?

Halls lead from one section of the house to another. Consequently, guests and family alike may wander these passages to reach another destination. If you have previously given little attention to your halls but would like to change that now, here are some decorating tips that can help.

For basement hallways that lead to unused rooms, simply keeping them clean through sweeping, dusting, and annual washing with occasional painting may be all that is required. Service personnel that clean your furnace or update electrical wiring don't appreciate brushing cobwebs out of the way, so tidy these nether regions on a regular basis. If you decorate them at all, match accents with other finished basement rooms in terms of theme and color scheme. For example, if your downstairs area includes a guest room and a den, both in country decor, paint your hallways in soft country colors to coordinate with these areas. Add a painting or wall hanging to expand on the theme. Consider wall sconces or a runner with a country flavor.

On the main level of your home, there may be hallways linking kitchen to dining room or living room to family room as well as short corridors leading to coat closets or bathrooms. These passageways should be kept neat and uncluttered for safety reasons. They also should be decorated with the same flooring as one or both rooms that they connect. If other flooring is used for some reason, at the very least it should coordinate between the two connected rooms. Use hanging pictures or designer items to continue the living space theme. For example, if you've accented the main rooms in a Mediterranean decor, do the same with the halls. A baroque style of fixtures and suitable color scheme will help preserve the overall effect. If your halls are wide, add a corner decorator table with a lamp and a book, or another decorator piece. Larger hallways might include a settee with a shawl thrown over the back or a few family portraits mounted on the wall in an attractive grouping.

Upstairs hallways typically connect bedrooms and bathrooms. You may want to include the hallway nearest each room as part of that person's space. If so, decorate it similarly, using the same or coordinating colors, accents, and themes. Or unify the network of hall space in a central pattern that links all the individual rooms. Keep it neutral but detailed by using dried flowers, thematic wall prints, sconces, accent furniture, and other items that add personality and charm without overwhelming passers-by.

Hallways that are large enough to serve as small rooms or alcoves may take on a life of their own. Serving as mini-libraries, office space, or sitting rooms, these areas can be adorned in a variety of ways to enhance their features with lighting, flooring, and furniture designs that match the user's personality.

The next time you redecorate an area of your home, don't neglect the hallways. Inexpensive to work with, they offer plenty of imaginative options for adding decorative touches to warm your home with added sparkle.