How to Avoid the 5 Worst Hallway Design Mistakes

The entryway of a home serves as the initial impression for both residents and guests, significantly influencing the perception of the entire living space. Especially during the holiday season, when entertaining is frequent, common entryway mistakes can detract from a welcoming atmosphere. Designer Valerie Darden identifies five key errors that can make an entryway appear uninviting and offers practical solutions to enhance its appeal. One prevalent issue is excessive clutter. During colder months, entryways often accumulate coats, boots, and accessories, leading to a disorganized and cramped feel. To combat this, Darden suggests investing in functional storage solutions such as shoe racks and storage benches to discreetly manage visual clutter. For larger gatherings, temporarily relocating extra coats to a less prominent area can free up space. Additionally, limiting each family member to one coat in the entryway during non-hosting times helps maintain order. Incorporating a small trinket tray provides a designated spot for keys and loose change, contributing to a tidier appearance. Another common oversight is neglecting to imbue the entryway with personality. The entry is an ideal space to showcase individual style and cherished items that reflect the home's occupants. Darden encourages incorporating art, personal trinkets, or making a bold statement with wallpaper or paint. This approach sets a cohesive tone for the rest of the home. Seasonal decor, such as fresh winter branches in a vase complemented by vintage Christmas ornaments, can add a festive and fragrant touch, making the space more inviting. The absence of a mirror is a third mistake that can negatively impact an entryway. While seemingly minor, a strategically placed mirror can create an illusion of greater space, making smaller entryways feel more open and expansive. Beyond its aesthetic benefits, a mirror also serves a practical purpose, allowing individuals to check their appearance before leaving the house, adding both function and style. Forgoing a rug in the entryway is a fourth mistake. Some homeowners might avoid rugs in this high-traffic area due to concerns about cleanliness. However, Darden highlights that a rug can effectively trap dirt and prevent it from spreading throughout the home, actually contributing to overall cleanliness. The market offers a wide array of machine-washable rugs, making maintenance straightforward and eliminating the primary objection to their use. Finally, poor lighting is a significant design flaw in many entryways. Adequate lighting is crucial for both aesthetic appeal and safety, especially during darker seasons. Darden emphasizes that lighting should not be an afterthought but rather an opportunity for a design statement that draws the eye upward. If overhead lighting is not an option or preference, adding a table lamp to an entryway console table can provide necessary illumination and create a warm, inviting glow. Beyond these visual aspects, Darden also points out a non-visual mistake: neglecting home odors. Residents may become accustomed to their home's scent, particularly if they have pets. Regularly airing out the house by opening windows helps refresh the air. For a more lasting solution, investing in a pleasant candle or diffuser with essential oils can establish a signature scent for the entryway, ensuring guests are greeted by a fresh and welcoming aroma. Addressing these five common mistakes can transform an entryway into a beautifully functional and welcoming space, setting a positive tone for the entire home. #EntrywayDesign #HomeDecor #InteriorDesignMistakes #ClutterControl #PersonalStyle #EntrywayLighting #HomeOrganization #HolidayHosting #DesignTips

Hallways serve as crucial connectors between rooms, facilitating natural flow throughout a home. While they don't require extravagant decoration, they should also avoid being bland. This article consults design experts Brittny Button and Amanda Bell to outline paint colors and finishes that are best avoided in hallways, offering advice on how to select appropriate shades and styles. One primary recommendation is to steer clear of non-neutral colors in hallways. Button explains that hallways are shared spaces with adjacent rooms, necessitating a universal appeal. Bell adds that subtle or deep tones are preferable to maintain an inviting atmosphere while allowing for personality expression. Both designers emphasize that hallways often lack natural light, making lighter tones more suitable. Bold paint choices tend to appear tacky rather than intentional when viewed under artificial lighting or in shadow. Another point of caution is against using flat, moody hues, especially in small or cramped corridors. While dark, moody colors can work in larger hallways, Button advises against dull, flat paint finishes. Instead, she suggests incorporating elevated faux finishes like limewash or plaster to add textural depth. This approach can be complemented by captivating architectural elements such as arched ceilings or doorways to create visual height and elevate the space. Bell highlights the importance of good lighting to prevent dark palettes from making the space feel flat, suggesting pendants, wall sconces, or strategically placed lamps to draw the eye forward. Painting the ceiling the same color as the walls is generally discouraged in standard hallways, particularly when using colored paints. Button explains that this can make the space feel smaller and less visually open. The exception is if the hallway is painted in a light, warm, neutral shade. Light paint colors on the ceiling are said to create visual height and offer a timeless appeal. For those considering bold colors, Button suggests reserving such choices for powder rooms, where their quirkiness can be contained rather than being overtly dominant throughout a main thoroughfare. If a homeowner insists on a bright hallway, Button recommends testing the color first by painting four or five poster boards and observing them in the hallway for several days. This practical step can help visualize how the shade truly appears in the living environment, often leading to a reconsideration in favor of neutrals. Finally, neon hues like bright red or bold orange are strongly advised against. Hallways are transitional spaces, not areas where people spend extended periods. Button recommends choosing soft and soothing colors that are pleasant to pass through daily. Bell reinforces this, stating that hyper-stimulating colors can overpower the space and disrupt the home's overall flow. The overarching message is to prioritize timeless, light, and neutral palettes to ensure seamless transitions and a cohesive home environment. #HallwayDesign #PaintColors #InteriorDesign #HomeDecor #DesignTips #NeutralPalette #Lighting #TexturalFinishes

The internet offers a vast array of interior design aesthetics, from Scandinavian and Boho to Country House and Maximalist, each accompanied by experts and influencers providing guidance on essential items to achieve these trends. This has led Americans to spend an average of $1,599 annually on home decor, according to a 2024 Opendoor survey. However, LA-based content creators Robert Gigliotti and Ethan Gaskill have gained significant attention on TikTok by sharing their most disliked interior design and home decor trends, accumulating over 8 million views with their series called "home decor icks." Gigliotti and Gaskill, who are not professional designers but have developed a keen eye for design through personal and family experiences, advocate for working with a space's inherent features rather than against them. Gigliotti's interest in design stemmed from helping his mother flip houses, where he grew tired of the repetitive "builder gray" aesthetic and began influencing tile and finish choices. Gaskill was inspired by his father, a custom home builder, and his mother, a real estate agent, who instilled in him the importance of maintaining a tidy space that reflects one's identity and positively impacts their mindset. Their approach resonates with audiences because they openly admit to having made similar mistakes themselves. They emphasize that their critiques are lighthearted and not meant to be taken too seriously, encouraging individuals to have fun with their decor choices as long as they love the outcome. In the living room, Gigliotti suggests moving away from trendy, statement couches like the "funky bubble couches" or expensive Togo sofas, which he believes are impractical and difficult to integrate into different spaces or over time. He shares his own experience of quickly selling an orange bubble sofa after realizing it was a social media-driven purchase rather than a truly desired item. Instead, he recommends opting for more classic pieces or using versatile linen slipcovers, and also highlights thrifting as a viable option. The collaborators also caution against letting personal interests overwhelm home decor. Gaskill recounts an instance where his love for horror films led him to display a melting skull art print, which he later realized was too dominant. Gigliotti adds that while one can love fashion, there's no need to display luxury brand boxes as decor. Additionally, grommet curtains are described as an outdated and unappealing choice, likened to hanging a shower curtain in the living room. Moving to the kitchen, Gaskill advises against cluttering countertops with too many appliances, suggesting that only the most frequently used items, such as a coffee maker or toaster, should be left out, with others stored away. Gigliotti further emphasizes that appliances don't need to be a "design moment"; instead, they should blend into the space. He advocates for classic choices like stainless steel over "fake vintage or retro appliances." The article also addresses the trend of over-decorating bar carts and open shelving, which Gigliotti believes can make a space look overly curated and less lived-in. He suggests prioritizing functionality, as authentic and useful items contribute more to a home's appeal. For bathrooms, the duo strongly advises against peel-and-stick tiles, explaining that the adhesive often fails in steamy environments, leading to bubbling and an undesirable appearance. They suggest that poorly executed DIY projects can draw more attention to an area one is trying to mask, and that homes should not be treated like "craft projects." Furthermore, toiletries should not be treated as decorative items, and shelving should not be installed solely for displaying items like nail polish. The article also touches on "cringey" art prints, expanding beyond the well-known "Live, Laugh, Love" to include quirky food-themed or odd phrase art that is losing its appeal. In the bedroom, Gaskill advises against placing beds perpendicularly in a corner, as it creates unusable space and suggests a lack of thoughtful room layout. Lastly, the collaborators recommend against color-coding bookshelves, arguing that a mix-matched approach adds character and charm to a home. They conclude by stressing the importance of accepting a home's existing characteristics rather than forcing unnecessary design elements like fake beams or brick walls through DIY projects. For those seeking change, a new coat of paint and good artwork are recommended as the best starting points. #HomeDecor #InteriorDesign #DesignMistakes #HomeImprovement #DecorTrends #TikTokTrends #SpacePlanning #DIYDecor #FunctionalDesign

The entryway of a home serves as its initial impression, and Southern interior designers identify five common mistakes that can make this space feel uninviting or chaotic. The first major error is failing to address clutter. A disorganized pile of shoes, a mountain of coats, or stacks of mail can immediately signal disarray, making the area feel cramped and unwelcoming. To rectify this, designers recommend corralling these items into hidden storage solutions, such as vintage furniture pieces, rather than leaving them exposed. It is also advised not to use the entryway as a catch-all for items like returns or donations; these should be stored in less visible areas like a mudroom or garage. Secondly, neglecting proper lighting is a significant mistake. An entryway should be bright and welcoming, not dim. Good layered lighting can transform a small space, making it feel expansive and inviting. This can be achieved by incorporating various light sources, such as a pendant light, a table lamp, and decorative elements like a picture light or sconce. Designers emphasize that lighting should not be an afterthought but rather a key design element that reflects the home's character. A dark entryway can subconsciously create an uneasy feeling for both residents and guests. Thirdly, a common error is not considering the scale of furnishings and decor. Many mistakenly believe that a small entryway requires tiny furniture, which can make the space appear timid. Instead, designers suggest going bold with oversized elements like a large mirror or a generous runner. These larger pieces can provide a visual anchor, transforming the entryway from a mere pass-through into a distinct and significant area within the home. A visual anchor, whether a mirror, a piece of furniture, or a lamp, is crucial for giving the space definition. Fourthly, overlooking the importance of scent is a frequently made mistake. The aroma of a home can significantly impact the first impression. Incorporating a pleasant scent through candles or diffusers can set a welcoming stage for anyone entering the house. Designers highlight that engaging all five senses, including smell, contributes to a more complete and positive experience of the entryway. Specific candle and diffuser recommendations are provided to help achieve a desirable ambiance. Finally, when designing an entryway from scratch, incorporating a window niche is often advised against. Designers note that window niches can easily look unfinished and are difficult to keep clean and dust-free, particularly in high spots. This element can detract from the overall aesthetic and functionality of the entryway, making it a design choice best avoided. #EntrywayDesign #HomeDecor #InteriorDesignMistakes #ClutterManagement #EntrywayLighting #ScaleInDesign #HomeFragrance #FirstImpression