Hallways
Hallway Wallpaper Ideas: Patterns, Colours, and Roll Counts for Narrow Spaces
The hallway is the room most people overlook when planning a redecoration — and then find it's the one that gets commented on most when it's done well. It's also one of the trickier spaces to measure accurately, because it wraps around corners, has more doors per metre of wall than any other room, and often connects into a stairwell. Here's how to choose a wallpaper that holds up to daily traffic and makes the space feel welcoming, along with how to get the roll count right in a room that isn't a straightforward rectangle.
Open the Wallpaper PlannerDark or bold patterns work well in a hallway — it's a room people pass through, not sit in
A hallway is somewhere people move through rather than linger in, which means a pattern that would feel overwhelming in a living room can feel dramatic and welcoming in a corridor. Dark grounds, large-scale botanicals, and bold geometric repeats all work well in hallways — the confined space concentrates the effect without trapping you in it. If the hall is very narrow or very dark, a lighter, subtle texture prevents it from feeling like a tunnel without sacrificing the impact.
Stripes and vertical patterns make a low ceiling feel taller
A vertical stripe — even a wide one — draws the eye up and makes a ceiling feel higher than it is. This is particularly useful in period properties where the hallway ceiling is lower than the front reception room, or in a converted terraced house where the hall has been narrowed by later building work. Pair a vertical stripe on the main hall wall with a complementary plain or textured paper on any short returns and side walls.
Treat each straight run as its own wall — hallways aren't rectangles
A hallway with one corner, a turn, and a return by the stairs is four or five distinct straight runs, not one continuous wall. Measure each run's width and height individually: the run from the front door to the corner, the short return, the longer section to the stairs, any alcove under the stairs. Adding those measurements together gives a far more accurate paperable area than any estimate based on floor area or overall footprint.
High-traffic surfaces need a durable, wipeable paper
Hallways take more scuffs, shoulder contact, and bag-corner grazing than any other room. A standard paper-backed wallpaper will mark and scuff within a year in a busy household. A vinyl or vinyl-coated paper rated as washable, or a fabric-backed paper with a hard surface, handles the traffic and can be wiped clean. The extra cost over a plain paper is recovered in the time before you need to repaper.
Doors cut a large fraction of a hallway's wall area — measure them out individually
A hallway typically has two to four doors opening off it — a front door, a cloakroom, a cupboard, a living room door — each of which removes 2–2.5 m² of wall area. Those deductions are proportionally large in a narrow corridor. Measure each door opening's width and height, subtract that area from the relevant wall section, and you'll find the actual roll count is lower than a first estimate suggests.
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See plans & pricingCommon questions
What wallpaper is best for a hallway?
A durable, wipeable vinyl or vinyl-coated paper is the practical choice for a hallway — it handles the daily contact and scuffs that softer papers can't. For style, hallways tolerate bolder patterns than larger rooms because the confined space concentrates the effect without overwhelming you. Dark grounds, large-scale prints, and vertical stripes that make the ceiling feel taller are all popular choices.
How many rolls of wallpaper do I need for a hallway?
A straight hallway of around 5 m long and 2.4 m ceiling height typically needs 4–7 rolls depending on the number of doors and whether you include the return by the stairs. A hallway with multiple doors will need fewer rolls than a plain corridor of the same length. Measure each straight run individually rather than estimating from floor area — the shape is rarely a straightforward rectangle.
Can you use dark wallpaper in a hallway?
Yes — a hallway is one of the best rooms in the house for a dark or bold pattern. Because it's a transitional space that people move through rather than sit in, a dark ground that would feel oppressive in a living room can feel dramatic and welcoming in a corridor. Keep the ceiling and woodwork pale to prevent the space from feeling closed in.
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Need a roll count for the hallway? Hallway wallpaper calculator →
Stairwell off the hallway too? Wallpaper for a stairwell guide →
Planning the full corridor including the stairs? How to hang wallpaper in a stairwell →