Why I finally gave my hallway the makeover it deserved with Dulux Heritage

The hallway might be one of the smallest spaces in your home, but it's also one of the most important. It's the first thing you see when you walk through the door and the last thing you pass before heading out for the day. It quietly sets the tone for the rest of your home, yet it's often the space that gets neglected the most. When I decided to finally tackle ours, I wanted a scheme that felt considered and timeless, so I chose Dulux Heritage Chiltern White alongside a rich, inky blue to give the space the depth and character it had been missing.

A few years ago, I painted our hallway and thought I had ticked it off the list. But if I'm being honest, something still wasn't quite right. It felt flat, the black I had previously painted the lower half of the wall in felt a bit dull, and, thanks to my previous decision to use a standard emulsion on the skirting boards, it was already showing the signs of busy family life. Scuffs, marks and knocks had become part of the décor and it niggled away at me daily.

To make matters worse, I'd never actually tackled painting the internal doors. If you've ever counted how many doors lead off a Victorian hallway, you'll know why I'd been avoiding it. It felt like one of those jobs that would take forever.

Now that our kitchen renovation is complete and the living room has had its turn, I knew it was finally time to take on the mammoth task of refreshing not only the hallway, but also the two landings that flow from it. I didn't want to completely reinvent the scheme so I refreshed a similar colour palette to the existing one, which still felt right for our home, but I knew there were five things I wanted to achieve:

• Better durability for family life that would stand the test of time
• A richer, more considered tone using a quality paint that would elevate the overall finish
• Freshly painted woodwork and doors
• Painted stairs throughout all three levels – a significant undertaking, but one that was necessary
• Colours that work with the character of the house

Choosing colours that work with the character of the house

One thing I've learned over the years is that period homes often tell you what colours they want to wear. Our Victorian hallway already had beautiful bones, from the heritage black and white floor tiles to the high ceilings and architectural details. I wanted colours that felt sympathetic to that character while still feeling timeless and practical for modern family life.

So for the walls and ceilings, I chose Dulux Heritage Chiltern White. It's a warm, creamy off-white with a soft milky quality that doesn’t feel stark (as an interior designer, one of my least favourite things is stark white!). With more than 20 whites to choose from within the Dulux Heritage range, there is plenty of scope to find a shade with the right undertone and depth for your space. I decided to carry Chiltern White across both the walls and ceiling to create a seamless backdrop, helping the space feel calm and cohesive from every angle.

What I particularly love about Chiltern White is how reliable it is throughout the day. Hallways often receive inconsistent light, and bright whites can quickly feel cold or flat in darker areas. This shade manages to stay warm and inviting whether it's flooded with daylight or lit by lamps in the evening. The velvet matt finish also helps create a smoother look and feel overall.

Below the dado rail, I opted for Dulux Heritage Ravens Flight, a rich, inky blue that instantly brought depth and character to the space compared to the flat black I previously had. It feels classic yet confident, with subtle Art Deco influences that work beautifully against our Victorian floor tiles.

Rather than stopping at the walls, I also carried the colour onto the woodwork, doors and stairs using an eggshell finish. It was a bigger commitment, but one that completely transformed the space.

Why the finish matters just as much as the colour

When you're decorating a hallway, colour is only half the story. Durability matters just as much. This is one of the hardest working areas of any home. It's where bikes are wheeled through, shoes are kicked off, school bags are dropped and surfaces are subjected to constant daily use.

I used Dulux Heritage Velvet Matt on the walls, which gives a beautifully soft, chalky finish that feels elevated without being overly precious. For the woodwork, doors and stairs, I switched to the eggshell finish.

Eggshell requires a little more care to apply, but the coverage and finish of the Dulux Heritage range made it the right choice for this project. Given how hard working a hallway is (especially ours!), an eggshell finish felt like the obvious choice for the woodwork, doors and stairs.

I was impressed by how smoothly it applied, with excellent coverage and a really even finish. In many areas I only needed one coat, which was a huge bonus given the number of doors and stair spindles I was painting. Most importantly, it provides the durability needed to withstand everyday knocks and fingerprints while maintaining a polished finish.

What I'd recommend before renovating your hallway

Having now completed one of the biggest decorating projects I've tackled to date, here are the lessons I'd pass on to anyone planning a hallway refresh.

Don't default to brilliant white

If your hallway lacks natural light, bright white can often make the space feel colder and flatter.

Instead, look for warm off-whites like Chiltern White that soften the space and work beautifully under artificial lighting as well as daylight. And don't assume there's only one white to choose from – the Dulux Heritage range offers more than 20 white shades, making it easier to find a tone that works with the light, architecture and existing finishes in your home.

Make storage a priority

The hallway is your home's introduction. If you're greeted by piles of shoes, coats and bags every time you walk through the door, the space will never feel calm, no matter how beautiful the paint colour.

Accept the room for what it is

Don't try to make your hallway something it isn't. A hallway's primary role is to move people through your home. Once you accept that, it's much easier to design a space that's practical, functional and genuinely enjoyable to use.

Lean into the natural character of the space

If your hallway is naturally dark, don't feel pressured to fight against it. Sometimes embracing deeper colours (like I did using Ravens Flight) creates far more atmosphere and character than trying to force brightness into a space that doesn't naturally have it.

Add personality

Family photographs, artwork, treasured finds and meaningful objects help transform a hallway from a thoroughfare into part of your home's story.

Use panelling or a dado rail

Both can add architectural interest, help define zones and make narrow hallways feel more considered and balanced.

Think carefully about your paint finish

Any surface that's constantly touched i.e. doors, handrails, skirting boards and stairs, will benefit from a more durable finish such as eggshell.

Don't underestimate mirrors

They're practical, they bounce light around the room and they instantly make smaller hallways feel more generous.

Layer your lighting

A single overhead light rarely creates the atmosphere you want. Layering lighting with wall lights, table lamps and rechargeable accent lighting can add warmth and depth, particularly during darker months.

The transformation I nearly talked myself out of

Although I'd decorated the hallway before, I'd never tackled the stairs or doors. Mainly because I knew just how long it would take. But with new carpet about to be installed, I knew this was my chance. And honestly, I'm so glad I did it.

Painting the stairs in Ravens Flight completely changed the feel of the house. The hallway immediately felt more intentional, cohesive and resolved. The freshly painted doors instantly looked cleaner and smarter, while the eggshell finish has made everyday maintenance significantly easier. Sometimes the projects you put off the longest have the greatest impact, but the result made the investment of time and effort worthwhile.

So here are my biggest painting lessons from the project

After one of the largest decorating projects I've taken on, with plenty of intricate woodwork, these are the lessons I'd carry forward:

• Always work from the top down, starting with the ceiling and finishing with the skirting and woodwork.
• Invest in a good quality medium pile roller and plenty of mini rollers for tighter spaces.
• Lightly sand glossy surfaces before painting to improve adhesion.
• If you're colour drenching, consider using a different finish on the woodwork to add subtle depth and dimension. I used Ravens Flight in Eggshell on the woodwork and the same shade in Velvet Matt on the walls. The colour flows throughout the space, while the change in finish creates a layer of interest and gives the scheme a more considered feel.
• Thorough preparation makes all the difference, especially when using premium matt finishes. Don't forget to wipe down all your surfaces.
• For crisp colour transitions, apply Frog Tape first and paint along the tape edge using the original wall colour. Once dry, apply the new colour over the top. This seals the edge and helps prevent paint bleed for a much cleaner line.

Why I'm glad I finally tackled it

A hallway might be a practical space, but that doesn't mean it should be overlooked. It's where your home welcomes you back after a long day. It's where guests form their first impression. It's where family life unfolds in all its beautifully chaotic glory.

Whether it's a fresh coat of paint, better storage, treasured family photographs or a considered colour scheme, giving your hallway the attention it deserves can completely change how your home feels. And if there's one thing this project reinforced for me, it's that the spaces we use most deserve the greatest consideration.

Ready to find your perfect white? Whether you're drawn to the understated warmth of Chiltern White or are inspired to explore the full Dulux Heritage collection, their online tools make choosing your perfect shade refreshingly simple – from seeing how your shade changes throughout the day (and night) to finding your nearest stockist to pick up a Dulux Heritage Colour Card or tester pot before making your final choice.