Kelly Hoppen's simple wallpaper tip will streamline your busy hallway

Kelly's back with some straight forward advice for your hallway

Interiors expert Kelly Hoppen appeared on ITV's This Morning this week to give viewers a wallpaper masterclass. On the show, she shared one simple wallpaper trick to transform your jumbled hallway into a sleek and fun entryway.

Related: Bedroom wallpaper ideas – that are guaranteed to make your sleep space gorgeous

In the segment, Kelly, Holly and Philip looked at a range of wallpaper at various price points. Among them was one lovely striped wallpaper from Lick Home, called Stripes 03. 'This, I adore,' Kelly says.

living area with stripped wallpaper and sideboard

(Image credit: Lick Home)

Kelly Hoppen's hallway wallpaper tip

'You always see hallways higgledy-piggledy, and then you see doorways. If you use something like a stripe, it actually takes your eye away from all of that.

'It makes it look taller and makes it look more fun,' she says. This example from Lick is a really modern take on a style of wallpaper that we often associate with old-fashioned interiors.

It's true that the hallway can quickly become cluttered and chaotic if we aren't disciplined, or if we're not creative enough with our hallway storage ideas. In many homes, multiple doorways lead off from the hallway, breaking up the space and making it feel very busy.

living room with wallpaper and grey sofa

(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd)

However, a vertical stripe will emphasise the height of the walls while distracting from the many door frames. If you don't want to use wallpaper, you can simple paint the walls, skirting boards and door frames in the same colour.

This calms down a busy hallway instantly as more of the surfaces you see when you walk in are all the same colour.

The latest wallpaper trends include uplifting yellow and maximalist masterpieces, but by opting for a stripe you break away from current trends. This could help you to create a bold look that stands the test of time.

bedroom with bed and wallpaper

(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd)

We recently covered Fearne Cotton's fabric and wallpaper collection, which includes beautiful floral designs that could spark some living room wallpaper ideas.

Related: Kelly Hoppen says we’re all using paint samples wrong – here’s why

The former dragon recommends getting wallpaper done professionally, as it's one of those things that's harder than it looks. But if you're feeling brave, our guide on how to wallpaper a feature wall will help.

For more advice, head to our DIY and decorating channel.

If lockdown's taught us anything, it's to decorate our homes for us, not the neighbours. If you love a stripe, go for it.

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.