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DENISE O'CONNORon entrance halls

When it comes to interiors, for many people the priority is not a larger kitchen or brighter living space – instead people want to feel elation the second their key goes into their front door. If your home needs a lift, start with the entrance hall.

It might be the area with the heaviest traffic in the house but when it comes to decorating, the hall can often be an afterthought. But a hallway sets the tone for the rest of the house so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the other rooms when refurbishing.

Entrance halls often have little natural light so properly planned lighting can make a dramatic difference.

The trick is to get the balance of artificial and natural light right. Too much artificial light will result in a space that feels clinical, but if it is under-lit everything will appear gloomy and uninviting.

Natural timber entrance doors are beautiful but from the inside they can be quite oppressive. To instantly brighten up your hallway consider painting the inside of your front door in an off-white. You will be amazed how this simple alteration can transform the space.

If your hallway lacks period features why not consider introducing a dado rail or panelling. This is an inexpensive and easy way to add character and will allow you to introduce more than one colour to your walls.

If you are more adventurous, you could go for wallpaper above the panelling or dado rail.

Hallways are the perfect place for showcasing artworks or collectables. Floating shelves to display sculptures and picture lights to show off paintings make elegant statements.

Think about the view from your front door; if it’s a doorway, consider swapping this for a glass-panelled door to maximise the amount of light in the hallway.

This is especially effective if it allows a glimpse of the garden from the hallway. Or jazz up a blank wall with striking wallpaper.

If your front door opens directly into your living space consider creating an entrance hall.

We recently refurbished a Victorian terraced house where the ground floor was completely open plan – it was a beautiful space but one of the issues was that the hall door opened from the street straight into the living space. We needed to screen off the living area but without blocking the light.

Our solution was to build an open-sided shelving unit to act as a screen and also to provide essential storage space. The unit was made by a carpenter from MDF and then painted to match the woodwork elsewhere in the house. Breaking up the space in this way also created a more intimate feel in the living area and shielded that space from draughts.

Give your hallway a lift and it is sure to bring a smile to your face as soon as you step through your front door.

Denise O’Connor is an architect and design consultant