13 hallway flooring ideas for an impactful entranceway

You rarely get a second chance to make a good first impression which is why your flooring needs careful consideration when it comes to your entrance hallway design.

As well as needing to provide a practical and durable finish, it also sets the feel for the rest of your home.  And while it can be tempting to dismiss the space as unimportant - especially if it's on the smaller side, it's the first and last space both you, and your visitors will see.

The good news is that even with practicality front and centre, you don't have to limit your choice when it comes to the finer details such as colour and pattern.

Hallway flooring ideas should provide a connection

“The hallway can sometimes be overlooked, mainly because time spent in this part of the home can be fleeting," agrees Natalie Mudd, creative director at The Wood Flooring Co. "However, it’s important to remember that flooring plays a key role in the overall look and feel of your hallway and helps set the tone for the rest of the design scheme."

So with finish, colour, pattern and practicality in mind, here's 13 hallway flooring ideas that will provide both a very warm welcome and a memorable goodbye.

Natalie Mudd

With over 20 years experience, co-founding The Wood Flooring Co. with her husband Dave, has helped make Natalie an expert on high-quality engineered, laminate and No-Vinyl tile flooring options to suit both classic and contemporary interior schemes. 

1. Paint wooden floors for a dopamine decor hit

For a burst of instant joy every time you arrive home, be bold with your colour choice when it comes to renovating older wooden floors.

Take inspiration from this dopamine decor induced scheme from Annie Sloan and for your hallway paint ideas, contrast your sunshine yellow walls with bright green painted wooden floors. Extend the colour to the lower half of the wall leading to the next room and ensure the colours are subtly referenced in the next room through cushions or decorative items. It's a trick interior designers always use to great effect as it helps provide a natural visual flow throughout the space.

If you're new to painting wood floors, remember that preparation is always essential for the best end result. 

2. Or, opt for a rustic wood finish in a more traditional entranceway

When it comes to wood flooring ideas, there's certainly plenty to choose from. Whether you're weighing up laminate flooring vs engineered wood or considering sanding hardwood floors, the wealth of advice and options is vast.

But if you're installing a new hallway floor from scratch, even in a more traditionally designed hallway, "engineered wood flooring is an ideal choice, due to its timeless look and hardwearing properties," says Natalie Mudd. 

"The natural grain and warm tones of wood provide an authentic look and help to create an inviting feel."

Natalie's top tip? "Hallways come in a range of shapes and sizes, so it’s always advisable to order plank samples, to gauge the best size and colour, plus, you can look at how the wood appears under different lighting conditions."

3. Bring the outdoors in with green and white floor tiles

Bring the outdoors in with a bright and fresh green and white colour combination in your hallway ideas collection. After all, there's nothing like a touch of nature's natural colour scheme to help you start and end your day with a smile.

When it comes to the finished look, if you like to keep one foot in tradition while also dipping your toe in more contemporary waters, pick a botanical inspired tiling design but add a modern twist with simple painted wall panelling on the lower half of your walls and choose black as your decor accent colour.

For a similar tyle that's a little less floral in nature, try this Green Basco Tile from Hyperion Tiles.

4. Add some softness to your hallway with a large textured rug

When it comes to types of flooring, if you prefer to keep your carpets to bedrooms, try using rugs to add texture and softness to your hallway - especially if your hallway is larger in size.

“While runners are a popular choice for hallways due to their size and shape perfectly complementing the narrow, long space," says Mara Rypacek Miller, managing director and founder of Industville, "there are alternatives worth considering. 

"For more expansive or open-plan hallways, a large rectangular rug can create a distinguished area, drawing attention and adding a layer of sophistication. Such rugs can anchor the space, defining it more clearly and adding an element of comfort and warmth that extends beyond the purely functional.”

The Dipton Hand Woven Jute Rug from Industville shown in this scheme is available from £249 and would be a good solution in modern hallway ideas.

Mara Rypacek Miller

Mara is the founder of Industville, the place for handcrafted lighting, interiors, and art. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to eco-conscious craftsmanship, Mara is keen to offer customers products where each design tells a story of timeless elegance and environmental responsibility.

5. Install victorian-style floor tiles for a period-inspired hallway flooring idea

Victorian-style tile flooring is a perennially popular choice for hallways, especially when renovating a house of a similar era, and for good reason. This style often flatters the proportions of a long, narrow space, while creating design interest that works well over a small area of your home. 

In keeping with the level of detail on the tiles, when it comes to hallway decor ideas, add more decorative stair spindles and coat them in deep glossy black paint for a scheme that combines glamour and tradition in a few simple steps.

6. Use natural stone flooring in a countryside location

Naturally tough and durable, stone flooring is a great idea for hallway flooring, but nowhere more than in a rustic, rural home. 

Look for styles such as limestone, travertine and slate and consider the size for your home. Large format tiles work well in a larger hallway space, and consider layout designs that incorporate different sizes for a varied and interesting look. 

These Graphite Black Natural Slate tiles from Hyperion Tiles are a great starting point for a stone inspired scheme.

7. Herringbone flooring adds interest to your hallway

When choosing to run flooring through multiple rooms off your hallway, it can be tricky to know which way to orient your layout. If you're using rectangular tiles or timber planks what may suit one room best, may not be best for another. 

In hallways this can certainly be an issue, as flooring is largely laid in the direction of the longest wall in the room, which means that hallways usually always are laid the same way. 

However, choosing a style such as a short herringbone style timber is a great way to mitigate this, as the shorter planks and less dominant horizontal and vertical lines make it easier to break this design rule without the space looking odd. 

It's also a good technique "if you're looking to incorporate engineered wood in your hallway," adds Carly Greening, creative product manager at The Floor Room. 

"Patterns such as herringbone or chevron work best as they can visually elongate and widen a space, making them particularly well-suited for areas where maximising visual impact is crucial.”

To top off the more intricate scheme, choose a chandelier for your hallway lighting idea and you've got a wow factor on every level.

8. Vinyl flooring is a practical but creative alternative 

Vinyl flooring delivers good looks and practicality in abundance. Durable and super easy to clean, it will hold up better than wooden flooring in a hallway, and when continuing floor from the hallway into an area such as a kitchen, you'll find it's perfectly suited for both spaces. 

From timber replicates through to parquet and concrete, patterned tiles and plain colours, there are a range of different types of vinyl flooring to provide a clever solution, whatever your hallway flooring idea. 

For a more in-depth look at luxury vinyl flooring, take a look at what is Karndean flooring.

9. Stay on trend with a striped hallway flooring idea

If you're seeking a hallway flooring idea that's bang on trend, take the lead from this fun filled entrance and embrace not one, but two decor trends with a pink and white striped tiled floor.

Pink is still a colour that's captivating us in home design ideas and stripes are another feature we're seeing more and more of. And where better to try something new than in a hallway where you simply pass by, rather than spending hours of your time.

It's colourful, fun and you'll never have a guest enter or leave without passing a comment or two. Find these Zebra pink and white matt striped floor tiles from Walls and Floors.

10. Create a luxe look with high-gloss hallway flooring 

Hallways are often small and lack light, but your choice of flooring can play as much a part of improving this as your lighting design. Consider a glossy flooring style to help to reflect light, while also creating a high-end, luxe look that suits certain interior styles. 

11. Use mosaic tile flooring to create a feature idea 

Mosaic tiles can be used in a hallway as it's a small space where this size of tile can work well. One small hallway idea that will add a unique, personalised touch to your home is using mosaic tile sheets, either square or circular 'penny' tiles, and cutting out a custom message in a contrast colour. 

12. Choose a classic chequerboard tiled hallway flooring design

Chequerboard flooring is a classic idea for a hallway, but to give it a modern update, consider using a different colour way to black and white. Blue is a soft and soothing colour that will create a calm and elegant hallway, even in small, simple spaces.

Colour drench your walls in a softer shade to your tiles and keep decor to a minimum. It's a hint of coastal chic without the risk of sandy toes.

13. Indulge in carpet for soft and cosy hallway flooring idea

If you're all about cosy, warm flooring with an instant sense of softness underfoot, then don't dimiss carpet in your hallway flooring ideas.

Although it's sometimes considered a less practical option, pick the best carpet for stairs and use it throughout the space. Incorporate some clever hallway storage ideas so that you can make sure there's somewhere for everyone to store their shoes as they walk through the door, and enjoy the sense of instant relaxation as you sink your feet into a soft and warm carpeted floor.

Rug FAQs

How do I size a rug for my hallway?

“Sizing a rug for a hallway requires careful consideration of both the dimensions and the desired effect," says Maya Rypacek Miller. 

"For standard hallways, runners with widths between 60 to 90 cm (24 to 35 inches) work well, but always measure the specific dimensions of your hallway to choose the most harmonious size. 

"This careful sizing not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the space but also ensures practicality by protecting the flooring in this high-traffic area.”

How can I stop rugs from slipping?

“Ensuring rugs sit safely on different surfaces is paramount to prevent slips and falls in a hallway, while also protecting the flooring underneath," advises Maya.  

"For hard surfaces like wood or tiles, using a non-slip underlay is essential. This underlay should be cut slightly smaller than the rug itself to ensure it does not protrude, yet large enough to keep the rug firmly in place. 

For carpets, a dual-surface underlay that grips both the rug and the carpet below is advisable, preventing the rug from moving or bunching up. 

"Ensuring the rug's edges are flat to the ground and not curled up is vital for safety; this can often be achieved by pressing down the edges with heavy objects for a few days after laying the rug down.”

Is wool a practical idea for my hallway rug?

"For families with pets or young children, wool's resistance to dirt and spills can be a significant advantage, simplifying cleaning and maintenance," suggest Maya. 

"In environments where there's heavy foot traffic, the durability and longevity of wool can prove economical over time, offsetting the initial higher cost with the rug's extended lifespan.

"Maintaining wool rugs in pristine condition, especially in high-traffic areas such as hallways, requires regular attention to dirt and spills. For daily maintenance, vacuuming with a brushless suction head is recommended to prevent fibres from becoming frayed or pulled. 

"Immediate blotting of spills with a clean, white cloth can prevent stains from setting in. For more stubborn dirt, using a mild detergent solution and lukewarm water for spot cleaning can be effective, though it's important to test this on an inconspicuous area first to ensure there's no colour run or damage to the fibres.

Despite diligent care, wool rugs can benefit greatly from professional cleaning every 12 to 18 months to extend their lifespan and maintain their appearance. Considering professional cleaning as part of your rug's maintenance can be a worthwhile investment, preserving its beauty and functionality over time.”

Still debating about the right hallway flooring idea? Take a look at these stunning hall, stairs and landing ideas for more inspiration or if your space is more cabin like than country home, investigate some narrow hallway ideas to help you start creating your dream scheme.