London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

Entrance hall ideas - how to make your home festive right from the start

Entrance hall ideas - how to make your home festive right from the start

Entrance hall ideas to make sure your home gives a big Christmas welcome

Entrance hall ideas often get forgotten - your hallway, as one of your smaller interior spaces, can seem less important. But the atmosphere it creates sets the tone for the whole house. Come Christmas, your hallway should be giving you that festive feeling as soon as you step through the front door!

While it can be easy to focus entirely on the living room and overlook a narrow entrance and staircase, it’s the detail that makes the difference. To make an impact with your yuletide decorating this year, go boldly minimalist or maximalist, rather than settling safely in the middle. We’ve compiled some top tips from designers and styling experts to help show you how.

It’s finally time to deck the halls again, with holly and a lot more besides...

Hang foliage wreaths from your staircase


                

Get creative with foliage by loosely weaving sprigs of spruce, fir or ivy around simple rattan or wooden hoops, such as those used for embroidery. Not naturally arty? The more nonchalant the finished result, the better, as it ties into the homemade trend. Not got the time? Have a browse of Etsy for some rustic ready-made wreaths or opt for one of our 2020 picks. Hang them from your spindles and give that neglected wall beneath your staircase some style.

Decorate and display some miniature trees


                

Your main Christmas tree may get all the attention, but miniature trees are ideal for injecting festive spirit into dark corners and narrow corridors. Either follow the same decorating theme to link your hallway to the rooms beyond or have fun playing around with a different palette. If space is particularly tight, consider a trendy pre-lit wall hanging, such as this one from Cox & Cox.

Go gaga for gold


                

Gold has been a trending colour all year, adding glitz and glam to kitchen worktops and entertaining tables, so expect opulent metallics to dominate festive decor. Mix and match gold, silver, bronze and brass to dazzlingly luxurious effect, and don’t hold back! Gold eucalyptus leaf garlands, mirrored silver paper chains, orb balloons and glittering disco balls are sure to thrill any guests.

Pile up the presents


                

Getting ahead of the gift-wrapping game doesn’t merely save you from a last-minute Christmas panic. Pile up your prettiest presents at the bottom of the stairs or in a hallway nook, so that they spark that fuzzy festive excitement every time you walk by. Just don’t let children or pets tear them open before the big day!

Weave foliage along the bannister


                

Brightening up a bannister with foliage is a smart way to incorporate the continuing trend for bringing the outside in. “I love creating loose waves of foliage along the staircase and adding some wintry sparkle with battery-powered fairy lights” says interior stylist Leoma Harper from Style the Clutter. “I’ll then add finer details and texture by hanging Christmas decorations off the branches.”

Cosy things up with candles


                

It’s no secret that the warm, flickering glow of candlelight can any space look inviting. Yes, even a dark, narrow hallway! Katherine Christopher, director of K Christopher Interiors, suggests cosying up a dull radiator cabinet or side table with an array of cinnamon-spiced candles in glass lanterns. “Look for copper, bronze and gold tones to create an eye-catching, luxury and elegant finish,” she says. “Trail some chunky twig garlands around your display and intersperse some dark faux berries and glittering ornaments for depth.”

Go bold with brights


                

Given how much joy the coronavirus pandemic has sapped from 2020 so far, it makes sense to go extra cheery with your Christmas decor this year. London-based Christmas decorator Anya Banks is doing just that, living up fireplaces and console tables with bright pinks, purples and blues and playing with height and texture, too. “Displays like this will lift the spirits and inject a welcome dose of fun to your home amid the challenges that we’re all facing outside.”

Release your pent-up party mood


                

Given how much joy the coronavirus pandemic has sapped from 2020 so far, it makes sense to go unapologetically bold and colourful with your Christmas styling! Drape carnival-esque garlands, complete with tassels and giant sequins, around your bannister and along the handrail. Consider paper pom poms and oversized baubles, too. Ensure your outlandish look stays stylish by sticking to a considered colour scheme that zings against your walls. Enjoy the party mood, even if you can’t host a festive fiesta this year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×