What is the best way to light a hallway?

Your hall is not only the place where you welcome your friends into your home but it is also – of course – the area where there are most comings and goings. Keep lighting practical but you can also add a decorative element here and there. A lantern is traditional but there are plenty of hanging bowls, pendants and even chandeliers to consider.

We don’t recommend wall lights for narrow hallways where there is a lot of people traffic; they may just get in the way.

Simple downlights arranged where you need them, rather than regimented down the hall, are a great idea. Use them to pinpoint the view at the end of the hall, or the top of the stairs so plan exactly where you need them before you have them installed.
Floor level lighting is also a dramatic way to lead the eye into the house, along the hall and up the stairs, for example. Use circular downlights for this, or oblong downlighters.

There’s no reason why you shouldn’t use dimmer switches in halls. Set the lights low and use them with the light from a table lamp on your hall table to create atmosphere at night, for example. Remember, though, that you must use low voltage dimmer switches on any low voltage fittings; you cannot fit a mains voltage dimmer so check before you buy.