England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland
Interiors
Six Hallway Trends for 2024, from staircase and interior experts
Hallways are set to become a feature room within the home, as renovators and homeowners place increasing importance on this once-neglected space. In celebration, hallway design and staircase experts Andy Fenton, joiner, staircase installer, renovator and founder at Staircases by Andy Fenton and Lucie Levesley, associate director and hallways expert at Jackson Woodturners have teamed up, each sharing their expectations of the year ahead. These predictions have been collated in the inaugural “Hallway and Staircase Report: the 2024 edit”.
Trend 1: Elaborate storage solutions to maximise useable space
Home improvers are looking for innovative solutions to maximise the space in their homes. Underneath the stairs is a common unused area which can be creatively adapted to make the hallway a more functional room.
Andy Fenton, joiner, staircase installer, renovator and founder at Staircases by Andy Fenton comments,
“The storage solutions that I can offer customers are becoming increasingly elaborate and complicated, especially as features like drawer systems are improved by manufacturers. Portable tools that companies are now making are fantastic and allow me to create more complex fixtures within my customer’s homes.”
“Alongside practical storage for things like shoes, coats or cleaning equipment, I’m also starting to see demand for lifestyle-enhancing design features such as wine cellars, reading nooks and home working spaces.”
Image source: https://staircasesbyandyfenton.co.uk/
Image source: https://staircasesbyandyfenton.co.uk/
Trend 2: Bold colours and patterns, personality in design
Interior trends often reflect creative areas from elsewhere and the Pantone Colour Report for 2024 does just this, with vibrant reds, oranges, greens and turquoise shades dominating their spring/summer palette. Greys and beige rooms which were popular across the last ten years are being replaced and updated with pops of colour and daring patterns. It’s about bringing personality to your home.
Andy said,
“Looking back over my time in the staircase industry, there is nothing more exciting than what’s happening now. Trends are changing from simple pastel colours and light shades to bold patterned carpets and rich wall colours. Patterned carpets are making a return for 2024, with people looking at even bolder wallpapers and Venetian plastering on the tall feature walls.”
Trend 3: Pendant lighting to replace hallway spotlighting
Interesting feature lighting is becoming a home decor staple, with #pendantlights being tagged around 377,000 on Instagram alone. Though the trend may have first started in kitchen and dining areas, it is now set to be big for hallway decor too. Staircases with high ceilings can really benefit from statement pendant lighting, making a design feature out of the unused headspace.
Andy comments,
“Feature lighting is growing alongside modern LED technology, replacing the small downlights that have been so popular for years. Pendant lighting, unusual light shades and atmospheric sconces were once investment pieces; however, these no longer have to break the bank with high quality, more affordable options being readily available to the average homeowner.”
Trends 4: A bigger proportion of renovation budgets to be used on the hallway
Though a cost of living crisis, high interest rates and utility company price rises have undoubtedly changed spending habits, people are still investing in their homes. Hallways are getting more attention and higher proportions of people’s home renovation budgets than ever before, claims Andy who notes,
“For decades the focus for renovators has been on kitchens and bathrooms, with hallways and staircases often being an afterthought. However, a new generation of homeowners are thinking about the bigger picture, shifting budget into hallway design. You can see why, hallways are often one of the first things your guests will see when entering your property. The space can help tie together each room, creating flow and a cohesive atmosphere.”
Trend 5: Traditional favourites won’t be disappearing
Despite the popularity of daring designs and Instagram trends, Andy and Lucie don’t see Oak and Glass becoming unpopular anytime soon. We’ll see period features being given a contemporary twist and the coming together of different styles will be widely seen.
Andy comments,
“Traditional styles like oak and glass give such a feeling of space for a hallway, it’s difficult to see the benefits of this style being forgotten. While clamped glass gives a modern look, by mixing metal and wood there will always be the want for grooved fitted glass. The versatility of this look is what makes it popular. It’s as at home in old barn and church conversions, as it is in modern three-storey townhouses. This will always be in my samples kit when I go on my customer visits.”
Trend 6: Generational differences in spending
Lucie sees the cost of living impacting spending, commenting that,
“Older customers are still spending however, younger homeowners are looking to make savings where possible. Full room renovation might be off the table for many however, there are still plenty of ways to upgrade a hallway on a tighter budget.”
Lucie adds,
“Going into 2024, staying in, is still the new going out. With continued uncertainty in the world and the cost of living still at the forefront of people’s minds. We are finding that younger customers are not making the big changes that they may have done before. They are instead opting for small affordable tweaks such as newel post caps, and handrails on the wall. It’s older customers who are tending to be spending more to transform their staircases.”
2024 is set to be an exciting year, where hallways steal focus for homeowners and renovators. From bold creative choices, to feature lighting and statement spindle design, it’s clear from this report that there will be some exciting transformations across British homes in the coming months.
Lucie Levesley, associate director and hallways expert
Andy Fenton, joiner, staircase installer, renovator and founder
