If you live in a period home, you might have original features like checkerboard floor tiles or even a fireplace but, if painted in period colours, the hall may be quite dark. To introduce more light, painting the walls in a neutral colour or pastel shade and adding a statement mirror, will immediately make the space seem brighter. Try placing a large vase of flowers on the hearth or mantel to reduce the dominance of a dark fireplace.

For a contemporary home, you’ll find plenty of flooring choices: natural stone, ceramic tiles, laminates vinyls or carpets. Bear in mind the maintenance needed on natural floors and look for non-slip ceramics and easy cleaning if you have children or animals. A single colour will draw the eye, visually increasing the size of the hall. But including the occasional ‘bright’ tile (fuschia or purple for example), in a neutral run, will give your hall the “wow” factor. Continue the flooring into living areas opening off the hall for a natural transition.

If you opt for wallpaper, you’ll be spoilt for choice with bold prints, retro chic and botanical just some of the current trends. Remember, a large pattern can overwhelm a small space and that an expensive designer paper might be ideal for a single person’s home, but be less practical for the busy hallway of a young family.

Plan in furniture without cluttering the space. A seat, possibly incorporating storage, is a useful option. Think period armchair or reclaimed church pew in an older style hall, pale wood or rustic painted settle piled with vintage fabric cushions for a country style, or a unique designer piece to complement a minimalist, contemporary hall.

Console tables are great space savers. Choose a metal, glass or a polished or painted wood finish, with drawers to keep your daily clutter out of sight. Then, with just a vase of flowers, a few well chosen photos or a lamp, and placed, if possible, beneath a mirror, your table will add to the feeling of welcome you want to achieve.

In most homes, the stairs lead up from the hall, so they need thinking about too. If the staircase is narrow but the stairs are in good condition, paint them white and carpet the center only, to make them look wider. In a contemporary home, consider clear glazing panels to replace conventional banisters. Also, think about the space below the stairs. Could you open it up and install a custom designed storage system, maybe even a home office?

Whether you’re scouring reclamation yards in London, using an interior design company in Leicester or contemplating tartan wallpaper in Edinburgh, create a welcoming hallway and you’ll never be short of visitors.