Has anyone got a bold colour in their hallway?

[HolyMackerel]

Live in a Victorian house, have tested about 6 million neutrals in hallway (F&B, Little Greene, Dulux), I'm going insane comparing greiges/whites/off-whites and they're all a bit meh.

Met someone who is painting their hall a bright colour and felt envious of their bravery. Our rooms are all F&B mid greiges/creams or blue. Hall dark and gloomy, v little natural light. I know neutral/light colour will not make it look light, so what's the point?

Has anyone gone bold in their hallway, and if so what colour and does it look good?

I have seen dark hallways - in period houses - painted navy or charcoal and that can look great.

We have quite a narrow but high hallway. Most of the walls are a vintage white colour but we have one large wall which goes from floor to roof height that we painted red. We were really worried about doing it but it looks fab.

So go for it!

I have a subtle green but my son painted his Victorian hallway "lime sherbet" or "lime fizz" or something. I would never have done this myself but it looks great as a contrast to the white woodwork. The flooring is neutral and it is broken up by mirror and a lot of white doors. There is little natural light and it does add a zing!

Ours has purple below the dado rail, and creamy-white above it. But then I'm not a neutrals person.

Just finished doing our hall & stair walls right up to upstairs landing in F&B "Dayroom Yellow". Felt a bit freaked out halfway through when it was still patchy but it's gorgeous now it's done. Woodwork previously (ugh) magnolia now sharp bright white. Huge improvement on previous scheme (safe latte-ish wall colour).

The hall faces south so we do get natural daylight, but the yellow makes it look like it's bathed in sunlight all the time. Really glad we took the plunge and did it.

We used to have ours in blue, a bit darker than royal blue. Looked fab with white woodwork and pale carpet. It's quite a bright hall so could take the colour. (Pre DCs)
When we redecorated we went for a softer paler yellow paper, so we could have a darker carpet (post DCs who trashed all our lovely pale carpets). I like it but its not as striking as the blue.

The same as notgoodnotbad we also have a dado rail which is original to the house (Edwardian). Above it is white but below is charcoal, almost black. I had it like that as it hides dirty little finger marks. I love it to be honest and would never paint it a lighter colour, it looks stylish and dramatic. Lots of visitors comment on it :)

Ooh thanks for all the replies, these are certainly making me rethink the neutrals!

We also have a dado rail, and picture rails as well, in the hall - I am currently thinking I'll stick to a neutral above dado then a bold colour below.

But then what colour should we paint the dado rail - same as neutral above, same as colour below, or white like the skirtings/doorframes/doors/spindles etc?

White without a doubt, stick the bold colour below. Honestly looks great in our hall. We have a striped runner too to add a bit more colour

We had a burnt orange in our old flat, and wooden floors throughout (and a blue living room!) inherited from previous owners. People who came to visit commented that it had a Mediterranean feel - I actually miss it! We now have an off-whiteish colour.

We have purple - a dark plum/aubergine on 2 walls and a lighter lilac/lavender on the others. I love it. Bold on bottom and neutral on top with dado the same colour as your woodwork sounds good.

In our Victorian hallway we have a light blue-ish / grey-ish below dado rail and off-white above dado rail. Floorboards are natural pine. I was looking for long for a matching stair carpet and finally chose just the ideal blue/brown colour carpet (Kosset Skyline from Carpet right). The hallway is light and for my taste, dare I say, perfect.

I could have gone with all beige but that would be boring. On the other hand, I needed neutral as we are planning to sell the house in the near future.

I have ordered samples for a deep yellow colour below dado, will paint above dado a neutral from my many hundreds of samples... Thanks so much all I am going to go for it I fancy a bit of colour!

I have a gorgeous dark teal from Graham and Brown, called "Jewel in the crown", against pure white woodwork, white blinds, oak furniture and a blue/black ceramic floor. Looks lovely. I do have a light room though, 3 windows on the front (looks a bit like a porch, but is a room).

Oh I'm with you we have a massive wall up the stairs but not dado rail - lots of doors and no real natural light, no idea what to paint the walls, do you paint a hall all one colour or make one a feature and which one?!? Every other room i know but the hall is a nightmare...

Just got Bone, Old White and White up on paper at the moment the first too look dark... Help

I have Old White in the living room it's lovely, would be way too gloomy for the hall though! I have order Hay, Straw, and Print Room Yellow samples for the hall below dado, having Slipper Satin above dado (neutral backdrop for lots of pictures/mirrors etc).

Good luck choosing colours - drives you mad doesn't it?!