The Hallway as a Decompression Airlock

Show me your hallway and I’ll tell you who you are. The tone is set as soon as you cross the threshold. We leave our keys there and all the stuff that we’ve collected during the day. It’s also one of the only rooms that likes to be untidy. The hallway is a living space and that’s why we like it. Some people like to have gorgeous cement tiles on the floor, to bring the outside in and echo the foyers of big buildings. While others prefer warm-coloured walls that welcome you in. It has everything we need to calm us down and reset our bodyclocks to home-time. Personally, I like hallways that look lived-in, where messages are left and school books are discarded, where motorcycle helmets and scarves are mislaid. It is undoubtedly the only part of the house where coat-stands have their place and where a more personal decorating style has real meaning.