Our Front Hallway Wallpaper Makeover: Before and After

Hi Friends!!

You know those spaces in your home that you walk through every day, but don’t always give much attention to? Our front hallway was one of those spaces. It had beautiful wood floors, white trim, and plenty of charm already, but I wanted to give it a little more personality. I love when a project adds something special to our home without needing to change every detail. And this was one of those projects. The same doors, the same floors, the same trim—just a new layer of pattern that brings everything together. Today I’m sharing our front hallway wallpaper makeover, and how a simple stripe has made this little space feel so much more finished.

If you remember my Goals for 2026 post, adding wallpaper to our front hallway was one of the projects I hoped to tackle this year. I wanted to keep adding character to our home through small, thoughtful changes, and this little hallway felt like the perfect place to do that. It feels so good to see that idea come to life!

Before: Our Front Hallway with White Walls

Front hallway before wallpaper, with white walls, wood floors, and a wooden chair beside a dark glass-paneled door

Before adding wallpaper, our front hallway was painted white. I loved how bright it felt, especially with the light coming through the windows above our front door. The wood floors brought warmth, and the French door in the next room added contrast. There wasn’t anything wrong with it. But looking into the hallway from the adjoining room, I could picture how a little pattern would make that view feel more inviting.

Because this is a small space with several doorways, there isn’t much room to add furniture or layers of decor. Wallpaper felt like a way to bring in that extra character right on the walls. If you have followed along in my stories on Instagram, for the past year or so, I have been ordering wallpaper samples to try out in this space. Some had dark colors, while others had bolder damask or block print patterns. I loved them all, but after taping them up in our hallway to see how they felt over time, none of them felt like “the one” until now.

The Neutral Striped Wallpaper I Chose

For this project, I chose Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines French Soft Linen Stripe Wallpaper from The Home Depot.

What drew me to it was the soft, understated stripe. I love a classic stripe, and this one has that relaxed, timeless feel that works so well with the wood tones throughout our home. The subtle neutral colors add interest while keeping the hallway light. I also love how the vertical pattern looks beside our wide white door casings. The trim stands out a little more now, and those details feel even prettier against the wallpaper.

If you’re looking for hallway wallpaper ideas, this is something to consider: how will the pattern look with the spaces you can see from your hallway? From ours, you see warm wood walls in one direction and a darker room in the other. This quiet stripe feels comfortable alongside both.

Adding Wallpaper to Our Front Hallway

Installing striped wallpaper near the ceiling beside the front door transom windows

The transformation started to show as soon as the first sections went up. It’s always fun to see something you’ve pictured in your mind begin to take shape in your home.

With all the doorways in this hallway, the pattern appears in smaller sections around the trim. I love that even those narrow stretches of wall now have a little more presence.

Smoothing soft neutral striped wallpaper onto the hallway wall beside white door trim

Stepping back and looking through the doorway gave me a better sense of the change. The wallpaper adds another layer to the view, but the hallway still feels soft and simple.

After: A Softer, More Inviting Hallway

Front hallway after wallpaper makeover, with neutral vertical stripes, a wooden chair, white trim, and a dark glass-paneled door

I brought the little wooden chair back in, and I love how its worn wood looks against the stripes. With the wallpaper adding interest behind it, that simple corner feels finished without needing much else. For now, I’ve decided to hold off on hanging anything else back up on the walls. I’m loving how it looks just as it is, so I’ll leave it this way until I feel inspired to add something.

This view shows how the wallpaper wraps around the front door and continues above the doorway into the next room. Those small sections of pattern make the whole hallway feel connected. And with the light coming through the transom windows, it still has that bright, airy feeling I loved before.

My favorite part of this front hallway makeover is how naturally the wallpaper fits with what was already here. The warm floors, white doors, and black hardware all look beautiful with the soft stripes.

Front hallway after wallpaper makeover, with neutral vertical stripes, looking into kitchen with antique cupboard

It’s a reminder that you don’t always need a big renovation to love a space a little more. Sometimes one thoughtful change is enough to help the details you already love shine.

Here is one more look at the Before + After :

Front hallway before wallpaper, with white walls, wood floors, and a wooden chair beside a dark glass-paneled door, a white front door with transom windows

If you have a hallway that feels a little unfinished, wallpaper might be the layer it’s missing. A subtle pattern can bring warmth and character to a space you pass through every day—and make you stop to enjoy it along the way.

Have you used wallpaper in your home? I’d love to hear where you’ve added it, or which space you’re thinking about trying next!