14 Stylish Modern Hallway Light Ideas

Hallway lights aren’t just for walking safely at night. The right fixtures and hues uplift dark, narrow passageways, adding finesse and personalized touches that elevate your whole home. Read on for 14 modern hallway lighting ideas that add to your home.

14 stylish modern hallway lighting ideas

Unless your hallways are full of windows and natural light, they can be dim and even feel a bit eerie, especially at night. Adding the right fixtures to your hallway adds ambiance while serving a practical function. Give your hallways the gorgeous glow they deserve with these options.

1. Multiple ceiling lights

If you have a long or narrow hallway, ceiling lights might be the best option to illuminate your limited space completely. And the best part? They don’t take up space on your walls in an already-narrow area. Just decide how many fixtures you’d like, then add a single bulb to each one, and watch as your hallway transforms into a runway.

2. Corner lights

If you have a short hallway, you can light your pathway with a single fixture. They come in various designs, from triangle-shaped fixtures that mount flush into the corner, to strips that run from floor to ceiling. If you have the space, you can also get creative with an accent lamp and a small table. Many of these fixtures come in natural hues or color-changing LEDs, opening up a world of possibilities for your hallway.

3. LED strip lights

If you’re looking for an affordable, hassle-free way to change up your hallway, LED strip lights are among the best ways to do it. For easy installation, just cut the strips to whatever size you need, remove the backing to expose the sticky side, and press along the edges.

4. Semi-flush mount drum lights

For simple but tasteful fixtures along the ceiling, semi-flush mounted options are the perfect choice. These drum-like shades look a tad more modern than the typical ceiling fixture while illuminating your space all the same. They have the same effect as hanging pendants without coming anywhere close to your head. Plus, if you line your whole hallway with them, they create a stunning spectacle.

5. Decorative flush mount lights

Decorative flush mount lights go even further than semi-flush drums. Available in several unique designs, they add a touch of character to your hallway. Try choosing a decorative statement fixture you can easily pair with your other hallway decor pieces, like paintings or runners. You could also pair your flush-mount lights with a table lamp and photos. With just these few pieces that double as decor, you can reinvent your hallway as a classy gallery.

6. Wall sconces

Wall sconces are the most upscale fixtures you can set up without an electrician or a big dent in your bank account. You can get them in plug-in styles at reasonable prices, then space them evenly throughout your hallway. They’ll stick out from your hallway walls, but only a tad, and the effect is stunning. And to keep things really low-key in a small hallway, you just need a pair of these lights at each end.

7. Hanging pendants

A chandelier might sound glamorous for a hallway, but it likely takes up too much space in a narrow area. Pendants can still provide the same charming touch but without crowding your hallway. Choose a few pendants that fit in with your decor, mount them to the ceiling, wrap the cord, and your hallway went from meh to wow in minutes.

8. Recessed lighting

For a more minimalist approach to your hall lighting, recessed fixtures are a tried-and-true option. Recessed simply means the fixtures are installed directly into the ceiling or the wall. Some are flush with the wall, while others sit more like regular fixtures that descend from the ceiling. Known for their concentrated beams, they shine directly downward, perfect for illuminating a long hallway.

9. Night lights

These tiny-but-mighty fixtures are the easiest way to illuminate your hallways just enough for easy, safe passage. But there’s a line between a design better left for the kids’ room than something appropriate for an adult’s home. That’s where the BlissEmber comes in.

With the BlissEmber, you can switch your hallway night lights among colors and brightness levels to match your desired mood. This puck-shaped LED fixture is also motion-activated, so you save on the electric bill as you bring new life to your hallway. Plus, you can control it from your phone via the accompanying free app, changing colors and intensities with just a few taps.

BlissEmber Smart Multicolor Night Light

$29.99

A guiding light, a source of comfort, a way to transform your space.

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10. Caged lights

Let’s say going for glitz and glam in a hallway isn’t quite you. While this is quite the unique, intense look, you’re more into an industrial style or a bolder look. You can try caged fixtures in your hallway. They come in hanging pendants, wall sconces, or chandelier-style, so you have your choice of fixtures while selecting the best fit for your hallway.

11. Paper lamps

Paper lamps provide just enough illumination to brighten the darkest corners of your hallway while simultaneously serving as gorgeous decor pieces. Try adding them to a hallway end table or a bookshelf, and watch as your space glows all throughout the night. Paper lanterns can also have the same effect, strung across your ceiling in a straight line, zig-zag formation, or clustered together. You can even turn off your overhead or wall lights and just leave your paper lamps running for a subtle glow throughout the night.

12. Smoked glass lights

Smoked glass combines industrial touches with a modern approach for an artistic way to decorate and brighten your hallway. The brownish glass diffuses the light, illuminating a subtle glow instead of bright, in-your-face beams. For hallways, smoked glass fixtures that dip down slightly below ceiling level might be your best bet. Line them up for an unforgettable decorative touch.

13. Lanterns

Looking for a hallway that feels more like a night out in Paris than the path to your office? Lanterns answer the call. Oftentimes, lanterns in hallways come in the form of hanging pendants, with lantern-inspired elements caging the right bulb. You can take this literally, too: Tap into your creative side with a lantern equipped with an LED candle that casts subtle glow in your passageways.

14. Ambient lights

Ambient lighting is the foundation of any lighting design. It comprises fixtures in the ceiling, floor lamps, recessed lighting like track lights – anything that serves as the primary source of illumination in a room.

Then there are ambient mood lights, which serve a different purpose altogether. These fixtures color your hallway at night while providing enough illumination to see your way safely. The BlissRadia, for example, fills your hallway with gentle, colorful hues that you can control right from the BlissHome mobile app. Switch between a calming green for a path to your alien-themed party or soft yellow light for everyday nighttime illumination. You can seamlessly transform between colors and gradients to transform your hallway however you see fit.

BlissRadia Smart LED Mood Light

$39.99

From desktop to bedside, light the way to concentration, stimulation, or relaxation.

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Bring life to your hallway with BlissLights

With these 14 hallway lighting ideas, you can effortlessly add some light and character to your space. Color-changing options, LED strips, and more can paint dark, spooky hallways in a whole new way – one full of charm and delight. Browse the BlissLights collection now for LED strips and mood lights that bring out the best in your hallway.