3 tips to combat fingerprints, scuffs and all the wear and tear of daily family life from Dr Dulux.

Q: As a family of five, our hallway seems to bear the brunt of the comings-and-goings in our home. It never looks as fresh as the rest of the house! Is there something we can use to keep it from showing dirt? Jess, Hampshire

A: Thanks for your question. The hallway is notoriously one of the trickiest areas of the home to decorate. Not only is is often a small and narrow space, but it’s the area of your home that sees the most traffic and has to be highly functional too (storing hundreds of pairs of shoes for example!)

But, it’s also the part of the home where you say fond farewells, welcome friends and family with hugs and kisses, and experience that relief when you step through the door after a long day – so don’t neglect it! Here are three ways to make sure your hallway always makes an entrance:

1. Coat of armour

The ultimate defence against mucky little fingerprints, coffee spills and stains, Dulux Easycare is like a coat of armour for your walls. It’s tough formulation is 20 times more durable than normal Dulux matt emulsion, so you can wash spills, stains and fingerprints off the walls without the colour fading. It also comes in a matt finish and in a huge array of colours, so you’d never know it was any different to standard paint. Just don’t tell the kids…

2. Divide & conquer

Another great tactic for keeping walls looking fresh in a high traffic area is to deploy a clever trick: two-tone walls. Pick a darker colour for the lower half of the wall, which will better disguise marks, and a lighter colour above to keep a light and airy feeling. Feeling adventurous? You could even take the two-tone effect over your hallway furniture too, to create the illusion of your furniture ‘disappearing’ into the walls for even more space.

3. Prints charming

A bold pattern can hide a multitude of sins as it distracts the eye from picking up small defects, so it’s just the thing for a busy hallway. Plus, it’ll give your entrance the wow-factor from the moment you walk in. Again, you can split your walls up so that the bold pattern covers the lower region of the wall (up to around the level of a dado rail) and paint the rest in a coordinating colour – or just go all-out all-over pattern! We have some brilliantly bold paint techniques to try; check out our how-to videos on our YouTube channel. 

Find out more about the Dulux Easycare product!