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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that grey and white are among the popular colour combinations in our homes today. And it’s easy to see the appeal of this modern partnership.
Grey and white offer an incredibly versatile colour scheme that can bring timeless elegance to any space. Both colours also help to reflect plenty of light, making it an excellent choice for hallways.
But far from being wishy-washy, you can make a huge impact with these bright and fresh hues. Because they are neutrals, they can be paired with a range of accent colours if desired.
To help you with your next hallway makeover, we've rounded up some of the most beautiful grey and white staircase ideas to help transform your space.
1. Scandi Staircase
Give your hallway a modern makeover with an uplifting two-tone colour palette. This beautiful Scandi hallway features a deep grey colour to dado-rail height, while bright white paint above and on the staircase itself creates contrast and lifts the space.
Meanwhile, the pale-wood stair treads complement the natural wood flooring and add a warm, homely feel. So, why not get creative with your paint job and use a mix of white and grey on your staircase walls?
As a general rule, paint the lower half of your walls a darker colour, and paint the upper part of your walls and ceiling white to enhance the sense of space.
2. Embrace All Angles
These beautiful stairs are part of a spatial reimagining by Eva Byrne of Houseology. The wooden staircase has been extended to the left, using all of the available space and making the hallway feel wider.
The painted runner is a beautiful design touch, making the best of the awkward angles and creating a characterful feature at the same time. If you have awkward angles on your staircase, get creative with paint to make the most of your space.
Try painting your entire staircase white and adding a grey-painted stair runner for a hallway with bags of charm.
3. Add a highlight
Bring your white and grey staircase to life by adding a third, bold colour to your colour palette. Bright colours can provide the perfect accent to neutrals, as this breathtaking hallway proves.
A golden highlight along the skirting board leads you up the stairs, adding a playful pop of colour and capturing your imagination. Complement white and grey hues with hot pink, electric blue, or sunshine yellow to bring your hallway to life.
4. Create a Cohesive Look
This bright hallway offers a fresh take on traditional style. Simplistic white panelling gives the space timeless appeal, while a dark handrail and stair treads enhance the white, wooden staircase.
The grey stair runner creates a homely vibe, and it’s complemented by a grey sofa and rug. Introduce co-ordinating pieces of furniture and accessories to create a hallway design that flows.
If you have white walls, consider pairing them with painted grey furniture and a grey runner to bring contrast.
5. Go Modern With Open Risers
The hallway is a high-traffic area, so why not go bold with your staircase design? If you're a fan of modern designs, this one is for you. This contemporary metal staircase is so much more than a staircase - it's a stunning design feature, too.
Open risers are fantastic for open-plan spaces because they don't block the line of sight and can make an area look larger. They also allow light to pass through, enhancing your space.
Pair a grey, metal staircase with simple white walls for a fresh and contemporary look. The white walls will help reflect light and make your room appear even brighter.
6. Stylish Storage
This beautiful, modern staircase is a work of art. With built-in bookshelves underneath the stairs, it creates an exciting design feature. The white staircase is complemented by light grey flooring, while the simplistic black spindles provide a striking contrast.
Transform the underused space under your stairs by installing shelving - it's a great way to create extra storage and add character at the same time. Paint your stairs white and paint your shelving deep grey to make an eye-catching feature.
7. Bridge the Gap With a Stair Runner
A stair runner is a fantastic way to bridge the gap between hard flooring and carpet - and it gives your hallway a stylish finish.
Complement white painted stairs with a grey stair runner to create visual interest. Choose a patterned runner to bring extra personality to your space.
8. Paint Your Stairs
This elegant and modern hallway uses a combination of white and grey paint on the entire staircase and panelling, creating a beautifully cohesive look.
If your stair carpet feels a little tired, lift it up and give your stairs a fresh paint job. Paint your staircase risers and spindles to brighten your hallway and paint the treads a mid-grey shade for contrast.
9. Enhance Your Space With Stripes
Pair crisp, white walls, and stairs with an eye-catching striped carpet. These wide, two-tone grey stripes bring character and contrast to this gorgeous period hallway.
Visually, the stripes lead you up the stairs and enhance the feeling of space. If you have hard flooring in your hallway, opt for a striped runner to help soften the transition between the hard flooring and carpet upstairs.
10. Add Character With Panelling
A half-wall of panelling is a great way to create contrast and add character to your space. For a contemporary look, install a half-wall of panelling in your hallway and up your stairs.
Then, paint your staircase and panelling lead-grey, and paint the walls above white to brighten the space and give a sense of height.
11. Complement Grey Walls With White Stairs
If your grey hallway is feeling a little dark, why not paint your staircase white? Opting for simple, white-painted stairs is a great way to brighten the space and create a sleek, minimalist look.
If you want to add extra contrast, paint your treads a darker shade of grey or black.
12. Hang Monochrome Art
Complement a grey and white staircase with monochrome artwork. This striking piece makes a statement on the stairs, bringing a powerful depth to the space.
Hang one large piece of art on the main wall of your stairs to add visual interest and take the eye upwards.
13. Add a Dado Rail
An elegant, light grey and white colour scheme is perfect for this traditional home. The wall is divided by a dado rail, meaning the grey tones don’t overpower the space. Meanwhile, the spindles and woodwork are kept white, helping to brighten the overall look.
Take inspiration and use a dado rail in your hallway design to section your walls. Paint the lower half pale grey and the upper half white to enhance the feeling of space.
14. Contemporary wooden slats
Vertical wooden slats are an ingenious way to create zones in an open-plan space. Here, the bottom of the staircase is open and curves around into the room, but full-height vertical slats provide both a sense of zones and a contemporary design feature.
If you have an open staircase, create a modern look by taking simple slat spindles all the way up to the landing. Complement a grey carpet by painting your woodwork white for a fresh finish.
15. Curate a Gallery Wall
The blend of white, grey, and black tones used on this staircase helps to create a timeless space. The black trim on the grey runner provides a stark contrast against the white stairs, and it’s complemented by a collection of monochrome prints.
Create a gallery wall using black and white prints of different sizes for maximum impact. It’s a great place to hang your family photos and show your home’s personality.
16. Introduce Black Elements
Create drama by introducing black elements to your grey and white staircase. Paint your staircase risers white and stair treads black for maximum contrast and high impact. Choose a light grey stair runner to unite the pallet and soften the scheme.
Are Grey and White Good Colours for Your Staircase?
Grey and white are neutrals, making them perfect for staircases. You can choose a dark grey that will dial up the drama, or a pale, warm grey that will create a homely entrance.
And because they are neutral, you can pair them with pretty much anything, so they are sure to complement the rooms off your hallway, too.
Will a Grey and White Colour Scheme Make Your Hallway Look Bigger?
Neutrals like grey and white are great for making spaces look bigger. White in particular has excellent reflective properties, meaning it helps to brighten any room and enhances the sense of space.
Bear in mind that cooler grey tones make spaces appear fresher and brighter than warm-toned colours.
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