Jackson Woodturners’ Hallway and Staircase Report: The 2024 Edit

Hallways are set to become a feature room within the home, as renovators and homeowners place increasing importance on this once-neglected space. In celebration, our hallway design and staircase experts Andy Fenton, joiner, staircase installer, renovator and founder at Staircases by Andy Fenton and Lucie Levesley, associate director and hallways expert at Jackson Woodturners have teamed up, each sharing their expectations of the year ahead. These predictions have been collated in the inaugural “Hallway and Staircase Report”, by our team here at Jackson Woodturners.

Trends reports have long focussed on bathrooms and kitchens however, the growing interest in hallway design is here to stay. Every month there are on average 8k Google searches for staircase ideas and an impressive 14.8k searches for hallway ideas. 

The Jackson Woodturners’ Hallway and Staircase Report puts this room right where it deserves to be, front and centre. For homeowners, renovators, designers and joiners, the report is a must-read, revealing eight hallway design and industry trends set to be big in 2024.

Trend 1: Elaborate storage solutions to maximise useable space

In 2024, home improvers will look to make more of the space available using innovative storage solutions. Staircases often create unused areas (both underneath or above them) and customers are really starting to get creative with this, maximising the functional space in their homes. 

Andy Fenton, joiner, staircase installer, renovator and founder at Staircases by Andy Fenton comments,

“The storage solutions that I can offer customers are becoming increasingly elaborate and complicated, especially as features like drawer systems are improved by manufacturers. Portable tools that companies are now making are fantastic and allow me to create more complex fixtures within my customer’s homes.”

“Alongside practical storage for things like shoes, coats  or cleaning equipment, I’m also starting to see demand for lifestyle-enhancing design features such as wine cellars, reading nooks and home working spaces.”

Image source: https://staircasesbyandyfenton.co.uk/

In addition, the cost of living crisis and high mortgage rates are driving a need for families in particular to look at how they can adapt their existing property instead of simply buying a bigger home. “Home improvements” is searched for on average 12.1k per month on Google and with Brits improving instead of moving, the space under the stairs has become a key opportunity for expanding and adapting layouts. 

Once you’ve made practical use of the space, why not try decluttering your hallway further or using these ten interior design tricks to help the space look and feel bigger too. 

Trend 2: Bold colours and patterns, personality in design

2024 is set to be the year to go bold with home decor and the hallway is no exception. We often see interior trends reflecting creative areas outside of the home and the Pantone Colour Report for 2024 does just this, with vibrant reds, oranges, greens and turquoise shades dominating their spring/summer palette. “Hallway colour ideas” gets searched for on average 2.9k times per month on Google, as Brits look for inspiration.

Greys and beige rooms which were popular across the last ten years are being replaced and updated with pops of colour and daring patterns. Even the more muted colour schemes of natural greens and pinks are set to be enhanced as decorators bring personality to their homes. 

Interest in green hallways is catching up with grey, black and white designs, with 1k average searches per month for green hallways. Grey hallway receive 1.3k and black and white hallways receive 1.6k. In addition, pink, yellow and blue hallways all receive more than twice as much interest as beige or cream hallways. The coloured hallways each receive 480 average monthly searches on Google, whereas beige and cream receive just 210.

Andy said,

“Looking back over my time in the staircase industry, there is nothing more exciting than what’s happening now. Trends are changing from simple pastel colours and light shades to bold patterned carpets and rich wall colours. Patterned carpets are making a return for 2024, with people looking at even bolder wallpapers and Venetian plastering on the tall feature walls.”

Interest in carpets and flooring is high, with Google and social media providing a wealth of inspiration. The number of monthly searches around the topic includes 9.9k average monthly searches for “stair carpet runner”, 2.9k for “patterned carpet”, 4.4k for “patterned floor tiles” and 1.9k for “hallway flooring ideas”.

Image source: https://staircasesbyandyfenton.co.uk/

Trend 3: Pendant lighting to replace hallway spotlighting

The maximalism trend which extends across the interiors space isn’t just about colour and furniture. Interesting feature lighting is becoming a home decor staple, with #pendantlights being tagged around 377,000 on Instagram alone. 

Though the trend may have first started in kitchen and dining areas, it is now set to be big for hallway decor too. Staircases with high ceilings can really benefit from statement pendant lighting, making a design feature out of the unused headspace.

Andy comments, “Feature lighting is growing alongside modern LED technology, replacing the small downlights that have been so popular for years. Pendant lighting, unusual light shades and atmospheric sconces were once investment pieces; however, these no longer have to break the bank with high quality, more affordable options being readily available to the average homeowner.” 

Trends 4: A bigger proportion of renovation budgets to be used on the hallway

Though a cost of living crisis, high interest rates and utility company price rises have undoubtedly changed spending habits, people are still investing in their homes. Hallways are getting more attention and higher proportions of people’s home renovation budgets than ever before, claims Andy Fenton who has seen this investment first-hand. This reflects a recent report which saw hallway renovation budgets increase by 357% in 2023.

Andy notes, “For decades the focus for renovators has been on kitchens and bathrooms, with hallways and staircases often being an afterthought. However, a new generation of homeowners are thinking about the bigger picture, shifting budget into hallway design. You can see why, hallways are often one of the first things your guests will see when entering your property. The space can help tie together each room, creating flow and a cohesive atmosphere.”

Trend 5: Traditional favourites won’t be disappearing

Despite the popularity of daring designs and Instagram trends, Andy and Lucie don’t see Oak and Glass becoming unpopular anytime soon. We’ll see period features being given a contemporary twist and the coming together of different styles will be widely seen.  

 Andy comments, “Traditional styles like oak and glass give such a feeling of space for a hallway, it’s difficult to see the benefits of this style being forgotten. While clamped glass gives a modern look, by mixing metal and wood there will always be the want for grooved fitted glass. The versatility of this look is what makes it popular. It’s as at home in old barn and church conversions, as it is in modern three-storey townhouses. This will always be in my samples kit when I go on my customer visits.”

Trend 6: Generational differences in spending 

Lucie sees the cost of living impacting spending, commenting that, 

“Older customers are still spending however, younger homeowners are looking to make savings where possible. Full room renovation might be off the table for many however, there are still plenty of ways to upgrade a hallway on a tighter budget.”

Lucie adds,

“Going into 2024, staying in, is still the new going out. With continued uncertainty in the world and the cost of living still at the forefront of people’s minds. We are finding that younger customers are not making the big changes that they may have done before. They are instead opting for small affordable tweaks such as newel post caps, and handrails on the wall. It’s older customers who are tending to be spending more to transform their staircases.”

Trend 7: Statement spindles in darker woods, coloured paint and interesting metals 

As with the use of bold colours and patterns, we expect this more adventurous taste will translate into spindle design too. Lucie reports that white primed spindles are still a big seller for Jackson Woodturners however, she expects to see an increasing number of customers purchasing them to give them an affordable facelift once delivered. 

Lucie said,

“White spindles are an affordable pre-primed item that can be kept white or painted to match your décor, and there are on average 29k monthly Google searches for painting the staircase. We had a lot of people painting them grey or black in 2023 but, next year we believe renovators will become more daring. From warm shades like Pantone’s colour of the year, Peach Fuzz to delicate  shades such as Dulux’s Sweet Embrace .” 

Andy adds,

“I can see the possibility for people looking towards the darker woods for the really bold out there and maybe even some people trying the dark-painted and antique brass look. These styles are often found spilling into our industry from bedroom and kitchen styles, so that’s a good indicator of what may be to come. One thing is for sure, my job never stands still as I’m constantly being kept on my toes by customers wanting to push the trends on and try new things.” 

Lucie adds, “Black metal iron spindles are still very popular. Due to this demand, we have introduced some new styles such as our statement, circle spindles that we think are sure to be popular in 2024.”

Trend 8: Glass panels will come with additional features

Glass panels continue to be popular, with Brits searching for them 5.4k times per month on Google however, they will be given an upgrade over the next year. New products have been introduced and made more widely available to consumers, including frosted and grey glass panels which have been added to the Jackson Woodturner range.

Lucie comments,

“Due to a high interest in frosted and grey glass we decided to add these to our current glass range. Both styles offer a unique and different look for your home. They are best styled with either the oak or white primed glass grooved rails. It’s the versatility of these glass panels which is so great, allowing for most interior decor or design trends to be used with them.”

2024 is set to be an exciting year, where hallways steal focus for homeowners and renovators. From bold creative choices, to feature lighting and statement spindle design, it’s clear from this report that there will be some exciting transformations across British homes in the coming months. 

For additional advice and inspiration, visit the blog or check out our extensive product range to explore the most popular and trending styles in 2024. 

Meet the experts

Lucie Levesley, Associate Director at Jackson Woodturners

Lucie joined the family business back in 2006, having previously spent time working within the retail space developing expertise in design and buying. Lucie’s role involves buying and sourcing new products. Outside of work, she enjoys running and spending time with her family.

Andy Fenton, joiner, staircase installer, renovator and founder at Staircases by Andy Fenton 

Andy Fenton-Coopland has been working on staircases since he was 18  and a staircase installer/renovator for 27 years. Andy has a wide skill set, rising to the challenges set by his customers to meet their vision. His favourite part about the job is that no two jobs are the same. Every day there is a different challenge, which means the job is never boring!