A foyer is where guests pause to shed coats or park briefcases; hallways are your routes to here and there; landings are where you stop to catch your breath. Mudrooms, laundry rooms, attics -- all these unappreciated spaces have a role. With a little creativity, you can make them charming and functional.

Sometimes referred to as a vestibule or entrance hall, a foyer should be a preview of what's ahead -- in color and style. If the rest of your house is formal, for instance, a chandelier would be an inkling as to the gracious living room that follows. If you're the casual type, skip crystal and think black iron. Light neutral colors expand small foyers; uplifting colors like lemon-yellow or orange will make them cheerful; rich dark shades such as burgundy or chocolate lend an elegant tone.

Decorating Auxiliary Home Spaces Image Gallery

When decorating your home, don't overlook spaces like this second-floor sitting area.
ŠJane Base, ASID, and Joy Wolfe, ASID, Martin Fine
When decorating your home, don't overlook spaces
like this second-floor sitting area. See more
pictures of decorating auxiliary home spaces.

In this article, you'll learn how to take those extra spaces in your home -- entranceways, hallways, mudrooms, and more -- and turn them into beautiful, useful areas:

Utilizing Hallway Space
Hallways can be difficult to decorate sometimes, learn how to make the most out of hallway space with these decorating tips.

Grand Entranceway
Create a space that welcomes guests and makes them feel immediately comfortable in your home with these ideas for creating a visually-enticing entranceway.

Skylights and Eaves
Without the correct treatment, skylights and eaves can look out-of-place. Learn how to utilize these architectural elements in your home.

Entranceway
Even small entranceways can have a big impact on your home. Develop this space to its utmost with these tips.

Creating a Mudroom
Stop clutter before it gets into your home by designing a mudroom tailored to the needs of your family.

Using Attic Space
Turn this often-overlooked area of your home into a usable space while increasing your home's value. Find out how.

Creating an Exciting Hallway
Even your hallway should reflect the style you've chosen for the rest of your home. Get ideas for a flowing hallway design.

Laundry Rooms
Think washing, drying, sorting, folding, and ironing laundry is merely a chore? It doesn't have to be, in the right environment. Find tips to create a laundry room that's fun and functional.

Before you begin a project, consider the following:

Marble, tile, or slate? If it's a small entry, go ahead and splurge on the floor. For a larger area, whether the mood is dressy or relaxed, black-and-white vinyl squares have a timeless appeal.

Paint is another alternative. How about a stenciled or trompe l'oeil design? To protect wall-to-wall carpeting, lay down a colorful kilim or rag rug.

A roomy closet is invaluable. But an entryway bench that provides a place to sit, a lid that lifts for storing boots, and hooks for hanging coats is also a utilitarian addition. A bench painted snowy white with a tall beadboard-paneled back would fit a clean-lined country home.

For a period look, antique Victorian hat stands, also with hooks attached and a mirror, often turn up at antique shops and auctions. Mirrors increase the sense of light and allow people to adjust their caps or hair as they enter and exit.

Is there room for an armoire? Fitted with hooks and a shelf, armoires are catchalls for everything from jackets to golf clubs. A stand made of iron, wood, or metal or a large ceramic pot for umbrellas and walking sticks is picturesque and handy.

The most common solution for breathing life into a hall is to treat it as a gallery. In a uniform fashion, hang prints, photographs, or botanical drawings. For cohesion, keep the framing treatments similar in style and look: black frames, say, or gold.

If there's a jig in the hall's shape, a little shelf, mounted on the wall with brackets (slide a stool underneath), and a light will create an intimate place to pen a note or make a call without impinging on floor space.

Wall-to-ceiling shelves filled with books (an 8-inch depth for most volumes) add a cozy library touch. And a hall or stair landing with a window and a window seat is everyone's favorite.

If neither windows nor skylights are feasible, install adequate lighting and use color to generate a feeling of light. Pale halls, though, can sometimes look drab. Jewel tones and rich designer-like colors -- crimson, deep peach, sun-baked terra-cotta -- spell instant glamor.

To organize the paraphernalia that collects in a mudroom, look to plastic bins in wild colors, baskets, or something unpredictable like canvas bags. Generous built-in cubbies will also keep things neat and visible. Stencil a family member's name above each slot, or have the bags monogrammed.

A portable gardening bench stationed in the corner will afford a green-thumbed gardener a place to pot bulbs or arrange flowers. And a deep laundry sink will make washing a large pot or pet less of a chore.

Floor and wall treatments in the mudroom need to be long-wearing. Consider alkyd paints and scrubbable wall-coverings along with materials like stone, vinyl, and linoleum. Like any other room in the house, a mudroom gains personality when you add window treatments and art.

Laundry rooms also welcome pretty papers and bright paint. Stepping out of their drudge roles, the best ones boast cabinetry and counters for folding and stacking. Clever extras -- built-in ironing boards, fold-down sewing tables -- make these spaces multifunctional.

If possible, plug in a window for natural light and give it a tailored shade or a pert curtain.

With skylights or dormers to let in light and air, a lowly attic is transformed. Rather than battle with the quirky angled ceilings, use them to forge unique, personality-filled rooms.

Station shorter furnishings to take advantage of the tight space under the eaves and move larger pieces like beds or sofas toward the room's middle.

Attics are made for built-ins. Line the walls with bookshelves for a cozy look or light-toned cabinetry for a modern take. A wall of bookshelves or folding screens across one end visually shortens a long room. Let your imagination take wing -- up this high, anything goes.

In this article we'll show you how to spruce up the under-appreciated areas of your home, like the entranceway, hallway, mudroom, attic, and more. We'll start with the hallway first. Get decorating ideas for this often-overlooked area in the next section.

To get more decorating ideas as well as tips and information on decorating your home, visit: