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Wall Sconces For Your Home - Get Your Wall Mounted Lighting Right

When there's a need to complement the lighting scheme of a room with some task, ambient, or accent light, a smart solution is to hang wall sconces. There are a lot of ways to use wall sconces at home: hang them on both sides of a large mirror, light up the bathroom, add a touch of elegance to a hallway, illuminate reading area, decorate your kitchen, or install them in your bedroom near the headboard.

wall sconces

classic wall sconces (tap to enlarge)

There's a huge variety of styles, designs, shapes and materials of wall sconces in stores today, so it's a no-brainer to find a model to fit into any interior.

Take into consideration some easy steps that will definitely help you choose the perfect light fixture for your home:


bathroom wall sconces
bathroom wall sconces

Complement your bathroom's style. Take a closer look at the existing light fixtures and sink faucets in a bathroom. Try to find wall sconces made in the same style. Pay additional attention to the materials used.


bedroom wall lighting
bedroom wall lighting

Think about the overall theme of your house. Get retro wall sconces for traditional designs, and modern hi-tech fixtures for contemporary homes.


kitchen wall lighting
using wall sconces in the kitchen

Choose the accent color for the illuminated area. When you have already decided a place where you are going to hang a wall sconce, take a look at the details of a surrounding. There are always some items around, like curtains, rugs, chairs, some decorative pieces, etc. It's a clever idea to choose wall sconces in complementary colors to make this space look complete.


bedroom wall sconces
bedroom wall sconces

When choosing wall sconces, try to match the finish of your new light fixture to the materials used in current home design. Take a look at the materials and finishes of doors hardware, faucet handles, existing light fixtures or some decorative details of your house interior. Choose the same finishes all around the living area.


 
Wall lights come in different sizes, so it's not always easy to select the proper size for some particular place. There are no specific rule or formula to calculate the size of sconces, just try to find fixtures that will look proportional to the surroundings. In hallways or bathrooms small sconces look best, while in large spaces like bars or restaurants it is better to hang very big light fixtures to produce enough light for the visitors and employees.

kitchen wall lamp

kitchen wall lamp (tap to enlarge)

Remember that wall sconces can produce both direct and indirect light. Figure to yourself the aims of the additional lighting that the sconces will provide, and only after that choose the proper type of light source. Direct light sources are good for task lighting while indirect sources are great for ambient or general lighting.

Where to use wall sconces?

Usually sconces are used in bathrooms, hallways, reading areas, bedrooms, and with large, formal mirrors.


hallway wall sconces
hallway wall sconces

Hallways. This area should always be properly lit for safety reasons. You don't want to stumble upon something while entering your house or simply going from one room to another. Hallways are usually long and the single ceiling light fixture is often not enough, so using wall sconces will provide the necessary lighting and leave no dark corners. Wall sconces are much better than floor lamps as they don't take much space in narrow corridors. The common rule is to hang wall sconces in hallways approximately five - five and a half feet from the floor. Leave a six feet gap between the fixtures.


bathroom wall lighting
bathroom wall lighting

Bathrooms. Usually wall sconces work best on the sides of the bathroom vanity mirror. With sconces placed around your mirror you don't anymore have to worry about the shadows on your face when you're applying a makeup or brushing your hair. Read more about choosing bathroom lighting in this article: Choosing The Right Bathroom Light Fixtures.


bedroom wall lights
bedroom wall lights

Bedrooms. It is good to place wall sconces above or next to the headboard. Surely you can place a table lamp on your nightstand for the same purpose. This is only a question of your taste and preferences.


mirror wall sconces
mirror wall sconces

Mirrors. Mirrors are beautiful and stylish, but the mirror alone can sometimes look incomplete, especially when it's a large, formal item. In this case placing two elegant sconces on the both sides of a mirror will complete the look and add some depth for a sophisticated dramatic effect. Don't choose too large or too artsy-craftsy sconces, since they should only accentuate the mirror, and not to be a blanket hog.


reading nook wall sconces
reading nook wall sconces

Reading areas. Wall sconces are great to use for lighting reading nooks. Of course you can use table or floor lamps for this purpose, but wall sconces are better choice if the space is limited. When installed on the wall close to a chair, a wall sconce will provide enough light for reading and at the same time won't occupy the precious space.


kitchen wall sconces
kitchen wall light

Kitchen. Installing wall sconces in a kitchen can solve different issues. You can illuminate a working area with wall lighting instead of track or pendant lights. You can separate some lunch area and light it up with wall sconces. Or you can simply use wall lights as a part of room's decor, just make sure that sconces complement the overall theme of a kitchen.


 
Wall sconces come in different styles. It is a clever idea to learn more about wall sconce styles and designs to choose the perfect item for your house. In this article: Wall Sconces Designs And Trends we've collected the pictures and descriptions of the main styles and designs of sconces, so please read it before making your choice.





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