Wall Sconce

A wall sconce is the light you fit when there's no room for a lamp. It lifts the light off the surface and onto the wall, which frees a nightstand or a narrow hallway table completely — and it lights a room from the side, where the glow is softer than anything coming from directly overhead.

Where it earns its place
Either side of a bed in place of nightstand lamps. Along a hallway, where a floor lamp would be in the way. Up a stairwell, where each fitting lights the steps below it. Flanking a mirror, where side light falls evenly on the face instead of casting shadows down it.

Light from the side
Because the light comes from the wall rather than the ceiling, it grazes the surface and adds depth to a room. In a bedroom, that's the difference between a space you can read in and one that feels floodlit at 11pm.

Warm or cool light, your choice
Warm-white suits bedrooms, hallways and living rooms where the sconce is there for atmosphere. Cool-white makes more sense beside a mirror or up a stairwell, where you want to see clearly.

Mounting height
Beside a bed, most people mount a sconce around 150–160 cm from the floor, or roughly 50–60 cm above the mattress, so the light falls onto the page rather than into your eyes. In a hallway, 150–170 cm from the floor is the usual range. Flanking a mirror, centre the fittings at about eye level and set them 75–90 cm apart.

Sold as you need them
Sconces are usually bought in pairs for bedsides and mirrors, and in threes or fours for a hallway or stairwell run. Check the quantity on this listing before ordering.