Bathroom Wall Sconces

Bathroom wall sconces mount at roughly eye level beside the mirror, which is the arrangement most bathroom designers reach for first. A pair at that height lights a face evenly from both sides instead of dropping shadow across it. Each fitting gathered here names the room in its specifications.

How to choose bathroom wall sconces

The mirror decides the layout. A pair flanking the glass is the standard, and it works because light from the sides fills in what an overhead fixture leaves dark. Where the mirror is wide or the wall beside it is narrow, a single horizontal fitting mounted above the glass does a similar job, though it is weaker along the jawline.

Direction is the second choice. A shade open at top and bottom washes the wall and reflects light back toward the face. A fully enclosed opal shade behaves like a soft panel and gives the most even result at the mirror. A fitting that throws light downward only looks good on the wall and does little for grooming.

Height, spacing and projection for bathroom wall sconces

These are the mounting figures a vanity pair works to on a standard wall.

• Height: 60 to 65 inches from the finished floor to the center of the fixture.
• Spacing: 28 to 40 inches between the pair, following the width of the mirror.
• Projection: 3 to 6 inches off the wall keeps a fitting clear of a swinging door or an open drawer.
• Moisture: check the rating listed for each model against the distance from the shower or the tub.

Height is what people get wrong, usually by mounting to the electrical box instead of to the light. Work out where the middle of the shade will end up, then place the box to suit it. On a tiled wall that decision is permanent, so mark it and stand in front of the mirror before anything is cut.

Questions about sconces at the vanity

How high do they go beside a mirror?

Around 60 to 65 inches from the floor to the center of the fixture, which puts the light near eye level for most adults. Adjust inside that band for the people using the room, and keep both sides identical so the light stays balanced.

Can one go over the mirror instead?

Yes, and it is the answer when the wall has no room at the sides. Mount a horizontal fitting centered above the glass, roughly 75 to 80 inches from the floor. It fills less shadow under the chin than a pair does, so expect a slightly harder result.

How close to a shower can one be mounted?

Only as close as the rating listed for that model allows. Each product page states it, and the answer changes with the distance from the water and the height above the floor. Where the listing does not cover the position, move the fitting rather than the standard.

Nearby in the range: Wall Sconces for Bedroom, Wall Sconces for Living Room, Hallway Wall Sconces and Staircase Wall Sconces. The parent category is Wall Lamps.