Farmhouse Wall Sconces

Choosing farmhouse wall sconces comes down to the arm and the shade. A gooseneck arm with a shallow barn shade throws light down onto a counter or a shelf instead of across the ceiling, and the finishes stay in matte black, aged metal and warm wood. Each fixture here lists a farmhouse or rustic style.

How to choose farmhouse wall sconces

Start with what the fixture has to light. A gooseneck over a kitchen sink or a range hood is doing work, so it wants a shade of 8 to 12 inches and an arm long enough to carry the light out over the front edge of the counter. A short armed piece beside a mirror or along a passage is doing decoration, and a smaller shade sits better there.

Then pick the finish against the hardware already in the room. Matte black reads graphic against painted shaker doors and pairs with black cabinet pulls. Galvanized and aged brass carry more texture and sit closer to butcher block and unfinished wood. Mixing more than two metals in one room stops looking deliberate.

Where farmhouse wall sconces earn their place

Three positions do most of the work. Over a sink, mount the backplate 24 to 30 inches above the counter so the shade clears a tall faucet. Along an entry wall with hooks, hold the fixture above 68 inches so a coat and a shoulder pass under the arm. In a laundry or a mudroom, one gooseneck over the folding surface does more than a ceiling fixture behind your back. Projection matters in any corridor, where a body reaching more than 6 inches off the wall catches a passing sleeve.

How long should the gooseneck arm be?

Long enough to put the shade over the middle of the surface you are lighting. Above a 25 inch counter that usually means 10 to 14 inches of reach. Measure from the wall to the point you want lit, then check the projection figure listed on the product page.

Can one of these go above a range?

Check the product page first. Not every fixture is intended for a position over a cooking surface, and heat and grease carry farther than most people expect. A rolled shade edge is easier to wipe down than a wire cage, which is worth knowing before you commit to the spot.

Other pages in this family: Modern Wall Sconces, Mid Century Modern Wall Sconces, Art Deco Wall Sconces and Farmhouse Pendant Lights. The full category is Wall Lamps.