Plug in wall sconces run from an ordinary outlet, which means wall light beside the bed with no electrician and no junction box. When the lease ends, the fixture comes off the wall and goes with you. The cord is the one part of the plan that needs thinking through.
How to choose plug in wall sconces
Work out where the light has to land before anything else. Beside a bed the aim is a pool on a page without lighting the whole room, which points to a shielded or adjustable head at shoulder height when seated. In a hallway or beside a sofa the job is ambient, and a diffuse shade or an uplight serves better. The mounting spot follows from that, and the outlet position follows the mounting spot.
The cord is a design decision rather than an afterthought. Three approaches work. Run it openly and let it read as part of the fixture, which suits a fabric or braided cord in a color chosen on purpose. Hide it in a paintable channel that disappears into the wall color. Or drop it behind furniture, the easiest route beside a nightstand or a bookcase. Settle on one of the three before you drill.
Then look at switching and anchors. Some fixtures carry a switch on the body, some an inline rocker on the cord, and a few respond only at the outlet, where a smart plug closes the gap. On the wall, a metal backplate into drywall wants toggle anchors rather than plastic sleeves, particularly where the fixture projects several inches and levers against the wall each time it is moved.
Cord length and mounting for plug in wall sconces
The measurements below assume a bedroom outlet at the usual 15 inches above the floor.
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Bedside height: 20 to 24 inches above the mattress, which lands near 38 inches on a standard bed.
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Cord run: measure from the backplate down to the outlet and add 12 inches.
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Reading position: set the fixture 8 to 12 inches out from the edge of the headboard.
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Anchors: toggle bolts in drywall, masonry sleeves in brick with the matching bit.
Height above the mattress is what people revise after a night of use. Mount too high and the fixture lights the wall and the top of your head; too low and the shade sits in the sightline of whoever is lying beside you. Where the sconce has an adjustable arm, err high and swing it down. Look at the projection on the product page as well, since a long arm beside a bed is easy to catch when getting up.
Questions about corded wall lighting
Can these be mounted without drilling?
Some can. A few models use an adhesive plate or a hook style bracket that holds a light body on smooth painted drywall. Anything with a metal arm and a real shade needs screws and anchors, and the mounting method is listed on each product page.
How do I hide the cord?
A paintable cord channel is the usual answer, fixed to the wall and painted the wall color so it reads as a shadow line. Behind a headboard or a bookcase the cord needs no treatment at all. A fabric cord sleeve is the third option where the run stays visible.
How high should a bedside sconce go?
Twenty to 24 inches above the mattress, which lands near 38 inches from the floor on a standard bed. Sit up with a book and hold a hand where the light should come from. That height usually falls within an inch or two of correct.
Can a corded sconce be converted to hardwired?
Only where the specifications say the fixture supports both. In that case an electrician cuts the cord and terminates it in a junction box behind the backplate. Where they do not, cord and plug is the only supply the fixture was built around.
Do they work on brick or tile?
Yes, with the right anchor and bit. Masonry sleeves in a drilled hole hold well in brick and block, and tile asks for a diamond bit and a hole placed in the grout line where possible. The cord run matters more here, since chasing a channel into masonry is not a small job.
You may also want Rechargeable Wall Sconces, Hardwired Wall Sconces, LED Wall Sconces and Plug In Pendant Lights. This page is part of Wall Lamps.
