Wall Lamps

Wall sconces mount on the wall and light a room without using a table or the ceiling. US practice puts them 60 to 72 inches from the floor, or 36 to 40 inches above the mattress beside a bed. This page covers hardwired, plug in and rechargeable designs for bedrooms, baths, halls and entries.

Height: 60 to 72 inches floor to box, 36 to 40 inches above a mattress
Mirror pair: 28 to 40 inches between centers, at about face height
Projection: under 4 inches deep in a walkway narrower than 42 inches

How to choose wall sconces

Decide first whether the fixture is there to be looked at or to work. A decorative piece beside a mirror or along a corridor acts as jewelry, marking the wall and giving a low glow. A reading fixture next to a bed or an armchair has a task, and that task calls for an adjustable arm, a directional shade and a switch you can reach without sitting up.

Wiring comes next, and it settles more than style does. A hardwired unit needs a junction box in the wall, which means opening drywall where none exists. A plug in model mounts on two screws and runs a cord to the nearest outlet, so it suits a rental. Rechargeable designs solve a brick wall or a stairwell with no circuit on it, and they move with you.

Then match the light direction to the room. An uplight washes the ceiling and keeps the source out of the sightline, which is why corridors and stairwells use them. A downlight lands on a book or a counter. An open shade does both and puts the bulb on display, so choose a filament lamp worth looking at. Bathrooms and outdoor walls are the two exceptions. Beside a shower, or on a porch or a garage wall, read the location rating listed on the product page before you commit to a design.

Mounting height and projection for wall sconces

Most complaints after installation trace back to a number rather than a fixture. These are the heights US electricians work to, measured from the finished floor to the center of the junction box.

General height: 60 to 72 inches from the floor, roughly eye level for a standing adult.
Beside a bed: 36 to 40 inches above the mattress, which usually lands near 60 inches from the floor.
Flanking a mirror: 60 to 66 inches from the floor, set 28 to 40 inches apart.
Along a corridor: one fixture every 8 to 10 feet, staggered where both walls are used.
Projection: stay under 4 inches deep in a walkway narrower than 42 inches.

Projection is the measurement people skip. A fixture standing five inches proud of a narrow hall wall catches shoulders and shopping bags. Read the projection figure on the product page and hold a tape against the wall before drilling. On stairs, take each height from the tread nose rather than the floor below, so the run climbs with the steps.

Which wall lamp for which job

Type	Best on	Light it gives	Price here
Swing arm and adjustable	A reading chair, a headboard	A beam you move where you need it	$119 to $590
Glass shade or globe	A hallway, a porch, an alcove	Light leaves in every direction	$96 to $960
Alabaster and ceramic	A stair wall, a dining wall	A warm glow through the body	$159 to $1,259
Metal bar and plate	A corridor, a stair, a long wall	A straight band up and down	$82 to $1,259
Acrylic and woven	A bedroom, a nursery	Soft and even, nothing harsh	$90 to $1,080
Crystal and beaded	A dressing wall, an entry	Breaks the light into points	$100 to $3,129

Wall lamp terms

Projection: How far the fixture stands out from the wall. It is the figure that decides whether a lamp fits a narrow corridor, since a passing shoulder has to clear it without a thought.
IP20 and IP65: Indoor fixtures here carry IP20, which is dry rooms only. The outdoor group carries IP65, rated against rain and hose spray, which is what a porch or a garden wall asks for.
Wedge base: A small flat pin lamp used in several slim fixtures on this page, alongside the screw and capsule bases. It is not interchangeable with either, so read the base before ordering spares.
Up light and down light: A fixture open at the top throws a cone onto the ceiling and lifts a low room. One open at the bottom lands light on a tread or a book. Many here are open at both ends.
Bulb included: Roughly half of these ship with their lamp and half leave the choice open. The product page states which, and on a hardwired fixture it is worth knowing before the electrician arrives.

Questions about sconce lighting

How high should a fixture go beside a bed?

Around 36 to 40 inches above the mattress top, which for most beds lands near 60 inches from the floor. Sit up against the headboard and check that the shade edge falls just above your sightline, so the bulb stays hidden while the light still reaches the page.

Can wall sconces be installed without a junction box?

Yes, using a plug in or rechargeable model. Plug in versions hang on two screws and run a cord to an outlet, and a paintable cord cover hides the drop. Hardwired fixtures need a box behind the drywall, and adding one means cutting and patching the wall.

How far apart should a pair flank a mirror?

28 to 40 inches between centers works for most vanities, putting each fixture just outside the mirror edge at about face height. On a narrow vanity there is rarely room for two, so a single fixture above the mirror at roughly 78 inches from the floor is the practical answer.

What bulb suits an open shade?

A clear filament style bulb, since the glass leaves it visible from every angle. Keep the output modest, in the range of 400 to 600 lumens, and choose 2700K for a warm tone. Behind opal glass or fabric the look of the bulb stops mattering and brightness takes over.

Do these fixtures replace a ceiling light?

In a corridor or a small bathroom they can. In a living room or bedroom they work as a second layer, adding depth at eye level while a ceiling fixture or a pair of table lamps carries the general fill. Putting the two layers on separate switches gives the most control at night.

Sources

Mounting heights, diameters and clearances on this page follow common US residential practice rather than a single published standard. For color temperature and the lumen output that replaces a given incandescent wattage, see Purchasing Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs from the U.S. Department of Energy, which lists 2700K as warm, 3000K as soft, 3500K as neutral and 4100K as cool. Lighting level standards are published by the Illuminating Engineering Society.

Browse by category: Outdoor Wall Lights, Wall Lamps for Bedroom, Wall Sconces for Living Room, Bathroom Wall Lights Picture Lights, Battery Operated Picture Lights and Wall Mounted Reading Lights. See also Ceiling Lamps and Table Lamps.

Buying guide reviewed October 2026 by the OroDwell editorial team.