Wall Sconces: How to Choose the Right One?
Choosing the right lighting fixtures for your interior design remains a major challenge when you’re looking to furnish and decorate your home. Once the construction, layout, and design phases are complete, all that’s left is to add the finishing touches and create the right atmosphere.
But you don’t have to wait until renovations are finished to rethink the lighting in your home. It might simply be a desire to update your style or decor—especially since there are so many lighting solutions available for the home today.
First, we’ll look at the different types of lighting, among which wall sconces hold a special place. Next, we’ll explore the various options for wall sconces and what sets them apart. Finally, we’ll consider some real-world examples of wall sconce lighting to better visualize the effects they can produce and the advantages of such a lighting system.
From hanging light bulbs to designer wall sconces
In France, homes were gradually electrified throughout the 20th century, beginning with a single light bulb on the ceiling of the main room, which was allowed to be used until 11 p.m. and only in the morning. Since then, lighting has become available on every floor and in every room.
Gradually, lamps, ceiling lights, and other spotlights have become a common feature in living spaces, better accommodating the habits of our modern lives. Electricity has thus enabled light to serve our daily lives, and even the slightest power outage quickly becomes a serious problem.
When it comes to lighting, the days when we had to make do with a single light bulb hanging by its wires from a white ceiling aren’t that far behind us, as it’s an inexpensive way to light the various rooms in the house (living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc.). But manufacturers and interior designers quickly realized the importance of lighting and have developed an increasingly diverse range of fixtures to meet the needs of every room in the house and outdoor spaces. These include, for example:
- floor lamps and lights;
- ceiling lights in various shapes and colors;
- a variety of wall sconces;
- recessed or surface-mounted spotlights;
- color-changing light bulbs;
- motion-sensor light bulbs;
- etc.
Advances in technology and knowledge in the fields of electricity and electronics have led to the emergence of energy-efficient (LED) technologies that are increasingly powerful, thereby reinventing the way we light up the world and our homes.
Wall sconces have thus benefited from all these advances and now play an important role in the world of lighting.
The wall sconce
Wall sconces existed even before the advent of electricity. For example, during the Ancien Régime, multi-arm candlesticks held wall candles. These were already considered wall sconces, since they were a type of wall-mounted lighting system.
A wall sconce is therefore a term used to describe a lighting fixture mounted flush against a wall or on a vertical surface. Often featuring an attractive housing, it serves as a beautiful wall decoration and allows for both precise lighting effects and an enhanced interior design.
Wall Sconces in All Their Forms
A wall sconce can therefore satisfy any creative desire, especially since there are so many materials available for making one:
- wood and wood products;
- raw, painted, or brushed metal;
- transparent or opaque perforated plastics;
- translucent rice paper or special fabrics;
- etc.
The shapes are also completely open-ended, and combining them with different materials offers an infinite range of possibilities for creating original interior designs. The choices are limitless—except for the models available in the store at the time of purchase.
Possible lighting effects
A wall sconce can create a variety of lighting effects within a living space. From standard light bulbs to LEDs, the light can be directed horizontally and/or vertically, allowing you to achieve different effects.
- Shining a beam of light onto the ceiling and/or toward the floor without illuminating the wall can help highlight a specific area of the room.
- Installing an LED wall sconce with a colored translucent housing (or with dimmable LEDs) allows you to create a lighting atmosphere that can be adjusted to suit your preferences, thereby casting a halo of color throughout the interior.
- Having enough wall sconces in a room also makes it possible to do without a ceiling light. This leaves the ceiling space free and available for another decorating project.
Choosing a wall sconce, therefore, isn’t just about picking a design you like that will enhance the room. It’s also about choosing a certain effect and style that will complement the overall decor. Depending on the type of wall sconce, you can even change the lighting ambiance automatically or to suit your preferences and moods.
Specialized Wall Sconces
There are wall lights designed for specific needs. For example, if there is water or water vapor in the room (such as a bathroom), the NFC 15-100 standard requires either a low-voltage lighting system or a waterproof one, depending on the distance from the hazard. It is therefore important to be mindful of this and ensure full compliance with these regulations to ensure people’s safety.
Outdoor wall sconces (for gardens, patios, etc.) must also meet a standard for resistance to water and dust ingress (Ingress Protection rating or IP). To this end, the IP rating must be marked on the wall sconce to certify its high quality and compliance with regulations. An IP 44 rating is required for the wall sconce to be installed outdoors.
Some wall lights (whether outdoor or indoor) are equipped with motion sensors. This allows them to turn on as needed. For example, in a hallway or a walk-through room (such as a laundry room), the wall lights can turn on only when someone is present, without needing to be connected to a light switch.
Lighting Features of Wall Sconces
A wall sconce is subject to the same lighting criteria as other light sources (spotlights, table lamps, ceiling lights, sunlight, etc.). Therefore, there are no definitive guidelines for choosing a wall sconce or determining its light intensity, as this depends on individual preferences and the layout of the room. However, there are two key factors that can help you make a more informed decision.
- Lumens indicate the total amount of light emitted by a light source. The higher the lumens, the more light the bulb emits and the brighter the illumination.
- The kelvin (or K) is a unit of temperature that describes the color of light. For example, 2,000 kelvin corresponds to what is known as “warm” light (such as red), while 5,000 kelvin corresponds to “cool” light (white or even blue).
However, a wall sconce does not emit light on its own; it is the light bulb (or LED) inside it that does so. You should therefore choose a wall sconce that allows you to easily replace the light source. While it’s often possible to replace light bulbs or LEDs in wall sconces, it’s not always an easy task, depending on the color or opacity of the fixture’s glass.
We recommend these other pages: