Wall Sconce Lighting – Enhance Your Home’s Appearance

Wall Sconce Lighting – Enhance Your Home’s Appearance

Sconce lighting is a versatile accent that elevates a room’s appearance. Use them to highlight art, flank your bed, or add reading light in bedrooms and living rooms.

When installing sconce lights, be sure to check the product specs for electrical requirements and installation instructions. You may also want to consider whether the fixture is hardwired or cord-and-plug.

Up-Light Sconces

Sconces that focus light upward help illuminate a space and enhance the overall appearance of your home. They’re an ideal choice for rooms like entryways or foyers, where a welcoming first impression is key and the extra light can help guests navigate the area with ease. They can also work in conjunction with other types of lighting, such as pendants, to create a more welcoming feel.

These sconces can look as decorative as they are functional and come in many distinct designs, including those that mimic free-standing floor lamps. They typically have a shade that helps limit or direct the light they emit, and a unique pattern or color to add visual interest to a wall. They’re often brighter than other sconces, which makes them an excellent fit for areas where brighter lighting is desired.

Up-light sconces are an excellent way to highlight decorative accents on a wall, like artwork or another type of wall art, and can help make a room seem larger by casting soft shadows over the surrounding walls. They can also pair well with dimmers to set the mood for a relaxing evening or to help create a more romantic atmosphere.

These sconces are perfect for above bedroom nightstands or anywhere that requires concentrated light for short periods of time. They can be hardwired by an electrician or plugged into a standard wall outlet, making them a versatile lighting option. They’re available in a range of metal finishes to complement your existing décor.

Down-Light Sconces

The sconce shade or cover is an important part of the overall style of your wall sconce lighting. It helps limit the amount of light that is emitted and can even direct or amplify the light based on its design. Sconces wall sconce lighting that feature a sconce shade with decorative elements like beads, metal or woven materials tend to be more decorative while those with more of a minimalist appearance may be simpler in their overall design.

For areas that need a more concentrated amount of light for short periods of time, down-light sconces can help illuminate walkways and entryways. Down-light sconces are typically dark sky compliant and work well with other outdoor lights like ground mounts, lanterns and post lights.

Picture light sconces are great for illuminating smaller to medium sized artwork on your walls, but you might need something brighter to showcase larger pieces of art or to illuminate a large area of the wall. In these cases, a wall washer sconce or sign sconce might be a better choice for you since they offer more light over a larger area than a picture sconce.

Plug-in sconces provide an easy way to add a decorative touch to your home without having to rewire any existing electrical outlets. These sconces mount the same way that picture and wall shelves do, but they have an electrical cord that plugs into an outlet nearby. These types of sconces are also ideal for spaces that do not have any pre-existing wall sconces or if you want to add more lighting to an existing room, like over your bed or next to the couch.

Picture Lights

Picture lights direct a focused beam of light to wall-hung artwork or photos, drawing attention and making them aesthetically pleasing. The height, type of bulb, and angle of the light can be customized to preserve the colors in the work and avoid distracting glare.

As the name suggests, picture lights are commonly used to illuminate pictures and paintings in homes or businesses. However, they can also be used to highlight framed prints and tapestries. Often, they are placed a few inches above hallway wall light the frame of the piece to maintain proportionality and prevent light from shining on the edges of the frame or on the floor.

There are many different styles of picture lights available, from sleek cylinders that visually recede to architectural fixtures that make a statement with their prominent backplate and articulating arms. Some are available in a variety of finishes to coordinate with your existing home decor, while others offer more contemporary looks that look great with modern furnishings.

Another consideration when selecting a picture light is its power source. Some are hard wired and require a recessed outlet, while others plug into standard electrical outlets. The latter are often more convenient, but may limit your options for installation locations and require that you periodically replace the battery. Additionally, a battery powered picture light will need to be located near an outlet and will only provide lighting for a limited amount of time.

Sign Lights

Stylish wall lights serve as the perfect accent to complement your existing lighting or as a main light source in areas where ceiling lights are too busy. Whether they are hard-wired or plug-in, there is an array of options to suit your space. Consider your needs first to determine the purpose of your new sconces, then review important dimensions like height, width and mounting distance to ensure the fixture fits its intended space.

Some sconce styles come with half shades that hide the bulb, ideal for areas where you want to soften the light output and avoid glare. The design of these fixtures varies from simple with a minimalist backplate to intricate with wrought iron and ornate details. You can also find sconces with full, fabric shades that suspend from the arms and backplate for a cohesive look that is both classic and contemporary.

Some sconces are wet listed, designed for outdoor use, and can be mounted outside on your home or patio. They work well on screened porches or even in garages, workshops and sheds. They can also be used as outdoor landscape lights. These lights are available in a variety of finishes and can be used to illuminate a walkway or highlight a plant, statue or bench. They can also double as security lights with motion sensor technology for added protection.