The wall lamp is making a strong comeback in decoration. Riding on the industrial wave, with in particular the success of wall lights with articulated arms, and by the arrival of innovative and design products such as LED reading wall lights, this luminaire has become almost essential in our interiors. Now ultra trendy, the wall lamp is able to cover all styles but also to diffuse very different lighting .
Discreet or imposing, extremely simple or orientable, it is the ultimate auxiliary lighting that complements the lighting of a room while adding a decorative touch. Positioning it correctly on the wall is essential to generate the desired amount of lighting and illuminate the targeted area. Note that the wall light has two functions: it can be used to obtain functional lighting or to create mood lighting. The height at which you attach it to the wall is determined by two essential factors: its destination room and its type of lighting. We will not place a wall light at the same height in a living room or bedroom. Just as we will not orient it in the same way depending on the direction we want to give to the light, the brightness we want to generate or the area we want to illuminate.
So there comes the crucial question before starting: at what ideal height should we put a wall lamp? The standard indicates that, for a room with a standard ceiling height, the wall light must be fixed at 1.80 m from the floor. Please note, the standard is only an indication that you will need to adjust. As you will have understood, the volume and design of your wall light, your size, your expectations in terms of lighting and the space of the room are essential criteria to take into account when installing your wall lights. . Follow the leader.
It is often wrong to think that a wall light should always be positioned two meters high. Be aware, however, that the shape of the appliques, classic or original, modify the usual heights of the outlets of the wires. To know the ideal height at which to put your wall light, here is a precise memo of the possible heights according to the type of wall lights.
1. THE RIGHT HEIGHT FOR A CLASSIC WALL LIGHT
Classic wall sconces, such as half sconces, or veneered sconces must be positioned 1.80 meters or 2 meters high. However, this height varies significantly depending on the ceiling height and the location. If your wall light is slender and vertical, you will need to position it a little lower: about 1.70 meters above the ground for a better decorative rendering.
In a living room , for a standard ceiling height of 2.50 meters, the wall light should be approximately 1.80 meters from the floor. If the ceiling height reaches more than 2.80 meters, as is the case in Haussmann buildings from 1900, you can arrange it at 2 meters.
In a bathroom, it is customary to place its wall lamps with indirect lighting on either side of the mirror, at about 1.80 meters in height. For a mixed vertical wall light, prefer a height of 1.60 meters, more suited to the shape while length of the luminaire.
In the bedroom , the reading sconces are fixed between 1 meter and 1.20 meters in height, on either side of the head of the bed. For targeted lighting, opt for wall lights with adjustable head that directly illuminate your book for optimal reading comfort. For mood lighting, use wall lights with a light diffuser facing upwards to create a soft and subdued light with a light beam that will highlight the volumes of the room by being reflected on the wall and the ceiling. .
2. THE RIGHT HEIGHT FOR AN ATYPICAL WALL LIGHT
The shape of wall lights has greatly diversified in recent years: we have seen the comeback of industrial style wall lights with articulated or multiple arms or the development of very graphic wall lights, which obviously complicates the choice of heights of wire outlets. In these cases, there is a rule to follow: take into account the height of the diffuser you want for installation. Why ? Because these wall lights do not always have a wire outlet aligned at the height of the diffuser.
3. THE RIGHT HEIGHT FOR A WALL LAMP
If the wall lamp you have chosen has a large rod or a very long arm, it can act as overhead lighting. In this case, place the wire outlet 2.10 meters high. For an industrial or vintage type wall lamp with swivel arm in a living room, you can place it at about 1.80 meters for general lighting. If you intend to use it as a reading light, prefer a height of 1.50 meters in height and to precisely illuminate an office, for example, a height of 1.30 meters will be ideal.
4. EACH ROOM HAS ITS OWN WALL LAMP
So eclectic, the wall lamp can find its place in any room of the house. Indeed, the lighting diffused by a wall lamp is not limited to only targeted lighting. Efficient for reading and working, but also very suitable for creating indirect or ambient lighting, the wall lamp turns out to be a luminaire with multiple faces and lighting.
For the living room, wall lights with indirect or mixed lighting create mood lighting. Vanity lights provide a pleasant and diffused contour light and are useful for illuminating a beautiful ceiling or visually repelling it thanks to the luminous flux. They are placed between 1.70 meters and 2 meters depending on the ceiling height of your interior.
– To illuminate a staircase, opt for a plated wall light so as not to see the bulb under the light. In a staircase or a hallway, the wall lights are placed at a height of 1.80 meters and 1.50 / 2 meters apart depending on the length of your space. For a beautiful, muted and illuminating light, choose an upward or upward and downward light diffuser.
– Around the bed, reading wall lights are the most suitable, especially when they are equipped with a head or an adjustable arm. They are fixed to the wall between 1 meter and 4 feet from the floor, on each side of the headboard.
5. EACH LIGHT HAS ITS WALL LIGHT
Wall lamps with mixed lighting, direct or indirect, reading wall lamp, with arm, veneered or suspended, half-wall lamp: the choice of a wall lamp can quickly turn out to be complex. Ideal in places of passage because they take up little space, their choice also meets the lighting needs you are looking for.
– Candle wall lights provide a homogeneous distribution of light and are effective for general lighting. They are ideal in a classic style dining room .
– The half-wall lights in glass offer a very good diffusion of light: they are to be preferred in rooms with dark walls.
– Wall lights with arms provide functional lighting because they can be oriented, and are effective, for example above a work surface. They are also very decorative by their generally pronounced design and can play the role of reading light in the bedroom. – For soft lighting, choose wall lights with shade type diffuser clipped onto the bulb or sandblasted glass diffuser.
– For a more marked decorative lighting, we recommend the mixed lighting wall lights which draw very graphic light beams up and down.
Depending on the room for which your wall lamp is intended, living room or staircase for example, choose it according to the type of lighting you are looking for: decorative, functional, targeted or atmospheric. Remember to identify your needs before buying your wall lights in order to select the most suitable models of wall lights. Also note that wall lights are generally used for additional lighting in living rooms, except in small spaces, entry or hallway, where they can generate main lighting. Two elements are essential in the choice of your wall lamp and the height at which you place it: its shape and its diffuser.
6. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE WALL LAMP DIFFUSER
The material used for the diffuser of the wall lamp is essential: glass, fabric, metal, opaque or transparent… You have to take into account the material that filters the light. A metal diffuser will not let light through in the same way as a glass diffuser. Here are the three rules to know:
– To promote a good diffusion of light, opt for lampshades in fine and clear fabric or glass.
– For functional lighting, opt for opaque lampshades, made of metal for example, which provide a more concentrated light beam and thus more targeted lighting.
– For mood or decorative lighting, play with sconces with openwork or patterned shades that diffuse light beams on the wall.
7. DIFFERENT LIGHTING DEPENDING ON THE SHAPE OF THE WALL LAMP
The shape of your wall lamp, far from being confined to its decorative role, also has a direct impact on the type of lighting.
– For general lighting, take wall lights with direct lighting.
– For functional lighting, prefer wall lights with articulated arms, you will obtain a targeted light, ideal for reading in bed or lighting a work plan.
– To illuminate a staircase, choose veneered wall lights, the diffuser of which is open upwards: they cover the unsightly bulb under the luminaire and provide a homogeneous distribution of light without shadow areas.
– To enhance a beautiful ceiling or give perspective to a low ceiling, opt for wall lights with indirect lighting.
ADVICE BEFORE PURCHASING AN APPLIQUE
– Define the use you intend for your wall lamp: should it diffuse occasional lighting for the corner of an entrance for example, functional for reading, general in a living room or decoration in a cocooning space?
– Take into account the dimensions of the room in which you are going to place your wall lamp: this will allow you to define and then adapt the desired amount of light.