Pin It

Choosing And Installing The Best Wall Sconces

This article has been generously donated to InfoBarrel for Charities.

InfoZen11 | Oct 29, 2010 |

0 Comments | Rating: 0

The idea of wall sconces started many years ago, even before electricity. The original design was made to hold candles to light dwellings. While some wall sconces of today still have a look of a candle holder reminiscent of this lights origins, we now have a wide range of designs available. There are so many choices these days you can easily find one to fit any specific style or theme.

How To Use Wall Sconces

Wall sconces can be used to provide light for a variety of reasons. They can be used to provide ambient light, accent light, background light or they can be used as task lighting. They are commonly used to provide light in hallways, near stairways and bathrooms, but they are also used in bedrooms and living rooms as a reading light or simply as ambient light.

When used well they can be a very beautiful addition to your home décor providing just the right light. Of course the style of the fixture as well as the placement of it will play a big part in creating the desired effect.

Choosing The Style

When choosing the style that fits your home best also think about how the light will be used as this can play a big part in the type of sconce you should choose to get the best use from it. Look around your home and evaluate the style taking into consideration the types of colors, materials and trends are predominant.

Look at the existing lighting in the areas where you want to add or replace the wall lights. When choosing wall sconces make sure they will compliment the other lighting in the room as well as the architectural style.

If you want energy-efficient lighting, or if you want to add them in a place that isn't already wired consider battery-powered LED wall lights. These lights can easily be installed without the need for an electrician.

Installation

Installation is fairly easy if you are simply replacing an outdated light with a new, updated version. But if you are adding wall lighting to a new area you will need to hire an electrician, unless you choose battery powered or a style that plugs into a wall outlet.

When installing multiple sconces they should generally be 6 - 10 feet apart, depending on how the light diffuses through the fixtures and how much light is needed. Keep in mind if they are used to light stairways the bulb can often be seen on the lower sconce. To prevent this choose a different style of light or consider using LED step lights instead.