Just as with table lamps and floor lamps, there are wall lights to suit every style. Most often used in bathrooms and hallways, wall sconces act as decorative accents while providing additional mood or ambient lighting. In this guide, we take a look at all the different types of wall sconces and the height at which to hang them.

Wall Sconce Types

Armed Wall Sconces: The bulbs on these lights are mounted on a fixed, bent arm. You can choose to have the light shade turned upwards or downwards. The warm glow of upward-facing armed wall sconces helps make hallways and living areas look larger, while the more focused light of downward-facing armed wall sconces is great for illuminating bathrooms.

Flush Mount: Flush-mount wall sconces lack protruding elements such as arms or ornamentation that extends into the room. These wall sconces are great at providing broad, even illumination and can be used in any room in the home.

Candle: Give your home a little vintage charm by installing a few candle-style wall sconces. These wall sconces are made to resemble candles and are often mounted on arms. Their bulbs can either be fully exposed or gently shrouded by a shade. These light fixtures give off a cozy glow.

Swing Arm: These wall sconces, built with movable arms, are made to be adjustable and are perfect as reading lights above nightstands or task lights beside bathroom vanities. These sconces' swing arms can pivot side to side, up and down, or both. The arm can also be jointed to allow you to extend the light as you please.

Wallchiere: Wallchieres are wall-mounted lamps that resemble torches – the lamps typically sit atop long, vertical poles that can be very simple or very decorative. Like most wall sconce types, wallchieres can be upward- or downward-facing and with or without shades.

Half-Moon: Similar to flush mount wall sconces, half-moon wall sconces rest against the wall and lack protruding elements. They are shaped like upward-facing half moons, with rounded bottoms and flat, open tops. Casting bright yet gentle light, half-moon wall sconces fit well in every room in your home.

Barn Light: Barn light wall sconces resemble downward-facing armed wall sconces in that they have an arm and a downward-facing bulb, however their built-in lamp shades are sturdier, made of metal or glass. These vintage, farmhouse-style wall sconces have large, exposed bulbs that give off strong, golden light.

Spotlight: Like swing-arm wall sconces, spotlight wall sconces are made to be adjustable. These lights resemble stage spotlights or spotlight-style track light heads – their narrow, built-in metal shades emanate a focused beam of light that can be directed by their pivoting heads. Many of these styles mount on an arm, though others can mount directly to the wall or on a wall-mounted track.

Recessed: Most of a recessed wall sconce fixture is installed behind the wall, as opposed to mounted on the wall, so that they lie mostly flush with the wall. These lights are often simple in design and downward-facing, so they are frequently used to accent stairways and walkways.

Corner: Mounted at the seam where two walls meet, corner wall sconces are the perfect solution for an area that is difficult to light.

Wall Sconce Power Sources

Hardwired: These sconces wire directly into your home's electrical system for a clean, wire-free appearance. Hardwiring your light fixtures also allows you to connect them to light switches around your home for easy control.

Plug-In: Save yourself the hassle of hardwiring your wall sconces by opting for sconces that plug directly into a wall power outlet. These fixtures are easy to install and replace.

Battery-Operated: The easiest to install and replace, battery-powered wall sconces run on batteries. These fixtures tend not to give out as much light as the others, but they can be found in many intricate styles.

Wall Sconce Height & Placement Tips

Generally, wall sconces are placed 66" – 72" high on the wall. This height puts the wall sconces in easy view without putting their bulbs on display. However, depending on the height of your home's walls as well as the height of your family members, you may want to hang them higher. If you have tall ceilings or a tall household, place your wall sconces at a height where they are within reach but their inner workings aren't exposed.

Below are some wall sconce placement ideas if you're wondering where to hang wall sconces.

• Place two sconces on either side of a set of windows.
• Place two sconces on either side of a vanity or entryway mirror, between 60" and 65" off of the floor.
• Place one double sconce above a vanity mirror.
• Place two sconces above nightstands on either side of a bed, 30" – 36" above the top of the mattress and no more than 1' away from the bed.
• Space sconces 8' – 10' apart on a hallway wall.

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