How High to Hang Wall Sconces, Room by Room

Quick answer: In hallways, entries and living rooms, mount wall sconces so the center of the fixture sits about 60 to 66 in above the floor. Beside a bed, go lower, to about 48 to 60 in, so the light falls on a book rather than in your eyes. Beside a bathroom mirror, place a pair at about face height, roughly 60 to 66 in to center, on either side of the glass. Wherever there is more than one, keep them all at the same height.

Wall sconces are the easiest light to get slightly wrong. A few inches too high and the wall looks bare below them. Too low and you see the bulb every time you walk past. The ranges here are the common rules of thumb found in published lighting guides, not building code. Use them as a starting point, then adjust for your ceiling height, your furniture and the fixture you choose. Your electrician has the final word on where the wall box can go.

What does "height" mean for a sconce?

Most guides, including this one, measure from the finished floor to the center of the fixture. That sounds simple, but two details change the result.

• The fixture's own height. A compact 9 in sconce and a 28 in sconce mounted "at 60 in" look very different. For tall fixtures, check that the bottom edge does not drop into the path of a headboard, a chair back or a passing shoulder.
• Where the wall box sits. On some sconces the box is centered behind the backplate. On others, such as wall pendants that hang on a cord, the light ends up well below the box. Read the dimensions on the product page, then tell your electrician where you want the light, not just the box.

A tip that saves a patch job: tape a paper template of the fixture to the wall at the planned height and live with it for a day before the box is cut in.

Hallways and entries

Aim for about 60 to 66 in from floor to center. That puts the light a little above eye level for most adults, so the glow lands on the wall rather than straight in your eyes.

Spacing matters as much as height in a hallway. A common guide is to space sconces roughly 8 to 10 ft apart, and to place the first one about half that distance from the end of the hall, so the pools of light overlap a little and the hall doesn't read as a row of bright spots.

Then check projection, the distance a sconce sticks out from the wall. For public buildings, section 307.2 of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design states: "Objects with leading edges more than 27 inches (685 mm) and not more than 80 inches (2030 mm) above the finish floor or ground shall protrude 4 inches (100 mm) maximum horizontally into the circulation path." Private homes are generally not bound by that rule, but it is a useful benchmark for a narrow hall. A slimmer fixture is easier to live with where people pass close. Our Curved alabaster sconce, for example, is 13.25 in tall and 4 in deep, and its listing names hallways and entryways among the rooms it suits.

Beside the bed

Bedside sconces sit lower than hallway lights, because they are used from a seated or reclining position. About 48 to 60 in from the floor is the usual range. A good check is to sit up in bed against the headboard. The bottom of the shade should be a few inches above your shoulder, so light falls onto the page and the bulb stays out of view.

Horizontally, center each sconce over its nightstand, or set it just outside the edge of the headboard. Mount both at the same height, even if the nightstands differ.

A few options for different walls:

• A compact globe on each side. The Calotara Alabaster Globe Wall Sconce cups an alabaster globe in a dark metal shade on a slim arm. At 7 in wide and 12 in tall, a matched pair fits either side of most beds, and its listing names bedsides among the places it suits.
• A globe that hangs like a pendant. The Orbelle Alabaster Globe Wall Sconce hangs an alabaster globe from a compact brass wall mount, for the look of a pendant without a ceiling box. Its listing suggests the 4.7 in globe for a bedside.
• No electrician. The Wrenna plug-in walnut sconce plugs into an outlet, with an exposed cord and a pull chain. Its globe and lantern shades are the ones the listing recommends for a bedside, because the low oval needs more wall projection (22.8 in).

Browse more options in the bedroom collection.

Bathroom vanity and mirrors

Light from the sides of a mirror is the most flattering for a face, because it fills the shadows that a single overhead light casts under the eyes and chin. For a pair flanking a mirror, place the center of each sconce at about 60 to 66 in, roughly face height for most adults. Set them close enough to the mirror that the light reaches the face, a few inches outside the frame. Many guides suggest the two sit about 36 to 40 in apart.

If the mirror is too wide to flank, or the wall has no room at the sides, a single fixture above the mirror is the alternative. It is usually set near the top of the mirror, at about 75 to 80 in from the floor.

Before you order any sconce for a bathroom, check two things:

1. Damp rating. Bathrooms are damp locations, and a fixture used there should be rated for them. Look for a damp-location (or wet-location) rating in the product's specifications. If a listing does not state one, treat the fixture as dry-location only and ask the seller before ordering.
2. Distance from the tub and shower. Electrical codes restrict where some fixtures can go near a tub or shower. Your electrician will know the local rules.

Living rooms, fireplaces and art

In a living room, sconces are mood and accent light rather than task light. Start at about 60 to 66 in to center, then adjust to what they frame:

• Flanking a fireplace: mount a pair either side of the mantel, at the same height, and far enough from the mantel's edge that the fixture doesn't crowd any objects on it. Our Mosaica stacked alabaster sconce is 24 in tall and 15 in wide, and its listing names living rooms, hallways and stairwells among the places it suits.
• Either side of art or a mirror: align the sconces with the middle third of the piece, so the light frames it rather than floating above it.
• Near a television: keep sconces to the sides and out of the screen's reflection from the main seat.

On tall walls with ceilings well above 9 ft, you can raise sconces a few inches for balance. Keep them within easy view, though; a sconce that sits too high stops feeling like part of the room.

Stairs and landings

On a stair, measure the height vertically from the nose of the tread directly below each sconce, not from the landing floor. Keep that measurement the same along the run, so the sconces climb at the same angle as the handrail. Within a single flight, the common target is the same 60 to 66 in used in hallways.

A slim vertical fixture suits a stair wall, where people pass close and a wide shade would catch a shoulder. The Lumiere is 4.5 in wide and 4 in deep, and its listing describes a slim vertical silhouette and names hallways and entryways among the places it suits. If you are also lighting the stairwell from above, see our staircase chandelier size guide.

Explore the full range of wall sconces, or browse lights for the stairs and foyer. For a soft stone glow, see our alabaster wall sconces and lighting, and keep sconces and ceiling lights in one view to the same color temperature with our 2700K and 3000K guide.

Summary

• Hallways, entries, living rooms: about 60 to 66 in from floor to center. In halls, space them roughly 8 to 10 ft apart.
• Bedside: about 48 to 60 in, with the bottom of the shade a few inches above your shoulder when you sit up in bed.
• Vanity: a pair at about 60 to 66 in to center, a few inches outside the mirror; or one fixture above the mirror at about 75 to 80 in.
• Stairs: measure from the tread nose and keep the same height along the run.
• Always: check the fixture's height, projection and location rating on the product page, and mount every sconce in a group at the same height.

Sources: 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, section 307.2, U.S. Access Board (protruding-object benchmark for public buildings; private residences are generally not bound by it); common rules of thumb from published lighting guides; product dimensions and notes from Valivelle product pages. Local electrical code and your electrician have the final word on installation.