Illuminate Me

Published On February 15, 2012 | By Cheryl | Space, Spaces

Inspiration for mood lighting. Sconces can do many things, including highlighting an area of your home with warming light. To say that I am a little obsessed about sconces would be an understatement. I do love a chandelier with its “pow” and “wow” factor, but there is something more charming about its little sister the wall sconce, what with its gentle light that doesn’t so much scream for your attention, as gently call your eye in its direction.

There are a couple of questions to ask yourself before deciding upon a wall sconce, the first being its purpose. Do you intend for the sconce to offer true lighting for a room or would you prefer that the wall light take more of a backseat and offer a complimentary glow to your living space? Do you wish to highlight a piece of art or do you hope that the sconce will serve as a decorative accent on its own? Wall sconces are good secondary lighting source and with the right wattage, can also illimunate a room (or provide glamour lighting as the evening nears).

The Hudson Sconce from Dennis Miller Associates

Because sconces hang on the wall, you are reclaiming (or claiming) more surface space in a living area. I use sconces in our bedroom above our bedside tables, which means more room for my magazines, tea and books.

Chain Mail Wall Sconce from Ochre Lighting

One does not need to match sconces to an existing chandelier or other lamps in a room. In fact, I encourage you to fight the urge. Don’t do it! First, finding lighting pieces that compliment one another means you have a greater opportunity to bring more beautiful pieces into a room. Second, a room that is pulled together well – with its own personality and vibe – should look as if you have collected and scouted your way through furniture and lighting shops around the country, not found an isle in the corner hardware store and said, “I’ll take all of these.”

Twig Wall Sconce in Nickel from Global Views

In terms of placement from the floor to the position of the sconce, a good rule of thumb is approximately 60“ from the floor and about 6-feet apart (unless you’re using the sconces as ornaments to highlight an existing piece of furniture, such as a console).