Wall lights are the layer British homes skip and hotels never do. They light the walls rather than the floor, which is what makes a room feel finished rather than merely lit.
They are also the fitting most often hung at the wrong height, because there is no obvious reference point the way a table or a worktop gives you one. Here is the reference, room by room.
On this page
- The heights, in one table
- The rule behind the numbers
- How far apart, and how many
- Projection: the measurement nobody checks
- Room by room
- Picture lights and art
- No wiring in the wall
- Five mistakes worth avoiding
- In short
- Common questions
The heights, in one table
All measured from the finished floor to the centre of the fitting, unless stated.
| Position | Height | Spacing |
|---|---|---|
| Living room, general | 150 – 165cm | 200 – 250cm apart |
| Hallway and corridor | 150 – 160cm | Every 200cm, one side only |
| Beside a bed | 100 – 110cm | One each side |
| Above a headboard | 120 – 140cm | Symmetrical about the bed |
| Flanking a mirror | 160 – 170cm | 75 – 90cm apart |
| Above a mirror | 15 – 20cm above the frame | Wider than the mirror if possible |
| Stairs | 150cm above the pitch line | Every 3 – 4 steps |
| Outside a front door | 165 – 180cm | Lock side, 15 – 25cm from the frame |
| Dining room, either side of a sideboard | 155 – 165cm | Symmetrical about the furniture |
The rule behind the numbers
Nearly every figure above comes from one principle: put the fitting just below the eye level of the person who will use it.
Standing eye level for most adults is around 160 to 170cm, so a general wall light at 150 to 165cm sits below it — you see the light on the wall rather than the source. Sitting up in bed, eye level drops to about 120cm, so the bedside figure drops with it. At a mirror you want the light at face height, which is why the mirror figure goes back up.
Where a room has a high ceiling, raise everything slightly: a wall light at 150cm in a 3 metre Victorian room looks low. Add roughly 10cm for every extra 30cm of ceiling above 2.4 metres.
How far apart, and how many
- 200 to 250cm apart along a wall in a living room. Closer looks busy, wider leaves dark gaps.
- Always in pairs, or in a symmetrical run. A single wall light on a blank wall looks like an accident; two look like a decision.
- Centre them on the furniture, not the wall. A pair flanking a fireplace, a bed or a sideboard should be symmetrical about that object, even if it is not centred in the room.
- Leave at least 40cm of clear wall at each end of a run, so the outermost fitting does not look pushed into a corner.
Projection: the measurement nobody checks
How far a wall light sticks out matters as much as how high it sits, and it is almost never in anyone's plan.
- Corridors and anywhere people pass: under 12cm. The Nordic Corridor Sconce projects 5cm and the Eclipse Wall Light the same.
- Beside a bed or a sofa, where nobody walks: 15 to 25cm is comfortable and looks generous. The Travertine Eclipse Sconce and the Brass Arm Sconce.
- Adjustable arms want clearance to swing: the Adjustable Reading Sconce extends 48cm when in use and folds flat when not.
One test before drilling: hold the fitting against the wall at the planned height and walk past it as you normally would. If your shoulder finds it, move it or change it.
Room by room
Living room
150 to 165cm, in pairs, either side of a fireplace or a sofa. Up-and-down fittings that wash the wall do the most work here: the Stone Half-Circle Sconce, or something more decorative like the Crystal Wall Light. The wider scheme is in how to light a living room.
Bedroom
100 to 110cm beside the bed, so the light lands on the page rather than your face. The Marble Bedside Sconce and the Nordic Bedroom Sconce both sit flat. Full detail in how to light a bedroom.
Hallway and stairs
150 to 160cm, every 200cm, and on one wall only in a narrow hall — facing pairs create glare at eye level. On a staircase, measure 150cm up from the pitch line, the imaginary slope joining the nose of each step. The Retro Staircase Sconce is made for it. See hallway lighting for low ceilings.
Bathroom
160 to 170cm flanking the mirror, 75 to 90cm apart — but check the zones first: anything within 60cm of the basin tap is Zone 2 and needs an IP rating. The rules are in bathroom lighting zones explained.
Outdoors
165 to 180cm to the centre of the lantern, on the lock side of the door, measured from the step the visitor stands on. Everything else — IP ratings, dusk-to-dawn, paths — is in where to put an outdoor wall light, and the fittings are in outdoor lighting.
For a wall that needs presence rather than a pair, a multi-head fitting covers the span on its own: the 3-Head Molecular Sconce at 55cm or the 6-Head at 60cm. The full range is in wall lights.
Picture lights and art
A light over a picture wants to sit 15 to 20cm above the top of the frame, projecting far enough to throw light down the face of the work rather than onto the wall above it.
Two refinements: the fitting should be about two thirds the width of the picture, and the light should strike the work at roughly 30 degrees, which is what stops it reflecting straight back at anyone standing in front of it.
No wiring in the wall
This is why most British homes have no wall lights: putting a cable into a solid wall means chasing plaster, and nobody does it twice.
Rechargeable fittings sidestep the whole problem. They mount with two screws at exactly the heights above, dim by remote, and come down for charging. The Rechargeable Wall Light is the one we fit most often in rented flats and finished rooms; the rest of the range is in rechargeable and cordless lights.
Five mistakes worth avoiding
- Hanging at 180cm or above. The commonest error: the fitting goes above eye level and shines into the room instead of onto the wall.
- A single wall light on a blank wall. Pairs, or a symmetrical run.
- Centring on the room instead of the furniture. The eye reads the fireplace, not the wall.
- Ignoring projection. 20cm is generous beside a bed and a hazard in a corridor.
- Bedside lights at living room height. 150cm beside a bed puts the bulb straight in your eye line when you sit up.
In short
- Living room and hallway: 150 – 165cm to the centre.
- Beside a bed: 100 – 110cm.
- Flanking a mirror: 160 – 170cm, 75 – 90cm apart.
- Outside a front door: 165 – 180cm, lock side.
- Spacing: 200 – 250cm, always in pairs.
- Projection: under 12cm where people walk.
- High ceilings: add 10cm per 30cm above 2.4m.
Common questions
How high should wall lights be from the floor ?
150 to 165cm to the centre of the fitting in a living room or hallway, which is just below standing eye level. Beside a bed the figure drops to 100 to 110cm, and at a mirror it rises to 160 to 170cm.
How far apart should wall lights be ?
200 to 250cm along a wall, with at least 40cm of clear wall at each end of the run. Fit them in pairs and centre them on the furniture rather than on the wall.
How high should bedside wall lights be ?
100 to 110cm from the floor to the centre of the fitting, about 40 to 50cm above the mattress. Sitting up with a book, the light should reach the page without the bulb entering your eye line.
How high should wall lights be either side of a mirror ?
160 to 170cm to the centre, spaced 75 to 90cm apart so the light arrives at face height from both sides. In a bathroom, check the fitting is more than 60cm from the basin tap or it falls inside Zone 2.
How high should wall lights be on a staircase ?
150cm measured vertically from the pitch line, the imaginary slope joining the nose of each step, with a fitting every three or four steps so no tread sits in shadow.
Should wall lights be centred on the wall or the furniture ?
The furniture. A pair either side of a fireplace, a bed or a sideboard should be symmetrical about that object, even when it is not centred in the room. The eye reads the furniture first.
Can you fit wall lights without wiring ?
Yes. Rechargeable wall lights mount with two screws at the same heights, dim by remote and come down for charging. They are the practical answer for solid walls, rented homes and finished rooms.
Mark it before you drill
Put a pencil cross at the planned height, stand where you normally stand, and look at it. If your eye goes to the mark rather than to the wall around it, the fitting will be too high.
Send us the room and the furniture positions at contact@thelightheritage.com and we will give you the heights. We answer every message ourselves.
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