Lighting has a strong influence on the perception of the interior. In many ways, the feeling of coziness and comfort for people in the room depends on the lighting fixtures. Correctly placed lamps transform the interior, demonstrating new facets and rich colors. With their help, you can create a romantic and cozy twilight, highlight functional areas and accents, and illuminate the front hall with bright, festive light.
One of the most popular tools for creating the right atmosphere in a room are wall sconces. With their help, they illuminate individual areas in the rooms and create comfortable corners for relaxation and quiet activities. Wall lamps complement the chosen interior style and play the role of magnificent, sophisticated decor. To get the best possible effect, the products must be installed correctly. Compliance with installation technology and the choice of points at which the devices will be installed are also important. We'll talk about how to hang sconces correctly in this article.
Basic safety requirements when installing sconces
Modern sconces are classified according to the method of connection to the electrical network into two main types:
- direct connection to electrical wiring;
- through the outlet and plug on the cord connected to the device.
In the first case, all the wires are “hidden” in the wall or body of the device, which makes operation safer. This option is ideal for a nursery or bathroom, when the presence of hanging wires and open sockets is not welcome. Also, such models have an aesthetic appearance and fit amazingly into the surrounding interior.
Products with a fork are more versatile. To install them, you do not need to leave wiring outlets or drill into the wall in advance; you can connect them anywhere near which there is an outlet. It is easy to move such sconces to another room or to another place when rearranging the furniture in the room. But there is a significant drawback - the stretching cord causes inconvenience and spoils the appearance of the wall. If there are small children or pets in the house, exposed live wires pose a source of danger.
The location and height of installation of electrical appliances are selected individually, based on the specific situation. A variety of factors are taken into account:
- the height of the ceilings and furniture next to which the lamps are installed. These could be dining tables, sofas or beds;
- interior style and wall decoration. So, quite often sconces are included in artistic compositions - drawings, paintings, hung next to mirrors and paintings;
- configuration and layout of the room, for example, the presence of arches, false columns, stairs;
- purpose of the room and arrangement of furniture.
But there are rules based on the sanitary requirements of SanPiN, SP, PUE, and safety precautions that should be followed in any case.
- Key switches for lamps in common rooms and bedrooms for adults are placed at a height of 80-170 cm. For children's rooms where small children live, this standard is 180 cm. This height allows you to protect the baby from contact with wires and electric current.
- It is recommended to install hidden wiring in bathrooms and toilets, which reduces the risk of short circuits due to increased air humidity and water droplets.
- In the kitchen, switches and the lamps themselves are located at a distance of more than 50 cm from the gas pipe, gas stove and flexible hose.
There are also illumination standards, expressed in Lux (1 lumen multiplied by 1 m2 of area) that you need to know about:
- places for work, reading, handicrafts – 300;
- children's – 200;
- bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens – 150;
- corridors, hallways, bathrooms – 50.
When making calculations, it is worth considering that the height of the sconce above the floor affects the area of the illuminated area and the scattering of light rays. The higher the device is mounted, the larger the illuminated area, and the dimmer the light itself.
Other premises
Wall lamps can be used to organize lighting in corridors, on internal staircases, balconies and loggias, etc.
When installing sconces in the corridor, follow the rules for halls and hallways. Here the devices are placed at a height of 180-200 cm from the floor, taking into account the height of the ceilings (the higher the ceilings, the higher the lamps).
Flights of stairs and landings require a special approach to their lighting. There should be enough light for safe movement on them, while the lamps should not interfere with users in any way. Light bulbs should be placed just above the head of a person of average height. If it is not possible to follow such a recommendation, then the lamps need to be installed at shoulder level (but not lower).
Glazed balconies and loggias can become a cozy place for a family vacation if they are properly equipped and illuminated. The height of the placement of lamps here depends on the dimensions of the furniture installed in this part of the house or apartment. Typically, sconces are mounted 100-150 cm from the floor - just above the head of a person sitting in a chair or on a sofa.
The location of the sconces must be determined based on considerations of comfort and practicality, otherwise these lamps will not become a decoration of the house, but a real “headache” for users. To ensure that the devices do not cause problems during their operation, they must be mounted at the optimal height, which is indicated in the above recommendations.
Go to all sconces
Sconce in the kitchen
In the kitchen, sconces are selected in the same style as other lighting fixtures and furniture. They can play the role of accents, or harmoniously complement the interior. Three options are considered the most successful places for installation:
- on the side of the dining table placed against the wall, at a level of 60-70 cm from the tabletop;
- above the worktop, between cabinets or shelves. Retreat from the surface at least 50 cm;
- on the wall next to the sofa or kitchen corner.
Switches are positioned so that they can be easily reached without getting up.
Types of sconce lamps
Lamps for the bedroom are classified according to several criteria:
- Design:
- swivel night lights - rotate 360 degrees and are designed for directional flow;
- stationary - create diffused lighting.
- Fixation type. The lampshade or lampshade is mounted on the wall using a bracket. Lamps with a variety of decorative shapes are suitable for decorating a bedroom interior in any style.
Devices that are attached directly to a surface are called near-surface. Lampshades come in oval, rectangular or round shapes. Such devices are rarely used in the room, but are indispensable when decorating an interior in the loft, modern, hi-tech and minimalist styles.
Models with a hanging lampshade are universal. They are suitable for any room, as they have a varied design and expand the space.
- Types of switches:
- touch: non-contact connection method due to the sensor’s response to movement;
- keyboard or push-button, in which the mechanism is located on the wire of the device and connected to the outlet;
- chain (cord or rope) - the light works by pulling a chain.
Sconce in the bedroom
This is a traditional room for installing sconces. As a rule, they are installed in pairs, on either side of the head of the bed, so that it is convenient to read before going to bed or get up at night without disturbing the spouse sleeping next to him. Height – 120-150 cm above the floor, depending on the height of the bed. In addition, lamps can be installed on the side of the dressing table, illuminating the mirror, or next to an armchair or sofa.
Sconce in the living room There are a lot of options for installing additional wall lighting in the living room:
- over the back of the sofa;
- just above the mantelpiece;
- on the sides of the TV;
- next to the armchairs and coffee table in the recreation area;
- above the table, if available.
Height – 1-2 meters, depending on personal preferences and interior.
Installation of over-bed lamps
Before installing lighting fixtures, it is necessary to consider the electrical wiring. To do this, you need to foresee in advance where the lamps will be located.
At what height is it best to place sconces? The optimal distance is 1.2-1.6 meters from the floor, but, of course, this depends on the height of the sleeping place. An average distance of one and a half meters will allow you to receive a sufficient amount of light flux and turn off the light with one movement of your hand.
It is advisable that the lampshades point downwards. Then the stream of light will concentrate directly on the book. But this is not always convenient, because sometimes it is necessary to create diffused light in the sleeping area. To solve problems with the direction of light, it is best to choose a sconce with a flexible leg. This will make it possible to regulate not only the brightness of the light, if the lighting device provides such a function, but also its direction.
The choice of bedside lamps should be approached carefully, because their function is not just lighting. With their functionality and design, they can both negate all efforts to arrange the interior and become a real highlight of the bedroom.
Source
Sconce in the nursery
For babies, choose colorful, fantastic night lights, placing them above the crib. The child should not reach the lamp with his hands, but the switch is located in an area accessible to him. For teenage children there are no such restrictions, and the height is selected depending on the purpose of the device.
Methods for connecting sconces
In order for the operation of lighting devices to be comfortable and safe, you need to correctly connect them to the electrical network. There are several ways to connect the lamp:
IMPORTANT! Think and plan your wiring placement in advance. If you want to connect the sconce after final planning and repairs, but the wires cannot be reached, you will have to make the connection through an outlet.
Take care of the comfortable use of lighting devices and their safe operation!
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Sconce in the hallway and hallway
As a rule, the layout of these premises does not imply the presence of windows. The exception is private houses and dachas with an individual project. To illuminate a long corridor or a closed hallway space, ceiling lights alone are not enough. Rays of light directed from above distort colors and create sharp shadows; darkness lurks in the corners. At the same time, good light in the corridor and hallway is necessary to move freely, clean up before going outside or change into household clothes. And the best option for additional lighting is wall lamps. You just need to hang them correctly.
- In narrow, long corridors, light sources are mounted on the walls at a level of 170-200 cm, so as not to accidentally get caught when moving. The number of products is calculated by length, spaced approximately 1.5-2 meters.
- If the room has a regular square or semicircular shape, or the corridor is wide enough, lamps for local lighting are installed at a height of 150 cm. However, it is worth considering that the light of low-power bulbs will not reach the opposite wall.
In the case when sconces are installed above cabinets, consoles, or built into furniture sets, the height can be arbitrary. Also, when installing lighting next to a mirror or decorative element, they are guided, first of all, by its location.
Hallway
In the hall or hallway, wall lights are part of the functional lighting. Since these rooms most often do not have windows, sconces support and complement the main ceiling lighting or replace it completely.
The devices are located around the perimeter of the hallway at a height of 2 meters from the floor. If the ceilings are low, the lamps can be hung 15-20 cm lower. With this placement, the lighting system will fully perform its assigned functions and will not interfere with the movement of furniture, household appliances and other large items through the passage room.
If the walls of the hall are decorated with paintings, it is better to install wall light sources slightly higher than the frames; usually in such cases we are talking about a height of 210-230 cm from the floor. To illuminate the mirror, paired lamps are placed on both sides at a height of 180-190 cm from the floor.
Height selection criteria
Thoughtlessly hanging sconces, guided by the instructions of some electrical guru, with clear instructions on the height at which they are usually hung, would be reckless. It will be different in each individual case. First of all, you should answer the following questions:
- Will the lamp be used purely as a night light or as a softer analogue of overhead lighting? Or maybe both?
- Do you need directional or diffuse lighting?
- Where will the switch be located, and will it be convenient to reach it, preferably without lifting your butt off the bed?
- Is it possible and necessary to read, and from what sources - paper, electronic - in such lighting?
And having already figured out what your heart desires, you can make a specific decision.
Sconce as a night light and more
Dimmer appearance
If you intend to use lighting in several different modes, there is a reason to use a dimmer. What he really is? If translated from English into a understandable language, the word dim means “to darken.” Essentially, this is an electronic device that uses a regulator knob to change the voltage supplied to the lamp. In the simplest case, a dimmer is a variable resistor; it allows you to control the intensity of incandescent lamps and some LED models. They are called dimmable.
Diffuse or directional light?
If you need diffused, soft lighting, it makes sense to look for lamps with upward-facing lamps and place them lower. But take into account that while in bed, do not touch the lampshade with your hands. The recommended height of the sconce in such cases is at least twenty centimeters above the headboard.
If a directional light source is needed, they are guided by the opposite rule - the lampshade is directed downward and the height of the sconce is made higher. This option is more suitable for those who like to read or knit for the coming sleep.
Switch accessibility
To correctly determine the location of the sconce switch, you need to lie down (or sit up slightly) in bed and stretch your arm up. This is the desired place. Agree, there is nothing good about getting up from your bed every time to turn on or off the light. Today, sconces with switches located on them on the body are popular.
And here we will once again remember about the dimmer. If the lamp is connected to the socket via a cord and is located high, and the socket and plug cannot be reached by hand, then in this case it makes sense to install a dimmer in the circuit of the wire going to the sconce (somewhere in the middle) so that it hangs at arm's length above head. You will be able to eat the fish without choking on the bone.
Is reading expected?
If you read from a mobile phone or tablet, you don’t have to bother yourself with any rules - modern gadgets have their own backlighting. But in the case when they read the old-fashioned way - paper books or magazines - the light source is located at least 50 centimeters from the book. If you measure from the reader's shoulder to the lamp, the distance should be about 15 cm. To take measurements, take a sitting or reclining position that is comfortable for reading, and then measure the indicated distance upward.
For ease of reading, it is best to place the lamp as close to the head of the bed as possible. It is clear that the article cannot cover all the nuances, therefore, when choosing the height of the sconce above the bed, you need to be guided, in addition to the listed criteria, by the interior features and personal preferences. Here, as they say, the master is the master.
Sconce over the bedside table
We all know that the most common and simplest option for using additional lamps in the bedroom interior is the method of installing small floor lamps on the bedside tables, which allows you to illuminate the head of the bed and not have to resort to additional drilling in the walls. However, recently more and more attention has been focused on placing a pendant sconce directly above the bedside table.
Such a proposal is based primarily on safety, because you won’t knock off the wall sconce when you adjust the blanket, and even more so you won’t be able to knock over the lamp with your hand while you sleep. In addition, such a placement of the lighting source will maximize the protection of the person sleeping next to it from light, and will also help to quickly find the necessary items in the bedside table or on its surface. In this case, instead of a lampshade, you can place photo frames, an alarm clock, a book or a tablet on the cabinet.
How to organize lighting
Theodor Van Geren, a collector and founder of the Museum of Erotica in Holland, once said: “Bright light pushes a woman away from love and brings a man closer to love.” We have a different opinion: “Darkness is the friend of youth.” These two statements contain the principle of the lighting scenario in the bedroom. At a certain moment it should be light (chandelier), the intensity of the flow should gradually decrease (backlighting, bedside lamps and sconces) and gradually fade away (bedroom night lights) until complete darkness.
Modern bedroom interior
Before starting the renovation, it is important to plan where and what chandeliers, spotlights, lamps, spotlights, and decorative lighting will be located, and in accordance with this, draw a diagram. There are four functional types of lighting:
General light in the bedroom is responsible for uniformly filling the entire room
The general light in the bedroom is responsible for uniformly filling the entire room.
Photo of a ceiling chandelier for the bedroom, balls in frosted glass are an ideal option
- Local or local, designed to highlight certain areas.
- The worker is responsible for directing the flow into the area of the office, mirror, closet, and craft table.
Modern bedside lamps for the bedroom photo combination of elegant and massive objects
Decorative lighting in the bedroom creates beauty and a special mood, carries an aesthetic load, and emphasizes accents.
Original night lamps for the bedroom are decoration and the magical atmosphere of a fairy tale
When organizing lighting in the bedroom, you need to consider several rules:
Reflective surfaces in decoration and furniture will visually expand the boundaries of space, which is important for small rooms. For large rooms you should choose direct flux lamps
Diffused lighting contributes to an optical increase in space. Wall-mounted pendant lamps for the bedroom with an upward flow will help to visually raise the ceiling, so that the ceiling appears lower; the flow of wall sconces should be directed downwards.
Wall lamps for the bedroom, photo idea of how to visually raise the ceiling
- A narrow bedroom will appear wider if a row of ceiling lights is moved towards one of the walls; chandeliers located along the center line, on the contrary, give a narrowing effect.
- A cramped bedroom will visually expand if you put a bright LED strip on one of the walls.
- Transverse lighting in the bedroom will help to equalize the proportions of an elongated room, while longitudinal lighting will elongate a short room.
Pendant chandeliers instead of table lamps
In the bedroom, the play of halftones is important, but it is advisable to avoid glare; the flows from sconces, chandeliers, floor lamps, illuminated fillets and niches should be correctly distributed, and the interaction of all sources should be considered. In such an environment, a small chandelier with a soft, dissipating flow aimed at the ceiling sounds advantageous.
Chandeliers for the bedroom, photo of the classic model
Tip: For greater comfort, it is recommended to install remote and touch switches. No need to get up to turn the chandelier off or on.
Where to post
It is better to place cabinet lights at eye level or above your head so that the facades do not cast a shadow.
Ceiling soffits around the cabinet
Lamps with diffused light are suitable for mirrors; they should be placed on both sides, at head height. Lights from above will distort the image. Here it is better to use two types of lighting: warm evening and cold daytime.
Proper mirror design
How to create an atmosphere
The effect of soft light, different tones and scenarios that are aimed at creating an atmosphere of serenity and relaxation will help you create lamps and shades made of translucent, frosted and colored glass, and fabric lampshades. The combination of different types of lamps gives the bedroom a special charm.
Original night lights in the bedroom create the mood
Which lamps to choose
Incandescent lamps provide dim and harsh light; these are not appropriate in a recreation room. Luminescent ones have a bad effect on vision and create the feeling of an official establishment. The ideal option for the bedroom is halogen sources, plus they are durable and energy-saving.
Design work by Francesco Lucchese, sconce above the bed in the bedroom and floor lamp, decorated with Swarovski crystals
At what height should I hang it?
The installation height of the sconce depends on where the lamp is located and for what purpose it is used. There are no strict limits in the regulatory documents; there are recommendations that should be used to select the height and not have to redo the work later. There are several recommendations to consider:
Important! Sconces are not suitable for niches; it is better to place spotlights there. This option can also create interference when moving in narrow spaces.
General requirements and location rules
When installing, you should follow the safety rules for working with electrical devices. If you have no experience in working with electrical equipment, it is better to entrust it to a specialist. There are also some features that you need to remember when choosing a place for sconces:
It is also necessary to take into account the illumination standards that are prescribed in SanPiN 2.2.1/2.1.1.1278-03. In accordance with the document, it is necessary to ensure the following illumination indicators per square meter:
For your information! Illumination depends not only on the power of the sconce, but also on the height of the location.
Determine in advance the type of light bulbs that will be installed. It is better to abandon traditional incandescent lamps and choose fluorescent, halogen or LED. The latter option consumes the least electricity and lasts an average of 5,000 hours, so it's worth choosing.
