WALL SCONCES - MOOD LIGHTING WITH DEFINITIVE LOOKS

Wall sconces have a way of setting that certain mood that ceiling fixtures lack. Perhaps it's the harshness or the angle of lighting that comes from overhead that even the use of dimmer switches can't diminish or control. A woman of a certain age knows that to be lit from the floor up or from the sides is much more flattering than the most subdued light from a chandelier or ceiling light. My thoughts on this are that if wall fixtures can make an old lady's skin look good as new, they should make my complexion seem flawless as the day I was born and I'm here to tell you that I'm all for improving the appearance of my face by whatever means.

WHAT IS A SCONCE?

It is a light fixture whose light is directed towards the ceiling and is attached to a wall with no other support. The term can be used in regards to ancient torch lights as well as modern electric and natural gas lights that are installed in pretty much the same way as they have been for centuries only using contemporary materials.

HISTORY OF
WALL SCONCES


If you've ever watched a period film that was filmed in a medieval castle, chances are you noticed that they used candles and torches for lighting their way through the dark passageways. Usually the actors in the film carried a lit torch in their hand, but occasionally, if you were paying attention, there were rustic wall sconces spaced along the dark halls. This ancient practice was the inspiration for the modern wall sconce which is much improved from the smoking fire hazards we see at the movies.

WHERE ARE SCONCES USED?

Traditional uses wall sconces include lighting for halls and passageways. However, it has become stylish to use them in living rooms, dens and bedrooms as part of several layers of light for decorative purposes as well as utility lights. Wall sconces for baby nursery walls are being used as part of the lighting layout as well.

HOW HIGH TO HANG SCONCES ON THE WALL

The generally accepted height that most use to hang wall sconces is approximately three quarters up the wall measuring from the floor to the ceiling.

HOW FAR APART SHOULD WALL SCONCES BE SPACED?

Sconces are often spaced with the distance between them being the same as the measurement of the sconces from the floor of the room or hallway. The exception to this rule is when they are used to decorate each side of a doorway or other opening.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT SIZE SCONCES TO BUY?

There is no definite rule for picking the best size sconces. The height and width of your
electric light fixtures
should be in correlation to ceiling height as well as the size of the area that they will be lighting. Visuals are important so see if your lighting store will allow you to take several styles and sizes home to see which is best for your space.


Wall sconces are not restricted to dim, damp passages tunneling deep into the earth anymore. Nor are they the light fixture that’s limited to the wall over the buffet table in your formal dining room. Modern styles of decorating indicate that they can be used just as effectively on each side of the door into the powder room as in these classic circumstances. You may also find the use of expensive bathroom wall sconces becoming more common as the size of that room is enlarging with every year that passes.

Return to ALL WALL SCONCES, WALL PAPERS, CLOCKS and DECOR for more information on trendy, fashionable wall decorations that will design the ultimate in walls that you will adore.