CANDLE WALL SCONCES - ROMANTIC LOW WATT LIGHT FIXTURES

Candle sconces are an excellent way to cast a romantic, subdued light over any area. The use of dimmer switches to diminish the harsh effects of the chandelier over the dining table or the center of the ceiling may leave the outer edges of the room looking dark and abandoned.


Proper placement of
candle wall sconces
will leave the cozy atmosphere in place while eliminating dark spots. Rather than pulling the walls inward and reducing the visuals of a space, attractive sconces, electric or non-electric, expand the size of the room by illuminating and exposing square footage that would otherwise be unusable cloaked in darkness.

WHAT KIND OF CANDLE SCONCES SHOULD I USE?

All of the
light fixtures
in a room should blend in the same fashion as all the other decorations. As an example, the occasion would be rare when it would be advisable to combine rustic, wrought iron candle sconces with pieces decorated with lead crystal beads and teardrop shaped pendants.


PLACEMENT OF CANDLE WALL SCONCES

As we mentioned earlier in this article, anywhere in your home that the dimmed ceiling or lamp light doesn’t reach is an excellent place for these low wattage light fixtures. Walls in your hallways as well as the far end of your living area are all appropriate spots.

WIRING

Architects are no strangers to the challenges of drawing blueprints with properly spaced wiring that will allow for whatever type of lighting is best for the square footage in bedrooms, dens or dining rooms. However, planning may include a certain number of wall outlets to accommodate floor and table lamps rather than sconces that must be hard wired before the sheetrock is installed. Homeowners who recognize the advantages of light fixtures installed on the walls should consult with their draftsman so that such wiring is included in the layout of their home.

For those who didn’t have the luxury of designing custom electrical wiring diagrams during the planning phases of their home, candle holder sconces or plug in sconces are acceptable alternatives. Check to be sure that covers for the electrical cord come with your electric candle sconces so that the end results will have a polished look.

CANDLE HOLDER SCONCES

Some decorators prefer the use of real candles over artificial lighting in their decor. I have to admit that flickering candlelight has its charm, but there are times when safety issues and practicality outweigh the decorative appeal of the real thing. An open fire of any kind requires constant supervision and there are times when I don’t want to baby sit my appliances.

Drafts have a nasty habit of blowing out the candle’s flame leaving a smoking wick that has the ability to overpower the aroma of food at a dinner party. If you still insist on lighting candles over low watt light bulbs, you should shop for candle wall sconces that have a hurricane shade to guard against the random breeze ruining the otherwise pleasant scent of your home.

Return to All Wall Sconces, Wall Papers, Clocks and Decor for more ideas on decorative fixtures to brighten the dull spots on the walls of your house on the outside as well as indoors.

CRYSTAL BATHROOM SCONCES - ALL THE BENEFITS OF CANDLELIGHT and MORE

The luxury of a
lead crystal bathroom sconce
might have caused your great-grandmother to raise an eyebrow. Such luxury and extravagance was unusual if not unheard of in her day. Bathrooms were a place where you took care of a certain unmentionable business. Entries and exits were managed quickly in a quiet and efficient fashion. Decorating the room that housed bodily functions may have been considered in poor taste if not downright vulgar.

I am happy to report that the days of plain, ugly potties are long gone. In today’s modern bathroom, you may find the same antique French bronze sconces in a smaller size as the ones in the formal dining or living area.

WALL SCONCES OR CANDLES?

Why settle for votive candles when crystal sconces are so much safer and they sparkle ever so nicely. The dazzling lead crystal in electric sconces of brass make you want to take your after dinner wine to the bath and lounge while you enjoy the glow of this unique lighting that creates an atmosphere of sumptuous indulgences from the boudoir into the bath. Of course if you want the best of both worlds, perhaps candle wall sconces would be a viable option.

MODERN CRYSTAL BATHROOM SCONCES

To many the mention of lead crystal bathroom sconces brings to mind a chandelier dripping with faceted teardrop shapes and crystal beads or cut lead crystal decanters. This type of crystal sconce will always be considered stylish in upscale homes with large sunken tubs and gold leaf mirrors with beveled edges. However, homeowners with a taste for the contemporary style of décor wanted a more modern look for their bathroom light fixtures. The answer was hip, rectangular crystal and chrome wall sconces specifically produced to be used as bathroom light fixtures.

The nickel or brushed steel provided the perfect base metal for free form lead crystal electric sconces that are completely unique and one of a kind with shades that seem to be melting rather than the cut crystal that has been around for decades. If the silver color is not rich or warm enough for you, there is always the option for traditional brass and French Bronze.

Balance your crystal sconces with matching pendant light fixtures or chandeliers if the size of your floor space will support something so luxurious, pour a glass of wine and some bath oil and bask in the glow of a job well done.

Return to All Wall Sconces, Wall Papers, Wall Clocks and Decor for more information on how to choose the best wall light fixtures for all rooms in your home.

BATHROOM WALL SCONCES

Bathroom wall sconces are simply an extension of the lighting we have come to enjoy from the strip of lights over the lavatory mirror. Many homes lack adequate square footage in the bedroom for the lady of the house to have a designated dressing area complete with vanity table bathed in flattering light suitable for the application of her makeup and arranging her hair.

In light of this, builders have documented a trend of double sinks in the bathroom; one for the men and one for the women. The idea is that men can shave over one sink while the ladies can use the other for their own purposes. The enlargement of the bathroom has contributed to the need for additional lighting to eliminate shadows leading to cosmetics being used in over abundance that looks too heavy and artificial once the wearer is exposed to natural sunlight. The answer is over the mirror light strips or bars, ceiling fixtures and bathroom sconces in small cubes and longer rectangles installed around the room.

HOW MANY BATHROOM WALL SCONCES WILL I NEED?
There is a fine balance between proper lighting and too much. Nobody wants to feel like flashbulbs are going off in their face every time they flip the switch. In new construction, perhaps it would be best to take the advice offered on the lighting diagrams laid out in the blueprints of your home. Architects are experts in spacing light fixtures for the amount of area that a particular area contains.

WHERE DO I INSTALL BATHROOM SCONCES?
Most modern bathrooms can handle a pair of modern halogen, rectangular shaped bathroom sconces on each side of the mirror. In fact, the overall appearance of most older bathrooms will be greatly improved with the addition of two light sconces on either side of the mirror which creates an odd number of lights which most decorating manuals recommend. If you think that you might like control over angles and positioning of your light, a cube shaped swing arm sconce in nickel or brushed steel with a glass shade would do the trick and then retract back into an out of the way position.

If you have a large area to illuminate, a pair of
bathroom wall sconces
over the tub area would be visually appealing and help to brighten the atmosphere at the same time. However, I would skip the super charged cube halogen sconce in favor of a pair of candle sconces with flickering lights that would be more relaxing.

WHAT STYLE OF BATHROOM WALL SCONCES IS BEST?
If you are updating the light fixtures in an existing bath, stay in keeping with the finish and style of the pieces that are already in place. Match the metal of the bases and the shades very closely if not exactly. This is especially important in a small bathroom as to mix and match your
bathroom light fixtures
, towel racks sink and tub faucets and receptacle covers that are arranged very closely would give your room a disjointed look that is anything but tasteful.

If your fixtures are old and unmatchable, consider replacing the whole lot. I would rather have a blended array of inexpensive fixtures than a hodge podge collection with no decorative appeal. As much as you may love those unique, crystal bathroom wall sconces they should be removed if they don’t fall in line with the look and feel of the rest of the room. Sell them through online auction to raise money to buy the perfect bathroom sconces for your decorating project or save them for another project down the road.

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.