At what height is it better to position the wall lights? Here are 5 tips to find the ideal size

Using appliques to light up your home are quite common. They can be used as a background light in environments that are not very spacious like corridors, or as accent lighting or indirect lighting. But as with suspension lamps, it is important to position the wall lights at the ideal height! What is this ideal height? We will try to explain it to you in the next lines.

General rule: never place the wall lights at eye level

Before calling into question the standard height used for the wall lights, let's hint at the general rule from which the standard originates. The appliques should be fixed at a height higher than that of the human eye (i.e. above 150-180 cm) to avoid unnecessary and annoying blunders (if we consider wall lamps without shielding or with bulbs in sight).

Standard wall mounting heights

There is no real standard height for wall lamps. Browsing through different forums you will find people who speak of 190 cm, others of 220 cm. In principle, these 2 heights are established by convention based on other standardized measures such as ceilings (270 cm) or doors (210 cm). It is easy to understand, however, that if the measurements in our home do not correspond to the conventional ones, the rule for wall lights is also skipped.

Choose the height based on the purpose of the lighting

It should also not be forgotten that the wall lights can be used for various types of lighting and that depending on the specific use, the useful height can also vary. For example, if we use it as an accent light to highlight paintings or other decorative elements, the diffusers should be set higher or lower than the piece of furniture, so that the light beam hits the desired point.

Another example? Using wall lamps as an alternative to the classic bedside table lamp (functional light) it will clearly be necessary to position it much lower!

5 tips to determine the height of the wall lights

1.     With 270 cm ceilings, you can place the wall lamp at a height between 190 and 220 cm.

2.     If the wall light is to be installed on a wall where there is also a door, for a better aesthetic result, make sure that the light point is in line or just below the height of the threshold.

3.     For walls that are higher or lower than 270 cm, you can fix the sconces 10-20 cm respectively higher or lower.

4.     If you use it as an accent light, focus more on the object to be illuminated (size and position) then on the height of the walls.

5.     However, if you use more appliques (in more than one room) you can keep the same height for all (except for lighting a staircase in which case they will have to follow an increasing height).
Also, read and know about How to mount recessed spotlights to the ceiling or false ceiling.