Good Questions: Proper Wall Sconce Height?

Hello AT,

We are in the midst of a renovation of our home. We are adding a family room. We are installing wall sconces in that room that has a 10 foot ceiling.

What is the correct height for contemporary wall sconces?

Thanks, Elena

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Dear Elena,

We're not sure that there is a "correct" height for all wall sconces. It can depend on the style, the height of your ceilings and your height as well. You want to make sure that wherever the light bulb is, it is in a comfortable relation to your eye level.

Here's a pretty good answer we found at DerekMarshall.com:

The top of the sconce should be above eye level so the interior bulb is not visible. Generally, this would be a minimum of six feet from the floor. Therefore, the wall box for that sconce should be six feet less the distance from the top of the sconce to the center of the wall box. This dimension is found on each sconce page which has a link for "View Technical Drawing". This dimension is shown from the bottom of the sconce, so subtract that amount from the overall height of the sconce.

Anyone else?

Comments (1)

It does really depend on the fixture. I recently purchased Tolomeo wall spotlights from Artemide and mounted them at 64" o.c. (roughly eye level for me) and wouldn't want them any higher. If the bulb is exposed, I would go with something a bit higher, as Derek Marshall suggests.