Placement by room.
Living and hallway: 60 to 65 inches off the floor to centerline. Spacing 8 to 10 feet apart in hallways; flanking architectural features (a fireplace, a piece of art) in living rooms.
Bathroom: 36 inches above the vanity countertop to centerline when flanking a mirror, with the mirror centered between sconces. For a single sconce above the mirror: 6 to 12 inches above the mirror top.
Bedroom: 18 to 24 inches above the bed mattress to centerline when mounted as bedside lamps. Position roughly above where a nightstand would sit, or directly above the bedside table if no nightstand.
Outdoor: 60 to 66 inches above the door threshold when flanking an entry door. The sconce should fall in the upper third of the door height.
Common questions.
- How high should bathroom sconces be mounted?
- 36 inches above the vanity countertop to centerline. The sconces flank the mirror with the mirror centered between them. Above 60 inches off the floor reads cleanly; below 60 inches starts to look low.
- How far apart should sconces be in a hallway?
- 8 to 10 feet apart along the wall, centered between architectural features (door frames, art) where possible. Closer than 8 feet feels cluttered; farther than 10 feet leaves dark gaps.
- Can I install sconces where there is no electrical box?
- Yes if you run new electrical (open the wall during a renovation) or if you use plug-in sconces. Plug-in sconces are practical for retrofit but the cord shows; hardwired is the clean spec for new builds.
Project in motion
Specifying sconce lighting?
We source wall sconces in modern, traditional, and transitional finishes across the lighting program.