Wall Light Height Guide: Lounge, Bedroom, Stairs
By Metify Homes
For most rooms, the centre of a wall light should sit 5 to 5.5 feet from the floor (150 to 170 cm). That puts it at about eye level for a standing adult, which is where a wall light looks right and where you are least likely to stare into the bulb.
That one number covers lounges, drawing rooms and dining rooms. Bedsides, corridors, stairs and mirrors each need a small adjustment, and those are below.
Height by location
| Location | Height to the centre of the light | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge, drawing room, dining room | 60 to 66 in (150 to 170 cm) from the floor | Go to the top of the range if the ceiling is 11 ft or higher |
| Corridor or passage | 66 to 72 in (170 to 183 cm) | Slightly higher, so shoulders and bags do not catch it |
| Bedside, for reading | 20 to 24 in (50 to 60 cm) above the top of the mattress | Usually works out to about 48 to 55 in from the floor |
| Either side of a dressing or washbasin mirror | 60 to 65 in (152 to 165 cm) | Level with the face, one light each side |
| Stairs | About 6 ft (183 cm) above the step directly below it | Follow the slope of the stairs, so each light is the same height above its own step |
| Picture light | 6 to 7 in (15 to 18 cm) above the top of the frame | Angle it down at the artwork |
Why eye level?
A wall light does two things: it lights the wall and it sits in your line of sight. If it is too high, it lights the top of the wall and the ceiling and leaves faces in shadow. If it is too low, you look down into it.
The type of fitting shifts the answer a little. A light that is open at the top should be mounted a few inches above eye level, so that a tall person does not see the bulb from above. A light that is open at the bottom can sit right at eye level. A closed globe or a frosted glass fitting is the most forgiving, because the bulb is hidden from every angle.
Bedside wall lights
This is the one people get wrong most often, because they use the lounge height. In bed you are sitting low, so a light at 5.5 feet shines over your head.
Sit up against the headboard the way you do when you read. The light should be a little above shoulder level and to one side, 20 to 24 inches above the mattress. Horizontally, place it 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 cm) outside the edge of the headboard, or directly above each side table.
If two people share the bed, give each side its own light with its own switch. This is where a wall light with a switch on the fitting earns its place: nobody has to get out of bed to reach the switchboard by the door.
Spacing along a wall
In a corridor or along a long lounge wall, space the lights 6 to 8 feet apart (180 to 240 cm). Closer than that looks crowded and wastes electricity. Further apart leaves dark gaps between them.
When two lights frame something, a TV unit, a mirror, a sofa or a painting, place them 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) outside its edges and at the same height as each other. Measure both from the floor. Do not trust the ceiling line, which is often not level.
Measure from the finished floor
This matters if your house is under construction or being renovated. The electrician fixes the light points in the wall before the floor tiles go down. Tiles and the mortar under them raise the floor by two to three inches. A point measured at 5 feet from the bare slab ends up at about 4 feet 9 inches from the floor you actually walk on.
Tell the electrician the height you want from the finished floor level, and tell him it is to the centre of the light point. Mark it on the wall yourself with a pencil if you can. Moving a point after plaster and paint means cutting the wall again.
Switch height
Switchboards in Pakistani homes are normally fixed about 4 to 4.5 feet from the floor (120 to 137 cm), beside the door. A wall light wired to that board is fine for lounges and corridors.
For bedside lights, either ask for a second switch near the bed during wiring, or choose a light with its own switch. Two-way switching, one at the door and one at the bed, is a small extra cost at the wiring stage and a daily convenience afterwards.
If the wall is already finished
You have two options that avoid cutting the wall: run the wire in slim surface conduit and paint it the wall colour, or have an electrician fit a cable with a plug so the light runs from the nearest socket. Our post on wall lights without wiring compares them.
A quick check before the drill comes out
Cut a piece of paper to roughly the size of the light and tape it to the wall at the planned height. Look at it standing, then sitting. Leave it for a day. If it still looks right, drill.
Then pick the fitting. The wall lights collection shows each light’s size, which you will need for that paper template.