Wall Light Design Ideas for Pakistani Homes
By Metify Homes
Wall lights are the most misused lights in our houses. Builders put one on every wall at random heights, fit whatever was cheapest that month, and the owner never switches them on. That is a pity, because a wall light in the right place does something a ceiling light cannot: it puts light at face level and makes a plain painted wall look like part of the design.
This post covers the main designs, what each is good for, and where to use them room by room.
The designs, in plain words
Uplight. Open at the top, solid below. Throws light up the wall and across the ceiling. Makes a room feel taller. Good for lounges with a clean ceiling.
Downlight. The reverse. A pool of light on the wall and floor below. Good for corridors, stairs and beside doors.
Up-and-down light. Open both ends, usually a cylinder or a box. Draws a tall beam on the wall. Looks sharp on a feature wall, in pairs.
Globe. A frosted glass ball on a small arm or plate. Soft light in every direction and no glare from any angle. The safest choice when you are not sure. The Astro Orb wall light is an example.
Shaded sconce. A small fabric or glass shade on an arm, like a table lamp fixed to the wall. Suits bedrooms and classic drawing rooms.
Swing-arm light. An arm that moves, so the light can be pulled towards a book. Made for bedsides and reading chairs.
Picture light. A slim bar that sits above a frame and washes light down it. See the Antique Golden Picture Light.
Fancy wall lights. The word shops here use for decorative pieces: crystal drops, gold leaves, patterned glass. They are meant to be looked at as much as to give light.
Lounge and TV lounge
Either side of the TV wall. Two matching lights, placed 6 to 12 inches outside the unit, frame the wall and give a soft glow while the TV is on. Choose globes or uplights. Anything that shines sideways will reflect in the screen.
Above the sofa, in a pair. If a large painting or mirror hangs over the sofa, put a light on each side of it and not above the heads of people sitting.
One feature wall, one pair of up-and-down lights. If you have a wall with texture paint, wood panelling or stone cladding, this is how to show it off. One pair is enough. Four on the same wall starts to look like a banquet hall.
Drawing room
This is where fancy wall lights belong. The rule that keeps them elegant: take your cue from the chandelier. If the fanoos in the centre is crystal and gold, choose wall lights with a little of the same crystal and the same gold. If the centre light is modern black metal, crystal on the walls will fight with it.
Use fewer than you think. In a normal drawing room, two to four wall lights is plenty.
Bedroom
Bedside lights in place of table lamps. They free the side table and cannot be knocked over. A swing-arm or a small shaded sconce on each side, each with its own switch.
A soft light near the door. One low-watt globe wired to a switch by the door gives you a way to walk in at night without the tube light.
Above the dressing mirror: avoid it. A single light above a mirror shadows the eyes and chin. One on each side at face height is far better.
Stairs, corridors and the entrance
Downlights or globes, repeated at the same height, every 6 to 8 feet. On stairs, set each one about 6 feet above the step below it so the row climbs with the stairs.
At the entrance, one good wall light beside a mirror or above a console table is the first thing a guest sees. It is worth spending a little more on this one than on the four in the corridor.
Dining room
A pair of wall lights on the long wall, with a mirror or a painting between them, balances the hanging light over the table. Keep them dimmer than the centre light. Their job is to stop the walls going dark, not to light the food.
Three things nobody mentions in the showroom
Wall lights expose bad plaster. A light that shines up or down along the wall shows every bump and patch in the surface. On a smooth, well-finished wall that looks dramatic. On an uneven one it looks like a fault report. If your walls are not perfect, choose a globe or a shaded light, which spreads light outward and hides the flaws.
Open-top glass collects insects. Bowl-shaped uplights fill with dust and dead moths, especially after the monsoon. If you choose one, make sure the glass lifts off easily for cleaning.
Colour of the bulb changes the fitting. Gold and brass finishes look rich under warm white light and flat under daylight white. Use 2700K to 3000K. Some fittings state their light colour in the name, like the Modern Golden LED Wall Light, so check its colour before you buy.
Choosing a finish
Match the door handles, curtain rods or fan in the same room. Gold and brass suit warm wall colours: cream, beige, off-white. Black suits white and grey walls and modern furniture. Chrome and silver suit bathrooms and cooler colour schemes.
For height and spacing, see our wall light height guide. For the designs themselves, the wall lights collection is the place to start.