Wall lamps

A wall lamp can be for reading, for lighting a passage or for bringing out a wall. First decide what it is for, then where it goes: power usually has to be brought to that point, so the height is chosen before any building work.

Wall lights: how high to fix them

Usually between 150 and 180 cm from the floor to the centre of the lamp, at the eye level of someone standing. If people of different heights live in the home, start from the average. Since the lamp stays at eye level, choose a model that does not reveal the light source. Before fixing it, wait until the floor is finished, so the measurement does not change.

Reading wall light: how high to fix it next to the bed

There is no single measurement here, because it changes with the bed. Guidance usually ranges from about 140 to 155 cm from the floor. The safest way is to try it: sit on the bed in your reading position and have someone hold the lamp. The switch must be within reach when sitting. A wall reading lamp with an arm or adjustable head keeps the light on the page and does not disturb the person sleeping next to you. For reading, 400–800 lumens are generally enough, ideally adjustable, with a light between 2700 and 3000 K. If the bedside table is small, a wall light leaves its surface free.

Tolomeo wall lamp: when you need a light that moves

The Tolomeo by Artemide, by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina, 1987, has balanced arms: you take the light where you need it, on the desk or the book. If the lamp always stays the same, the design matters more. Talo, by Neil Poulton, is made of clean lines of LED light. Coordinates by Flos, by Michael Anastassiades, has aluminium lines of light crossing at right angles. Kami by Cattaneo comes from a fold and a diagonal cut, like origami. Fontanella by FontanaArte, by Federico Peri, combines a sandblasted tube and a blown glass bubble.

Flos Foglio wall lamp and low ceilings: light on the walls

With a low ceiling a wall lamp helps twice: it leaves the space above free and, by lighting the wall, makes the room seem larger. You need light directed upwards and downwards, like that of Foglio, by Tobia Scarpa for Flos. Dots by Vibia, by Martín Azúa, also works on the wall: it is a concave disc that reflects the light onto the wall, like a moon.

Long or small wall lights in the corridor: spacing

A wall lamp does not take up the passage, which is why it is often used in corridors. Guidance on the distance between lamps ranges from about 1.8 to 3 m, depending on the light each model gives. Keep them all at the same height. In a narrow corridor, before the length, check on the product page how far the lamp projects from the wall.

Wall lights in the bathroom: which IP rating you need

At the mirror the most even light comes from the sides: two wall lights with their centre about 150–165 cm from the floor light the face without shadows under the eyes. If you put one above the mirror, it usually sits at about 190–200 cm, and is at least three quarters of the mirror's width without going beyond its edges. The degree of protection matters too: near a washbasin, bath or shower, look for at least IP44. The electrician determines the exact zone.

To choose by brand, start from the wall lamps of Artemide, Flos, Cattaneo or Slamp. For porches and façades, see the outdoor wall lamps; for other lamps, go back to Indoor lamps.