At what height should you install a wall light?

All heights in this guide are measured from the floor to the centre of the wall light, i.e. to the middle of the light body. These are reference points from lighting designers and interior architects, named as such: they aim at a single objective, to light without seeing the bulb. The electrical box is then positioned according to the chosen model, by an electrician.

Wall light height

The general reference is 150 to 180 cm from the floor. Lower, the light dazzles a standing person and you bump into the lighting; higher, the light goes to the ceiling and the wall light loses its role as accent lighting. In a room where you are mostly seated (living room, bedroom), aim for the bottom of this range; in a passageway, the top. For several wall lights on the same wall, keep the same height for all, even if the furniture below differs.

Wall light height standard

To our knowledge, no standard sets the decorative height of a wall light in a dwelling. The NF C 15-100 standard governs the electrical installation (circuits, connection, protection, rules specific to the bathroom): its application is the responsibility of the electrician, who will confirm the position of the electrical box and the authorised equipment according to the room. The heights given here remain comfort references, to be adapted to your height and your furniture.

Living room wall light height

150 to 170 cm: seated on the sofa, you don't see the bulb, and standing the light remains soft. A pair of wall lights on either side of a sofa, sideboard or fireplace is positioned symmetrically, 20 to 30 cm from the edges of the furniture. Above a sofa, a swing-arm wall light is fixed at around 150 to 160 cm, so that the arm passes above the heads of seated people.

Hallway wall light height

170 to 190 cm, slightly higher than in the living room since you are standing and pass through quickly. Space wall lights 2 to 3 m apart and choose a model that lights upwards or downwards rather than forwards: in a narrow hallway, a source directed towards the eyes dazzles with each passage. A low-projection model also avoids bumping into it in a passage of less than 100 cm.

Staircase wall light height

Approximately 180 cm above the nosing of the steps, measured vertically, following the slope: all wall lights thus remain parallel to the handrail. Plan for at least one wall light at the top and one at the bottom of the flight, with a switch at each end, which the electrician will wire. The steps must be lit without shadow cast by the body: a light directed downwards is more suitable than a globe.

Kitchen wall light height

Above a worktop, the wall light is positioned 50 to 60 cm above the surface, under the wall units if there are any, and directed towards the cutting area. On a free wall, above a table or dining area, return to the living room reference, 150 to 170 cm. All wall lights in the catalogue are in our wall lights collection.

Wall light height for headboard

For reading, the light source should be above the shoulder, slightly behind the head, when sitting against the headboard. The rule of thumb is 60 to 70 cm above the mattress. With a bed height of 50 to 60 cm, this places the wall light between 110 and 130 cm from the floor. Check whilst sitting in bed: the light source should be just above the shoulder.

Wall light height for bed

Two uses, two heights. For reading, 110 to 130 cm from the floor, with a reading light or an adjustable wall light. For ambient lighting replacing the bedside table lamp, 150 to 170 cm, with an opaque diffuser or lampshade. A tall or upholstered headboard raises the reading wall light accordingly: its lower edge should remain 10 to 15 cm above the headboard.

Standard wall light height for bed

No standard sets this height; the figures above are guidelines. However, the switch must fall to hand with the bed made: a wall light with a switch on the body or cable, or a two-way switch installed by the electrician near the bedroom entrance, avoids getting up to turn off the light.

Wall light distance from bed

Horizontally, place the wall light directly above the bedside table, i.e. 15 to 25 cm outside the edge of the mattress. Closer to the centre, it lights the neighbour's pillow; further out, the page remains in shadow. For a 160 cm bed, this means two wall lights spaced 190 to 210 cm apart. An adjustable-arm reading light forgives a deviation of a few centimetres.

Wall light height for bedroom

Away from the headboard, the bedroom follows the living room guideline, 150 to 170 cm, for soft lighting either side of a chest of drawers or mirror. The headboards in the catalogue are in the headboard collection.

Bathroom wall light height

At the mirror, light must come from the front or from both sides, not from the ceiling, otherwise it creates shadows under the eyes. Two wall lights placed on either side of the mirror, the centre at around 160 cm, at eye level, illuminate the face without shadow. A single wall light above the mirror is fixed just above the frame, at around 180 to 200 cm, and must be wide enough to cover the face.

Bathroom mirror wall light height

Leave 5 to 10 cm between the edge of the mirror and each wall light, so that the light remains on the face and is not reflected directly in the glass. For a 60 cm wide mirror, this means two wall lights spaced 70 to 80 cm apart. Above a washbasin, the same guidelines apply; above a double basin, allow for a pair of wall lights per mirror.

What falls to the electrician

The bathroom is divided into zones around the bath and shower by standard NF C 15-100, with protection requirements for each. This guide does not give these values: it is up to the electrician to locate your wall light in these zones and validate the model. Just remember to choose a lighting fixture whose specification indicates a protection rating suitable for the bathroom, such as models marked IP44 in their title (Cime by ENOstudio, Glo-Ball by Flos for mirror). These models are in the bathroom wall lights collection.

Outdoor wall light height

Beside a door, fix the wall light between 170 and 190 cm, on the lock side, to light the hand and key without dazzling the person arriving. Above the door, place it just above the frame, centred. For a wide front door or a garage door, a pair of wall lights either side is more balanced than a single one above. On a terrace, keep to 170 to 190 cm and space wall lights 3 to 4 m apart along the façade.

What output for an outdoor wall light

Think in lumens, not watts. Practical guide: 100 to 300 lumens to mark an entrance or delineate a terrace, 300 to 800 lumens to properly light a passageway or outdoor steps. A warm light, 2,700 to 3,000 K, is more pleasant in the evening than a cool light. A motion sensor, planned at installation, limits consumption.

Protection and installation

An outdoor wall light must withstand rain and dust: check the protection rating shown on the product sheet (the Ginger by Marset, for example, is marked IP65 in its title) and have an electrician validate the choice and wiring, especially for an exposed wall. The models are in the outdoor wall lights collection.

The reading light

An adjustable arm or head, a focused beam: it lights the page, not the room. It's the right choice on each side of a double bed, where each person can read without disturbing the other, and next to a reading armchair. Check the arm's reach on the product page: from directly above the bedside table, it must bring the light over the page.

The plug-in wall light

Some wall lights have a cable and a plug: you fix them to the wall and plug them into a socket, without a junction box or wiring. Practical in rented accommodation, they're also useful for a headboard with no electrical supply. The title indicates this ('with plug'): Flowerpot VP8 by &tradition, Type 75 Mini by Anglepoise, Bestlite BL6 by Gubi, Waldorf by Lambert & Fils. Run the cable through trunking or leave it visible, straight and vertical.

The ambient wall light

Opal glass diffuser, fabric lampshade, reflective disc: it diffuses upwards, downwards or all around and complements the pendant light. Installed in pairs, it shapes the room and creates areas of soft light in the evening, without ceiling lighting.

Choosing a wall light

Four questions are enough: what needs to be lit (a page, a wall, a passageway); is there an electrical supply at the desired location; what projection can the passageway accommodate; what IP rating does the room require. Reading lights are gathered in the reading light collection.

The opal glass diffuses light evenly in all directions: it's the material of globes (Glo-Ball by Flos) and bathroom wall lights. Metal directs the light towards a page or the wall and remains dark on the outside: it's suitable for reading lights and hallway wall lights. Ceramic and concrete (Primary Shape by Serax) remain opaque: the light comes out through the openings and illuminates the surrounding wall. Fabric and cane webbing (Screen by Market Set) filter the light and warm it up.

The finish affects how the wall is perceived: matt black emphasises the form on a light-coloured wall, brass and gold warm the light and catch reflections, white blends into the wall and shows only the light. Glass wall lights are in the glass wall lights collection, dark finishes in the black wall lights collection and warm finishes in the gold wall lights collection.

HAY (Denmark) publishes compact, colourful wall lights, such as the Apex measuring 13 × 9 × 16 cm, easy to position in a hallway or above a desk. See HAY wall lights.

Muuto (Denmark) offers the Calm in aluminium, in 50, 68 and 90 cm, an ambient wall light to be installed in pairs. See the brand Muuto.

Gubi (Denmark) reissues the Bestlite by Robert Dudley Best, whose BL6 version with plug can be plugged in without an electrician. See the brand Gubi.

Flos (Italy) publishes the Glo-Ball by Jasper Morrison, an opal glass globe available as a wall light and as a small IP44 wall light for mirrors. See the brand Flos.

&tradition (Denmark) reissues the Flowerpot by Verner Panton, whose VP8 wall light with plug is available in several lacquered finishes. See the brand &tradition.

Tala (United Kingdom) works with very warm LED light: the Kilter indicates 2,200 K in its title. See the brand Tala.

A bedroom with a 160 cm bed, without electrical points above the bedside tables

Measured sleeping height: 55 cm. Reading wall lights 60 to 70 cm above the mattress, i.e. 115 to 125 cm from the floor, directly above the bedside tables, 20 cm outside the mattress on each side. Without a junction box, two plug-in wall lights (Anglepoise Type 75 Mini or Gubi Bestlite BL6), vertical cable down to the socket behind the bedside table. Their adjustable head compensates for imperfect centring.

A hallway 6 m by 110 cm wide, 250 cm ceiling height

Three wall lights at 180 cm from the floor, spaced 2 m apart, the first and last at 1 m from each end. In a 110 cm passageway, choose a compact model such as the Serax Primary Shape (11.5 x 8 x 18 cm) or the HAY Apex (13 x 9 x 16 cm), checking on the product sheet that the light is directed upwards or downwards. Two-way switching at both ends, to be installed by an electrician. White models blend into the white wall lights collection.

Before any work, switch off the power at the consumer unit, not just at the light switch. Connecting a wall light to the mains, moving a backbox or adding a control are jobs for an electrician, who applies BS 7671; only a plug-in wall light can be installed without work on the fixed wiring. Observe the maximum wattage and cap type shown on the product page: an over-powered bulb heats the diffuser and the lampshade.

Care: a dry or slightly damp cloth on metal and glass, lighting switched off and cool; a soft brush or the vacuum cleaner on low power on fabric and cane. Outdoors, a rinse with clean water in spring removes deposits and cobwebs that dull the light. Replacement bulbs are in the LED bulb collection.

What The Cool Republic order data shows between January and September 2026 in the collection Wall lights. Shares are counted by number of orders, not quantities, so that one large purchase doesn't weigh more than another.

What's most ordered in 2026

• Colours: white (20%), black (17%), beige (14%).
• Materials: ceramic (13%), steel (13%), glass (13%).

Most requested brands

Share of orders: Sollux (14%), Maytoni (12%), Serax (11%), Hübsch (11%).

Most ordered models since January

• Red and brown hanging glass wall light, Hübsch
• Small white glass and brass wall light, Hübsch
• Beige glazed ceramic wall light 12x16cm Zori, Sollux
• Yellow stoneware wall light Ocher jame, Serax
• Rosette-shaped wall light Pliss, Hübsch

• Fitting the wall light at eye level in a hallway, around 150 cm: you get the bulb in your face with every pass; mount it at 170 to 190 cm.
• Positioning reading wall lights in the centre of the headboard: they light the neighbour's pillow; place them directly above the bedside tables.
• Having the back box fitted before choosing the wall light: each model has its own mounting height and projection; choose first, have it fitted afterwards.
• Choosing a bathroom wall light for style alone: the IP rating and installation zone must be validated with the electrician.
• Aligning wall lights with furniture rather than with each other: on the same wall, all wall lights should be fitted at the same height.
• Putting an opal globe for bedside reading: it lights the whole room, not the page; opt for an adjustable reading light instead.