The 6 Top Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wall Lights

Lighting can be the difference between a room looking perfect to feeling out of place. Wall lights, in particular, are a no-brainer when it comes to redefining your interior space. From luxury designs to class sconces, there’s a plethora of design choices at your disposal.

So, if you’ve picked out a favorite, it’s not just as simple as installing your lights in any old place. Doing so could mess up the whole balance of a room.

Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wall Lights

In this post, we’ll look at some of the key mistakes you’ll want to avoid when choosing wall lights that actually reflect your style and decor.

1. Overlooking the Size and Scale of Your Room

No one room is the same in a home. One of the first mistakes people tend to make is choosing lights that are either too small or too large in relation to the room’s dimensions.

Certain types of wall fixtures work well in smaller spaces, such as minimalist sconces. Whereas larger rooms can accommodate more substantial fixtures or even layered lighting designs.

The trick is in making sure that the proportion of the light complements the room size and doesn’t feel too much or too little. Naturally, the more space you have, the more fixtures you’ll need to strike the right balance.

2. Only Having One Type of Light

Limiting your room to one light (often a ceiling light) restricts its potential and can make it feel flat or uninviting. In a living room, for example, there are plenty of reasons to mix and match lights.

For starters, it allows you to adjust the mood on the fly, perfect for when you want less light for certain activities like watching a movie.

A must for any room is to have a layered lighting scheme. This means using different types of lights to create a dynamic atmosphere that serves multiple purposes.

It typically involves three main types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent.

• Ambient lighting is your main source of light for the entire room. This can come from ceiling fixtures, floor lamps, or chandeliers. It essentially sets the foundation for your other lighting elements.
• Task lighting provides focused light to specific areas for activities such as reading, cooking, or working. You can achieve this through fixtures like table lamps, under-cabinet kitchen lights, or mirror sconces.
• Accent lighting serves as the finishing touch to highlight specific features or areas within a room. It can come in the form of Wall-mounted picture lights or directional track lighting that draw attention to focal points.

3. Installing At An Improper Height

Even the nicest wall lights can look awkward if they’re mounted at the wrong height. Place them too low, and they’ll shine directly into your eyes or make the space feel cramped. And if they’re too high, they’ll lose their impact altogether.

As a general rule, wall lights are best positioned around eye level (roughly 1.5 to 1.7 meters from the floor), though this can vary depending on the room and ceiling height. In hallways or living spaces, aim for consistency so each light sits evenly along the wall.

If you’re planning to have bedside or mirror lights, think about how you’ll actually use the light. In terms of bedside fixtures, you want to make sure they sit high enough to read comfortably without glare.

And for Mirror lights, they work best when positioned so that the light reaches your face evenly, not casting shadows.

4. Using the Wrong Bulbs

Not all wall lights give off the same level or quality of light. Some are designed for ambiance rather than brightness, which can leave a room feeling dim if you rely on them alone.

Before buying, check the lumen output (that’s the measure of brightness) and what kind of bulbs they use. LEDs are usually the best option as they’re energy-efficient and last much longer than traditional bulbs.

If you like having control, consider dimmable options so you can adjust the mood depending on the time of day.

5. Ignoring the Style and Cohesion of Your Room

Another mistake people often make is picking a light purely because it looks great on its own, and thinking about whether it fits the rest of the room. Your wall lights should feel like a natural part of the space, not an afterthought.

That’s not to say your lights have to match everything exactly. But they should tie into the overall look, whether that’s through color, texture, or design style.

Try to stick with lighting designs that complement your existing décor. If you have a modern interior, it makes sense to opt for a sleeker lighting design so it adds to the overall vibe and does not dampen it.

If you prefer a more traditional setting, lights that come in a soft brass or matte black often blend nicely.

6. Choosing Cost Over Quality

We all love a bargain, especially if the product in question gets the job done. If you’re not someone who cares about aesthetics and just wants a practical light source, then why not save some money by doing so? And that’s part of the problem.

Low-cost options might look fine at first, but can wear quickly, and often fail to match the light quality of the more trusted lighting brands. Again, this won’t apply to every room, as there’s no need to buy a fancy light for minor spaces like a pantry or coatroom.

However, for areas where you spend a considerable amount of time, it’s worth investing in well-made fixtures as it usually pays off in the long run.

There are plenty of brands that have a great track record for creating quality lights, some even being affordable while still providing exceptional value. Dar, Endon, Laura Ashley, and some of the well-regarded brands, to name a few.

Achieve the Best Lighting For Your Home

No matter your style, certain aspects of lighting need to be followed for it to fulfill its function as well as look good while doing so. For the best results, these mistakes need to be avoided; otherwise, you could be left with an inadequate design that costs you more money to fix.

Start shopping to find the perfect lights for your home.

Disclosure: I sometimes use Artificial Intelligence Image generators to create some of my images. These are to show you examples of my ideas and inspiration when I cannot produce the real images myself, or cannot find stock images.

I will always make sure I use real images where possible.