Wall Lights in Surrey: Choosing Living Room, Bedroom and Statement Wall Lights

What wall lights add to a room

A ceiling light fills a room from above. Wall lights wash light across the walls themselves, which makes a room feel wider and warmer and gives texture to paint, panelling and plaster. In a living room they are often the difference between a space that feels lit and one that feels furnished with light.

They also frame things. A pair either side of a fireplace, a mirror or a bed gives a room symmetry, while a single statement wall light can hold a stretch of wall as well as a picture would. Brass, glass and period designs in the art deco and Edwardian manner tend to work best as a deliberate feature rather than an afterthought.

Height and spacing

As a general guide, wall lights are usually fitted with their centre somewhere between 150 and 180cm from the floor, lower in rooms where people mostly sit and higher in hallways and on landings. Keep pairs at the same height, and in a living room try to fit them before the furniture arrives so the positions follow where the sofa and fireplace will be, not the other way round.

If you are choosing a ceiling light at the same time, it is worth picking the two together. Matching ceiling and wall lights in the same finish give a room a considered look, and our ceiling lights page covers the ceiling side of that decision.

Hardwired, plug-in or rechargeable

Hardwired wall lights give the cleanest finish but need cables in the wall and a qualified electrician. In England, electrical work in the home is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations, so it is worth planning wall lights alongside any other building or decorating work. Plug-in and rechargeable wall lights avoid the chasing and replastering, and suit rented homes or rooms where you are not ready to redecorate, though a visible cable or a lower light output is the trade-off.

See it lit before you choose

Wall lights are one of the hardest fittings to judge from a photograph, because so much of their effect is the pattern of light they throw onto the wall above and below them.

Selected wall lights are displayed in our Camberley showroom, and you can see how each one looks switched on before you decide. Please contact us to check a particular design before travelling; the online range is not all on display, and not every fitting is lit at all times.

There is a practical reason to buy wall lights from someone who can show you the product, too. In evidence to Parliament, the charity Electrical Safety First reported that nearly a quarter of consumers had bought a counterfeit electrical product online, often without realising. Every fitting we sell comes from an established supplier, and we can tell you exactly what you are buying. Read the Electrical Safety First evidence.

Common questions

How high should wall lights be fitted? As a general guide, wall lights are usually fitted with their centre between 150 and 180cm from the floor, lower in sitting rooms and higher in hallways and on landings.

Do I need an electrician to fit wall lights? Hardwired wall lights need a qualified electrician, and in England domestic electrical work is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations. Plug-in and rechargeable wall lights avoid new wiring altogether.

Where can I see wall lights in Surrey? Selected wall lights are displayed at our independent showroom on Camberley High Street, serving homes across Surrey and Hampshire. Contact us to check a particular design before travelling.

Related reading

• Ceiling Lights in Surrey

• Table Lamps in Surrey: Choosing Lamps for Living Rooms and Bedrooms

• How do you know what a light fitting will actually look like before you buy it?

Buy the light, not the photograph.

Get free lighting advice for your room — share your room details and measurements and we will suggest where wall lights would work.

Browse wall lights on Illuminations Direct, with collection from our Camberley showroom. Contact us to check suitability and availability before travelling.

Advice from our Camberley showroom

By the Illuminations of Camberley team, independent lighting specialists established in 1971. We help customers compare fittings, finishes and scale at our High Street showroom. Meet Illuminations.

See lighting in our customers’ real homes, or contact us with your room photographs and measurements. Check availability before travelling to see a particular fitting.