Ideal height for wall lights?

[emilybronte]

Hi all,

The ceilings in our cottage are only 2.1m high and we have wall lights in some rooms. Please could anyone tell me whether - practically or aesthetically - there is an ideal height for these things? The ones which are there now seem too high up, to me. (The shades come within about 30 cm of the ceiling).

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[emilybronte]

Have I posted this question in the wrong forum?

Please advise.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Please could anyone tell me whether - practically or aesthetically - there is an ideal height for these things?

It's up to you. It's your house.

 

[seasickstevie]

If they're the 'up-lighter' type, keep them a bit lower than you otherwise would.
If they're the 'swan-neck' type, consider the actual height of the lamp in relation to the wall fixing ... if that makes sense.

Other than that, as EFLI says ...

 

[Taylortwocities]

Have I posted this question in the wrong forum?

You are in the right place, but most people aren't glued to their PCs on a Sunday evening.
Personally, I was trying to think of reasons why I did not want to sit through "Poldark"….

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Personally, I was trying to think of reasons why I did not want to sit through "Poldark"….

And did you come across one?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Hi all,
The ceilings in our cottage are only 2.1m high and we have wall lights in some rooms. Please could anyone tell me whether - practically or aesthetically - there is an ideal height for these things? The ones which are there now seem too high up, to me. (The shades come within about 30 cm of the ceiling).

There are no set rules, only that precautions should be made, that heat from them will not cause danger.

So it is really up to you, but your placement will be dictated by the cables installed. Unless you intend ripping out and installing new cables that is?

 

[emilybronte]

Thanks for the replies.

I appreciate that it's my house and normally I'm quite good at knowing instinctively whether something looks right or not.

But I've always wondered whether there is an aesthetic principle behind things like how high wall lights go. There is definitely a set of rules about where and how to hang pictures on walls, for example.

I asked the electrician who was working in a property I decorated, and he looked terrified. 'Haven't a clue, I just put 'em where I'm told'. Perhaps it's an architect I need rather than an electrician?

You have reassured me that you are all alive, at any rate. Hope you enjoyed your Sunday evenings, however you spent them.

 

[Iggifer]

You don't need an architect, you just need to know what kind of light you're going to have and what works for your size room.

I could tell you the job I'm on at the moment, wall lights are going in at 1550mm from the floor, this may well work in your house, it may not.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

There is definitely a set of rules about where and how to hang pictures on walls, for example.

There are.

Rule 1: Hang them where you like

Rule 2: Err.... that's it.

Perhaps it's an architect I need rather than an electrician?

No, you need an electrician who will put them where you tell him.

And you tell him to put them where you like them.

TBH I am really struggling to understand the problem.

The ones which are there now seem too high up, to me. (The shades come within about 30 cm of the ceiling).

I've got some glass wall/up-lighters - this sort of shape (but not this actual design)

The tops are 26cm from the ceiling because that's where we decided we liked them.

TIP: - if you find yours too high up at 30cm from the ceiling, have them lower than that.

 

[MarknGina]

in ceilings with low spaces I usually use hang them around eye level. any lower and it looks ridiculous.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Usually, you do not want to be able to see into the light fitting itself...

 

[seasickstevie]

I asked the electrician who was working in a property I decorated, [how high wall lights should be] and he looked terrified.

I wonder how he looks if he's asked something complicated !

 

[emilybronte]

I asked the electrician who was working in a property I decorated, [how high wall lights should be] and he looked terrified.

I wonder how he looks if he's asked something complicated !

I suspect that if it were a complicated electrical question, he would be in his element and that he would explain it all to me in a way which (being useless with electrical matters) I would struggle to grasp.

He did however make me think that my unproven and largely intuitive theory that electricians are (indeed, have to be) further down the autistic disorder spectrum than most males, might be right after all. Which is a positive advantage when dealing with electricity.

It would also explain why no electrician so far has ventured an opinion based on aesthetics, which is not an exact science, as opposed to saying 'You put them where the customer wants them ' or words to that effect!

I have come to the conclusion that the right place to put wall lights (with shades) for maximum aesthetic effect is at a point which is between two thirds and three quarters, ideally 0.71, of the distance from floor to ceiling, that point being the centre of the light.

Spread the word

 

[EFLImpudence]

It would also explain why no electrician so far has ventured an opinion based on aesthetics, which is not an exact science, as opposed to saying 'You put them where the customer wants them ' or words to that effect!

It is because it is the customer's house and the customer who has to live with it.
The electrician may indeed be absolutely correct in whatever advice he may offer but if YOU don't like it then you will complain so he does not offer aesthetic advice to women as they may as well complain about the lack of advice rather than complain about the quality of advice.

He has probably learned this a long time ago and and so does not offer advice to women because it is not worth the hassle.

I have come to the conclusion that the right place to put wall lights (with shades) for maximum aesthetic effect is at a point which is between two thirds and three quarters, ideally 0.71, of the distance from floor to ceiling, that point being the centre of the light.

There you go.

If it looks rubbish when done you can console yourself that it was YOUR fault.