By: Oliver Marks
Published: September 24, 2012 on houselogic.com
Sconce lighting offers excellent illumination and practicality, and installing some models is a simple DIY job. If you feel like you’re experienced enough, you can try and handle the DIY, if not then you might want to look for the services of electricians that can be sent out to make repairs or installations, if you were to schedule an appointment you’ll more than likely input to their scheduling software similar to the likes of ServiceMax provides, this ensures that you’ll be soon at the earliest convenience for you both.
Sconces produce a unique lighting pattern. Because they’re installed close to a wall, they produce both direct task lighting – great for bathrooms and as reading lamps — and soft, ambient light that reflects off walls, ceilings, and floors. We can even provide additional smart home technology to turn the lighting into an app-controllable device, similar to the Philips Hue. One of the most popular types of sconce lighting is farmhouse sconces. Farmhouse decor offers a traditional and rustic touch on furniture and this is no different with lighting. You can see an example of some popular farmhouse sconces at Khalima Lights if this design interests you.
“By illuminating the ceiling, they make it seem higher and so make the room feel larger,” says contractor Mike Gasch of Artisan Remodeling in Madison, Wisc.
Architectural lighting designer Bruce Yarnell of Shawnee, Kan., adds, “They have a similar effect as floor lamps because they light a specific area, but with multiple sconces on a single wall switch, they’re much more convenient.”
Plug-in or hard-wired?
This can be a big question and sometimes, consulting with the professional who’s installing the lighting can be very helpful. Whichever electrician you choose to install your lights, whether it’s a local company or someone from Home Team Electric (hometeamelectric.com/services/wiring-and-rewiring/), they should have a full understanding of wiring and be able to educate you on what’s best for your needs. There are two types of sconces:
Hard-wired sconces don’t have exposed wires and are permanently wired to your home’s electrical system. They operate either by a wall switch or by a switch in the fixture.
For control over your lighting scheme, put sconces on a dimmer switch. If you want each sconce to operate independently, such as for reading in bed, then an on/off switch in the fixture is the way to go.