When you start thinking about using candle sconces for your home, the last thing on your mind are prehistoric men and women. After all, wall sconces are sophisticated and your home is elegant and refined.
But the truth is, your impulse matches up pretty neatly with one of theirs as well. They wanted to free their hands to work more efficiently without giving up the light of their torches and fires. The solution? Stick that torch into that hole in the cave wall.
Voila! The first candle wall sconce.
Of course, those simple and primitive lights have come a long way since then. And that’s a good thing – nobody wants to live like Fred Flintstone! But the example serves an important point. The candle wall sconce offers you a dual function, one that has made it so important over the centuries. The light it provides is tasteful and elegant.
But it is also the light you live by. You can write a check or play a game of chess. You can share some cheese and crackers with a friend. You can get up and walk around without tripping over the cat.
Most people arrange to have their wall sconce set relatively high up on the wall. Try to get it at least five and preferably six feet from the floor. The reason for this is that the light will go farther. And the farther the light goes, the better the odds are that you can actually eliminate another source of light such as a floor lamp.
In fact, one of the lesser known benefits to using wall sconces is the way they can open up a room.
One of the biggest challenges that faces anyone who wants to buy one of these lighting fixtures, is deciding exactly what style or design they should go with. There is an almost countless number from which to choose! You can decrease the potential stress of going through all the options simply by deciding what type of interior decor you have in the first place.
If your home is a contemporary with an art deco ambiance, then you should probably skip the wrought iron candelabra.
But don’t get so carried away with the design of the item that you forget the fact that it has to actually work in the space you plan to install it. Form is good but so if function! If your plan is to illuminate a living room that’s large and has cathedral ceilings and in which you often host holiday parties, well, that calls for a very different type of lighting than a tiny guest bedroom.
You might think that once you’ve purchased the right wall sconce that you’re essentially done. You’re wrong! Installing them is equally as important as those previous steps. Why? Because if you don’t install it properly, then you lose the benefit it provides. If it’s hung too low, it won’t cast an effective light. If it’s too close to a window you will get an annoying back glare.
If you feel that picking out a candle wall sconce is simply more of a challenge that you are up to facing, don’t get down. Lots of people find the process too much to bear. You aren’t alone! Reach out to a licensed electrician and tell them what you are hoping to do. See what they have to say. Or maybe you want to schedule a meeting with an interior decorator who knows a thing or two about lighting. What are their thoughts?
You don’t have to rush! And you are allowed to enjoy the process. So take your time and be sure to make the best choice possible.
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