In the last article, we began discussing sconces, where to use them, and how to place them properly. Today, we will continue that conversation, focusing on bathroom vanity lights and bedside lighting. One of my most common panicked questions is, “Where do we tell the electrician to place the bedside sconces if we don’t have furniture chosen yet?” Every time I hear this question, I let out a small sigh, because there isn’t a simple answer. The first, most important, and obvious question I will ask BEFORE specifying hardwired bedside lights is, “Do you know exactly where the furniture is going and are you planning on changing the layout of the room in the near future?” If your response is affirmative to the latter question, then perhaps hardwired sconces aren’t for you. There are other options though, like plug-in sconces or lamps. Lamps aren’t used as often anymore and I think it’s a missed opportunity for an easy bedside, (or couch-side) light. They can be moved any time you like or replaced on your own if you decide to change up your decor. But back to sconces. If a client DOES know the layout of the furniture and is NOT planning on changing said layout anytime soon, then hardwired bedside sconces may be a perfect option for you. They free up nightstand space and add a custom feel to the room. So, where do they go? I am going to assume that we do not know the height of the headboard, or that it is a full-height headboard, since most of the time that is the situation at the time of electric box installation.
The most important thing when figuring out the height of the sconce is to make sure that you or your client will be able to reach the sconce when lying in bed. In a literal sense, this means the electrical box should be placed about 8-12” from the headboard to the center of the 4” box and 48-54” up from the floor. This should put the sconces at the perfect location to reach and adjust while sitting up in bed.
See the photo below for an example. (not my photo)
Photo Credit: Home Depot
If you choose to use plug-in sconces, I would change my recommendation. In that case, our priority is to hide the wire as much as possible which means the sconces should be at that same 4' height but be right in the middle of the nightstand. This would be possible because they can be hung after the furniture is installed. See photo below for example. (not my photo)
Photo Credit: Lights.com
Now that we have that settled, let’s move to bathrooms. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people skip decorative lighting in bathrooms. Lighting fixtures such as vanity lights, sconces, or even chandeliers, make bathrooms warm and inviting instead of cold and sterile. They add what I deem as necessary decorative and practical design features to a bathroom. In the last article, we went over sconce locations next to a mirror but let's discuss vanity lights ABOVE the mirror now. Why would we use vanity lights instead of sconces? Overhead lighting is important in a bathroom where makeup or shaving will occur. It gives a better overall light with less shadow on the face. Most vanity lights are also created to give better lighting than the average sconce, especially if the sconce has shades. These days, LED-integrated vanity lights are common, and I recommend using one with no less than 1200 lumens if it is the main light by the sink.
But how high should we place the vanity lights? I am first going to assume that the designer or client has sourced their mirror for above the vanity. If they have, it is a lot simpler to know where to put the light. You will want to make sure you leave at least 10” above the mirror for the narrowest vanity light with 12-18” being optimal. With more space, you have more options but if you have an 8-foot ceiling, that may not be possible so 10 inches can work as well. A narrow vanity light will be about 4-5” high so it will leave you with a few inches between the light and the ceiling and a couple between the mirror and the light as well. If you are in the common situation where you have not yet had a chance to source the mirror, OR the light, but must place your vanity light’s electric box, here are my suggestions: On an 8-foot ceiling, you can have a nice tall mirror and place your light at 10-12” from the ceiling. On a higher ceiling, it is easier to measure from the bottom up. 34” for the vanity, 4-8” for the space between the mirror and vanity, 40” for the average mirror (a shorter mirror may look too small on a higher ceiling,) and that leaves you with a healthy 28 inches from the mirror to the ceiling on a 9-foot ceiling and 40” on a 10-foot ceiling. From there I would measure 10” up and place the center of your electrical box there. Of course, this will make you choose a narrow, more simple vanity bar light. If you know your preference is a vanity light with multiple glasses, which are usually closer to 10” tall, I would place the electrical box slightly higher at about 12-14” high to the center of the box. You never want to go too high with your vanity light or you will lose the actual illumination on the mirror that you need but you also want to make sure that the glasses will not overlap the mirror. See photo 1 below for an example of a vanity bar placed properly and photo 2 for an example of a vanity light with glasses placed properly. (not my photos)
Photo 1:
Photo 2:
Photo Credit: Lowes
Designer Questions:
Q: What kind of lighting do you recommend if we are using a medicine cabinet mirror vs a standard mirror?
A: Above mirror vanity lights will not get in the way of a medicine cabinet door and will not be blocked when you open the medicine cabinet, therefore making it a much more practical solution than sconces on the sides of the mirror.
Q: What should I do if I really like the look of sconces but need the lighting to be practical for makeup application?
A: Place 1 or 2 mini recessed lights over the vanity to mimic the light you would get from a vanity light and then use the sconces to supplement that light and beautify the space simultaneously.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Malka has been in the Lighting industry for over 19 years and specializes in high end residential and commercial spaces. She has the ultimate passion for lighting design and is grateful for the opportunity to help other designers and homeowners gain some lighting knowledge through this blog. Malka now works for Supreme Lighting in Brooklyn, NY as a Senior Lighting Designer and works on projects all over the country. She is available to help with your lighting needs and can be reached at Malka@supremelightingny.com.
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