Design 101
30 Cool & Impactful Sconces To Make Your Walls Look Great (7 Are Under $100!)
I love unique wall sconces; they’re essentially functional art for a wall. They look beautiful, add visual interest *and* provides light. Honestly, I’m not sure sconces get enough play in the world of design writing. But here’s the thing: A good one can turn a very simple room into an absolute showstopper (I’ll show you if you keep reading). That’s power, my friends. No joke, a plain white wall with just the right double-arm sconce transforms into, well, a chic white wall that can stand alone.
Let’s take a moment to admire some handsome visuals to get our gears churning before we dip into shopping:
This was the first photo I bookmarked for this post because it stopped me in my tracks. By the interior geniuses at Ashe Leandro, I’ve never seen anything like this in all the best ways. What more do you even need on a wall when this baby is the centerpiece? Just wow.
This shape of blown glass sconce is all the rage recently. These, the Vera Sconce by In Common With, in collaboration with artist Sophie Lou Jacobsen, pack a punch at over $1,800 each and a 12-week wait time. Eeesh, but looking is free, after all.
Playing with materials is a way to easily up the visual factor of just about anything. In sconces, a wood finish is always eye-catching, like in this double linen-shaded sconce being sold by a retailer called Lucia Living (you can find this exact sconce for a fairly affordable price at a lot of e-comm lighting stores, FYI, including one that I found with a plug-in function).
Some of the best things you typically find in a home are either custom or vintage. These brass and powdery blue sconces in a dining room by Ward + Gray are the latter. Either way, both can break your heart if you wish to see them in your spaces.
I just love the shape of this sconce by the French lighting manufacturer WO & WÉ. This one is a great example of a sconce as art. Most people would think they needed to hang either a frame, a canvas, or a mirror in this arched wall feature, but don’t forget that statement lighting is always an option, too.
Now, time to shop around. As a lighting lover, my selections could be nearly endless for a post such as this, but I kept it to a tight six for each category that I pieced together. There are a handful of premium price point options, but most I tried to keep realistic (even if a realistic stretch for some). But like most things these days, lighting—especially sculptural lighting—is EXPENSIVE. Hence why I pulled together a bonus under-$100 roundup at the end, as well.
Extra-Tall, Vertical Sconces
I’m going to start with my favorite type of eye-catching sconce. The extra-tall, vertical sconce is one of my absolute most-loved ways to fill a wall. For instance, the Valerie Objects Lamp N°3 is so simple but commanding, swooping down from the wall like a street lamp, available in a variety of eye-catching colors. It’s a pricey one (see my roundup), but if you can swing it, it’s a worthwhile investment. West Elm has one with similar vibes for about 1/5 of the price. I’ve had my eye on the Leggero Champagne Pole plug-in sconce from CB2 for years, and it packs the biggest value in terms of price in the bunch.
1. Tamlin Aged Brass Long Wall Sconce | 2. Leggero Champagne Pole Plug-In Wall Sconce by goop | 3. Valerie_Objects Hanging Lamp N°3, Menie Red | 4. Arum Plug-In Wall Sconce | 5. Kern Metal Overarching Plug-In Sconce (59″) | 6. Platet A05 Wall Sconce by Christophe Mathieu, For Bover
Round & Flush Sconces
On the complete flip side of the tall and skinny sconce is the small, round, and chunky sconce. I call these “donut” sconces, but there are different styles besides the circle backplate with a round bulb, as well. I’m essentially being haunted by this lilac sconce from Claude, but at over $900 each for something 6 inches wide and tall, it’s just not in the cards for me. Can it be in the cards for you?!? (Send me a picture of it installed in your home, if so, so we can celebrate together). A far more affordable option that’s making my mouth salivate is the double bubble option from Vakkerlight (#3), and the green onyx flushmount from radilum (#5). Both of those are retailers that sell affordable lights—though note that many of them are knock-offs of higher-end things, and everyone has a different tolerance for that kind of thing.
Of course, Rejuvenation has a plethora of high-quality sconces, like the Angelise sconce (#1) that’s kind of reminiscent of an old candle sconce. The burgundy backdrop of West Elm’s Thayer sconce is kind of irresistible to me, as is the beautiful matte wood of this minimal wall light from a store called Lamps Modern (anyone shop from there and have a review?).
1. Angelise Sconce | 2. Thayer Sconce (7″) | 3. Two Globe Glass Plug-in Wall Sconce | 4. Natural Wood Minimalist Round Wall Light | 5. Novi Onyx Wall Lamp | 6. Single Calle Wall Sconce in Dusty Lilac
Extra-Long Arm Sconces
By far the most versatile sconce on my list today is the extra-long wall sconce. It’s such a good way to get overhead light without a ceiling installation, and adds that “oh! I should have thought of that” moment to a vignette. The double-arm version above—Paul Matter’s Flutter sconce, a cool $4,000+—in a room by Studio Rob Diaz shows the drama that an extended arm can add (again, it’s basically art). Our dear friends at Velinda Hellen Design used a version of this type of light in a very useful way: above a reading nook in a bedroom.
There seem to be a lot of plug-in versions of the extra-long arm. I didn’t even notice they comprised 5/6 of my findings below, which is ideal for adding in to any spot you need (a breakfast nook, a reading nook, a cozy corner) without having to bring in an electrician to hardwire anything. I’m swooning over the colors of the Charlotte Adjustable Arm Chandelier (it’s a sconce, don’t fear the name), and the Adjustable Wall Ceiling Light in Melos Cobalt (#5). You just can’t beat the visual punch of a primary color like these. For something more toned down but still fantastic, West Elm’s Piero and Dazuma’s Cantilever Wall Lamp deliver a similar look to the far more expensive Luceplan Malamata Steel Armed Sconce, though I’d imagine the craftsmanship of it far exceeds the prior two.
1. Charlotte Adjustable Arm Chandelier | 2. Cantilever Wall Lamp Modern Minimalist Metal LED Light | 3. Duarte 1 Light Plug-in Plug-in Sconce by Troy Lighting | 4. Piero Plug-In Sconce (20″) | 5. Adjustable Wall Ceiling Light Melos Cobalt | 6. Luceplan Malamata Steel Armed Sconce
Plug-In Sconces
I’ve already said this above, but the plug-in sconce is basically a design superhero. It doesn’t need much besides a wall, some screws, and BOOM, you’ve got a sconce up and running. No junction boxes needed. We’ve come such a long way with these in the last decade; I remember working on a story on the topic for Apartment Therapy about 10 years ago when I was their Design Editor, and it was slim pickings, I tell ya. Kind of cheapy, chintzy dorm-room style versions were the majority of the market. But now, high-design versions across multiple price points exist, and thank goodness for that!
Chrome and polished nickel are on trend right now, so if you like that cool modern look, #1 from West Elm is up your alley (I LOVE it!). Also from West Elm is the more whimsical Faceted sconce by Emma Chamberlain—the cord is actually a whispery sky blue rather than the white it looks here, so cute. Doco has a compact little wood number for under $100 that would be so cute next to a bed or flanking a fireplace. If you need more light, Mitzi makes the Onda 2-Light Sconce in both plug-in and hard-wire, and the same goes for the Hour Rho available through Radilum, which I showed in an inspiration image above. And last but not least is this cutie Mushroom Wood wall lamp that I’m considering for *something* in my house because I can’t seem to look away from it.
1. Shiloh Plug-In Sconce (10.6″) | 2. Emma Chamberlain Faceted Plug-In Sconce (7″) | 3. Hour Rho Plug-in Wall Lamp | 4. Carlyle Plug In Wall Lamp | 5. Onda 2-Light Plug-in Wall Sconce | 6. Mushroom Wood Wall Lamp
Under $100 Sconces
The premise of this post was “interesting” sconces in specific categories, but I couldn’t ignore the need for some nice-looking wall lights that you don’t have to set up a savings account to be able to afford. And while it’s really not that difficult to shop for sconces under the $100 mark these days, I find that so many of them look the same. I challenged myself to dig around for something a bit more interesting, whether it’s a cooler shade, a cooler shape, or a cooler color.
You’ll find a hearty helping of scalloped wall sconces like #1 on Etsy. Every color your heart could desire, really. Just be sure to dig into the reviews to make sure you’re buying something worth your money. Another pick from Etsy is this cool pill-shaped Marble Wall Sconce. Try it along a hallway for a compact but punchy design. The Cynthina Flush Mounted Sconce comes in three additional colors, but you can’t beat that green in my opinion. Oh, and Quince, as Jess and Mallory reported on a few weeks before, is taking its home options more seriously these days. I found this cute rattan shade sconce on their site for $75. For something traditional and giving that English vibe, Greenrow is your spot (you have your pick of fabrics for the lampshade). And of course, our friends at Article deliver with a jazzy clamped metal shade sconce under our budget here.
1. White Scalloped Wall Sconce | 2. Cynthina Flush Mounted Sconce | 3. Printed Sconce Lamp Shade | 4. Curved Iron Sconce with Rattan Shade | 5. Marble Wall Sconce Oblong Bar Panel | 6. Coy Sconce – Black
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As always, I hope my words and picks helped you figure out something for your home or discover something new. At the very least, maybe you mumbled “oh, cool sconce” under your breath as you scrolled on through. Either way, thanks for being here today, in a world overflowing with content, you chose to read my post. Always appreciated.
Until next time, friends…
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | Mountain House Reveal: Our Calm Scandinavian Master Bedroom
Love these! Last year, I spent a lot of time perusing plug-in sconce options to find the perfect one for my reading nook. I ended up commissioning an artisan to fabricate one based on my own specs, which was stressful but fun. It cost me just under $200 total, FYI.
I notice that the Printed Sconce Lamp Shade from Greenrow is JUST a shade, without the sconce. The whole thing would be $224.
oooooh, will you share a photo?
I’ve attached the schematic. The arm and shade swivel, and the whole thing is made of raw brass, so it’s gaining in patina. I didn’t reinvent the wheel or anything, but pulled together elements I liked in a few different sconces and had the thing made in dimensions that work for my space, in plug-in form, which I needed.
Ugh, that was the wrong image. Sorry!
I just shared the wrong image. Here’s the correct one.
Love the idea of having someone make your own!
I spent a lot of time perusing options, upping my budget little by little, and finding that some of the sconces I really liked don’t come in a plug-in [they could potentially be altered, but that’s another project]. I fell in love with one that ended up being sold out. Well, I made the purchase at multiple retailers that were all slow to let me know they didn’t actually have the item in stock, and then tried to issue a credit instead of a refund. I got so frustrated and then thought I might be able to find an artisan on Etsy to make my drawing real. It cost about half of the one that was sold out, and it’s extra special because it’s all mine.
I love this!!! What a great option I never would have even thought of. Thanks Maya! That is such a cool piece.
Arlyn
You are top notch! Always look forward to you posts. Crazy good!
I love a sconce. Best, cheapest way to add style/personality to a space.
Wow, what a great roundup! Bookmarking this for the future!
Thank you for unique plug in options! I need quite a few sconces for my house. Unfortunately I wasn’t sure where I would want most of them while building so therefore plug in it is! I’ve been on the hunt for budget ones!
I LOVE lamp.
lol. I love lighting so much, and need to order a bunch for our new build soon and stay in budget, so thank you for these!!
Be VERY careful ordering from Radilum. I ordered the double light sconce (You have the single light shown in green). The sconces arrived misaligned and also didn’t work for the space. I wanted it in. I worked for five months to get a refund because they gave me so much runaround. I finally opened a dispute with my credit card company. I would never order from them again.
That sconce seems to be a knock-off of the Hour Rho Wall Light at Claude Home.
Thank you for letting us know that
Similarly, I know there’s a caveat for Vakkerlight in the post itself, but from my extensive (wishful, because they always have so many appealing options) research they drop ship from China, the quality is often VERY different from the photos, and returns are very difficult. I’ve come close to just taking the risk a few times, but in the end I always settled on a safer choice!
(FYI I keep editing this comment and getting told it’s not acceptable; I love the increased freedom and overall positivity the comment moderation has given you guys but it can make it hard to leave even what’s meant to be a helpful comment! I wonder if there’s a way for regular readers/commenters to make an account that gives them an easier time with commenting? I often write something that I think is entirely positive and then can’t figure out what’s setting off the filter so I eventually give up!)
this is a bug – comments that used to say “awaiting moderation” are now getting the “unacceptable” message, it just means they’re just getting caught by our filter! we have a bit of a backlog as folks try to republish comments. but if anyone is getting that message, just sit tight and know that i’ll approve it when i get to it!
Ah, ok, it doesn’t seem to send at all so hopefully you don’t have 12 versions of this as I experimented with word choice!!! Thanks and sorry for the bother!
This is the post I’ve been praying for. Thank you for digging up all of these darling options, Arlyn! I, too, have had my eye on that mushroom lamp for MONTHS. There’s just something about it…
Be VERY careful ordering from Lucia Lighting. I ordered the 4 pendant lights. I worked for months to get a refund because they gave me so much runaround. I finally had to go through the issue with my credit card company. I would never order from them again.