Picking a kitchen sconce, whether it be a brass wall sconce or a simple candlelight sconce can be hard. Factor in thinking about the height of the actual kitchen sconce itself plus where to mount the sconce on the wall and you've got a lot to think about.
I'm sharing some tips on sizing for kitchen sconces as well as a good rule of thumb for helping you determine where to actually hang them on your wall.
Choosing too small of brass wall sconces in our house the first time
Our kitchen renovation started back in 2014 but, at that time, the plan wasn't to renovate the kitchen completely. The plan was to give the kitchen a cosmetic facelift. As each new update or DIY project occurred in the space, we just kept dreaming about doing just a bit more because each project that we did was better than where the kitchen started.
If you are new here, our kitchen drastically changed from the start of the project to when I actually called it done in 2016. Check out the kitchen reveal if you want to see all the DIY projects and layout changes.
As this was my first renovation project, I had to learn what worked and didn't work by actually making decisions and living with them. Most pieces in the kitchen worked. Some I liked but didn't feel like they were the best option for our space. The kitchen wall sconces that I picked five years ago were two of those pieces... I liked them but they didn't feel exactly right.
A look at the scale of lighting I picked back in 2016
As I've renovated other parts of my house, I've been able to curate my style so much better. I've been able to understand design and make better choices, largely around scale and sizing.
I've partnered with Hudson Valley Lighting Group to share some lighting inspiration, tips and advice to help make your spaces shine (fun pun, right?!). Ha. As always, you can read more on my privacy and disclosure page.
Before, I share some tips on choosing the right size for a modern wall sconce, let me show you the difference in my "itty bitty" before sconce and the "just right" sized sconce now.
Quite the change, right? The new sconces are the Metal No.2 sconces from Hudson Valley Lighting in Aged/Antiqued Distressed Bronze. They are that perfect mix of modern and classic that I look for.
When I get asked for my tips on how I've achieved the look I have in my house or what my favorite pieces to add to my house to create interest are, it's always the same answer... rugs and statement lighting. Both play such a big role in my aesthetic and I think they are some of the easiest pieces you can use to direct your style in the way that feels like you.
So, let me share more about statement lighting; specifically large wall sconces so you can really "feel" the lighting in your space.
How Big Should A Kitchen Sconce Be?
Smaller spaces can accommodate smaller sconces. For ceilings under 7.5 foot and a smaller square footage, I think 9" sconces can work.
For us, we had the 9" sconces in our kitchen and they felt too small. Our kitchen is a medium-sized space with an 8 foot ceiling.
One thing to make a note of when looking at dimensions for sconces is to look at the dimension of the extension bar (how far the sconce comes out from the wall). I feel like not only the height of the sconce but also the extension both play a big role in how weighty the sconce looks.
You don't have to go a ton bigger in dimension to really see the difference visually! My new, brass wall sconces, for example, are 12".
At what height should you mount large wall sconces?
I really like the rule of thumb that your wall sconce should be mounted ¾ of the height of your ceiling height. For example, our ceilings are 8' tall and our wall sconces are mounted at just above 6'. Visually, I think that it looks great. So, if you had a 9' high ceiling, measure for your wall sconce installation to be around 6.5'.
Of course, I'd always take in to account what the sconces are flanking and what looks good visually. Like I mentioned, ours are just a tad over 6' and that's because, visually, I felt like they looked better above the line of the range hood instead of in line with it.
Here's a great lighting height tip sheet to save for future reference.
I hope this was helpful! If you are still confused on kitchen sconce sizing, grab some painters tape and tape out the lighting size on your wall. This can really help those of us who really need a visual on the space!
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