Lighting Guides

Alabaster cylinder wall sconce mounted on a plain wall, switched on and glowing softly
What Is a Sconce? Sconce vs Wall Lamp vs Picture Light
Sconce, wall lamp and wall light mean the same thing. A picture light does not - and the power type is the spec that decides what you can have. Read more...
Pair of cordless aluminum table lamps switched on, one charging by USB-C cable on a walnut surface
How Long Do Rechargeable Lamps Actually Last on a Charge?
The headline runtime is the low-brightness figure. What the numbers mean in practice, and what cordless lamps are genuinely good at. Read more...
Bedroom at night lit low and warm by an alabaster cordless lamp, ceiling light off
Warm, Low Bedroom Lighting: Color Temperature, Dimming and Placement
A bedroom has a job beyond looking good - it has to help you stop being awake. Three changes that make the difference. Read more...
Small cordless lamp glowing warmly on a nightstand beside a made bed at night
Small Bedside Lamps for Nightstands With No Outlet
The bed goes where the room says; the outlet is behind the headboard. Sizing, controls and warmth for a cordless bedside lamp. Read more...
Gold multi-globe chandelier lit in a modern entryway above a console table
Entryway and Foyer Lighting: Scale, Height, First Impression
Entry fixtures are almost always too small. How to size one properly, how low it can hang, and what to add underneath it. Read more...
Narrow hallway lit by slim alabaster wall lamps washing light up and down the wall
Narrow Hallway Lighting That Doesn't Crowd the Space
Stop lighting the floor and start lighting the walls - a corridor reads as wide as its widest lit surface. Read more...
Walk-in closet with neutral white light on hanging clothes and a slim lamp on an open shelf
Closet Lighting Ideas That Don't Need an Electrician
The one room where warm light is the wrong answer - plus why a ceiling fixture outside the closet leaves you in your own shadow. Read more...
Small alabaster cordless lamp glowing on a walnut bookshelf between stacks of books
Bookshelf and Shelf Lighting Without Running a Cable
There is no outlet inside a bookcase. Four ways to light one anyway, and why two or three staggered lights beat lighting every shelf. Read more...
Living room at night lit by a ceramic cordless table lamp and a soft wash of light across the wall
Accent Lighting for a Living Room: Layering Beyond the Ceiling Fixture
Ambient, task and accent. Most rooms have the first, some have the second, and almost none have the third - which is the one that does the work. Read more...
Alabaster, travertine and marble lamp pieces arranged together on a linen surface, one lit from within
Alabaster, Travertine or Marble: Which Stone Light Suits Which Room
The three stones are not interchangeable. How each behaves with a light behind it, and which one belongs in which room. Read more...
Three travertine pendant lights hanging in a row above a stone kitchen island in a modern kitchen
Pendant Lighting Over a Kitchen Island: Height, Spacing and How Many
Too high, too few, too small - the three ways island pendants go wrong, and the measurements that prevent all of them. Read more...
Amber glass chandelier hanging above a walnut dining table set for dinner, warm evening light
Lighting Over a Dining Table: Getting the Size and Drop Right
Three numbers decide whether a dining fixture looks right: how low it hangs, how wide it is, and how warm it is. Here they are. Read more...
Brass rechargeable wall light switched on above a sofa in a rental apartment, no visible cord
Renter-Friendly Wall Sconces: How to Light a Wall You Can't Rewire
Three ways to put a sconce on a rental wall without touching the wiring: battery-operated, rechargeable and plug-in - plus how to mount them without losing your deposit. Read more...
Rechargeable swing-arm picture light mounted above a large framed print on a pale wall
How to Light Artwork When There's No Outlet Nearby
What size picture light a frame needs, how to aim it so the whole piece is lit, which color temperature suits which artwork, and how to mount one without wiring. Read more...
Living room with no ceiling fixture lit by three separate lamps at different heights
Overhead Light Without Wiring: What Actually Works in a Room With No Ceiling Fixture
A room with no ceiling light does not need an electrician. The three-point rule, swag pendants, rechargeable lamps and battery wall lights, and how to combine them. Read more...
Alabaster wall sconces evenly spaced along a hallway at eye level
How High Should Wall Sconces Be? Heights and Spacing That Work
The standard is 60 to 66 inches to the center of the fixture, 6 to 8 feet apart. Here is when to depart from it - bedsides, mirrors, artwork and... Read more...