Tips for How to Position Light Fixtures the Right Way

April 18, 2024

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Tips, tips, and more tips! We’ve put together a little helping hand in todays blog for how to position and center light fixtures in various rooms as well as the height they should hang or be at! If you missed last weeks blog, click here to see some of our favorite ceiling lights on the market right now.

Sconces

The main place we like to use sconces is in a bathroom! We normally put one on either side of the mirror above the vanity, and if there are two mirrors next to each other then we opt for three sconces total, with the middle one being between the two mirrors. When it comes to positioning them, it is heavily dependent on the mirror. 99% of the time, we choose to center the backplate of the sconce between one side of the mirror and the edge of the counter on that same side. Additionally, it is not uncommon to hang a sconce(s) above windows. The best way to do this is center it between the top of the window and the ceiling ws well as centered on the window (or each window).

Picture Lights

Picture lights are such a cute accent to just about any room! Typically, we place a picture light over a piece of artwork, but they can also add an accent to other spaces, too. We love including them at the top of built-in cabinets like in the office picture above.

Ceiling Fixtures

#OronoOrchard By Alma Homes

In most cases, you will want a certain amount of clearance under a light, which can vary from room to room. In places like a bedroom, office, mudroom, laundry room, or similar rooms, aim for at least seven feet from the bottom of the light to the floor. This means that if you have eight foot ceilings, you will want to choose a flush or semi-flush mount that is less than one foot tall. Taller ceilings allow more ceiling light options. In kitchens, specifically pendants above an island, the bottom of the light should be between 30 and 36 inches above the surface, which also applies to chandeliers or pendants above tables in the dining room!

Pendants & Chandeliers Over Furniture

Although your first thought might be to center all of the lights on the ceiling of a room, you might want to considered cabinet or furniture placement in a space. If you have kitchen pendents, you would want to align them over wherever the island is, which may or may not be aligned with the center of the room. If you choose to do a pendant(s) in a bathroom, we recommend centering the light(s) over the vanity instead of in the center of the ceiling. However, if you are designing a large primary bathroom and are doing a statement chandelier, we would center it in the room. Likewise, if you opt for a cute flush mount or semi-flush light in a bathroom, center that in the room as well.

Don’t forget to check out these 20 ceiling lights we rounded up for you to give your home a little facelift!


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