Not so long back we received a rather impassioned plea for help from one of our readers, Vanessa, who had come up against a metaphorical brick wall in her search for some stylish wall lights.
“Ladies!“, she implored us, “I need help!! I need to find some wall lights and because in general they are not really what anyone wants (I believe) it is quite hard to find any decent ones!! Can you help me??”
Not one to refuse such an urgent request (and partly because I’m in the process of trying to hunt down some sexy illumination for my own house) I offered up my services to help Vanessa try to source some beautiful yet budget friendly wall lights. I mean we girls have got to lend a hand where we can haven’t we…and there’s absolutely nothing self-motivated about today’s round-up at all…;)
So Vanessa this one’s for you….I really hope you like what I’ve come up with and that I’m not barking up the wrong tree. Let’s get started.
John Lewis
Possibly the only light that’s actually dimmable out of this round-up, John Lewis has come up trumps with their ‘Bogart’ design which is available in both white and black. Priced at £75.00 this wall light has a slim, chrome arm and an adjustable painted metal shade for contemporary simplicity. It also comes with a two year guarantee.
I’m a big fan of John Lewis’ Croft Collection and actually own several pieces from the line so I was pleasantly pleased to find out that lighting forms a part of the range as well. The Campbell is an extendable wall light that can be pulled out to illuminate the desired area. Handily there’s a switch on the tapered metal shade which is finished with a grey gloss paint. Just push the zig zag structure back again when the light is no longer needed.
For the modern gal, the uber stylish Dano wall light could very well be up your street. Featuring a black chrome finish with a ball shaped, smoked ombre glass shade, I can see this particular wall-light being used in pairs in a hallway or study. It’s worth noting though that the light has been designed to incorporate the LED within it and isn’t replaceable which means once the LED runs out you’ll have to replace the whole light.
I’m a big fan of BTC’s designs which are created by designer Peter Bowles. Their relaxed, “unprocessed” style complements pretty much any setting in which they are placed. The Mann dome wall light has satin aluminium fixings and a fine bone china shade and backplate, for a cool, classic look. The product is also available with a glass shade.
Marks & Spencer
Continuing with the BTC love their Original Task Short Wall Light is another favourite of mine.
The design, which can be moved, angled or adjusted offers great flexibility for the user. And if you love the matchy matchy look you’l be pleased to know that the light belongs to a range that includes a table, floor and pendant as well. Available in putty grey which is pictured here as well as in black or polished aluminium.
Made.com
I can’t quite decide whether the Ukon wall light from Made.com reminds me of a pair of cherries or something a bit ruder. I know…doesn’t say much about my state of mind does it! Perfect for a truly contemporary home, the shade and stems are finished with a matt powder-coated paint for a smooth finish. The lining of the shades is white, which refracts the light further.
Cox & Cox
The use of brass in home interiors has been making some serious headway over the last 18 months. Ste is particularly enamoured with the stuff and would very much like to have a splash back made from the material in our new kitchen. This would be crazy from a cost perspective but aesthetically I’m inclined to agree it would look rather nice.
We’re not intending to have any cupboards above our countertops in our kitchen leaving plenty of wall space for additional decorative touches and lighting. I’m rather keen to introduce some lights (say in groups of three or five) along the length of the wall above the worktops which would help illuminate areas for particular tasks but which would also help to create the mood for dinner parties when the overhead lights are off.
These brass beauties from Cox & Cox would be just the ticket. Cast from iron, this stylish Scandinavian style wall light has a brass finish and a white inner to reflect light. And now I just need to rob a bank to be able to purchase five….
Graham & Green
The iron based Rhea wall lamp at Graham and Green is stylish and sleek. Protruding from two arms this particular design is BIG so excellent for those looking for extra reach. Measuring nearly a meter wide, this particular product is best placed in those rooms that have space or even in an office environment.
I like the contemporary cone shaped shades and the good and brass colour way which would look equally at home in modern or vintage inspired interiors.
Amazon
I would never in a million years have thought to have looked on Amazon for any lighting or actually anything in the home interiors category until Lauren suggested that I do so. I mean honestly how short-sighted of me!
I spotted these adjustable black wall sconces (which come with free next day delivery and a one year guarantee) and fell in love with the flexibility that the design offered. Pair them with a in vogue Edison bulb and you’re away.
For something a bit simpler (and I’m seriously considering purchasing these for our own abode) I like this glass wall design that have a vintage twist. They are hardwired (as are the majority of the products in this post) but they can be mounted on the wall or equally used in the form of a ceiling pendant.
Rockett St George
If you literally just want a supersized bulb and no fancy shade then look no further than the molecular wall light available at Rockett St George. Formed from metal and featuring a switch and a clear flex, the light can be placed anywhere you require. Be warned though the light itself is priced at £110.00 but the bulb which is sold separately starts from £22.50 depending on which option you decide to go for.
Ikea
After spotting the rather lovely bedroom of Bye Bye Birdie on Instagram complete with coppery coloured task lights recently I just knew I had to ask where they were from for today’s post. Carol confirmed that they were from Ikea – somewhere I hadn’t even considered looking prior to our text exchange but which is definitely on my radar now!
In fact whilst I was hunting for Carol’s wall clamp spotlights (incidentally called Tived and a bargainous £25!) I also came across Ranarp which can also be screwed into a wall or clamped on the end of a bookshelf or ledge.
Despite the name of the latter sounding like a Viking invader, they would be right at home in an English gentlewoman’s library with their brass and black detailing and monochrome flex and bell shaped shade. Oh and they’re only £18 too!
Heal’s
I’m finishing with one of my favourite brands, ending this post on a high so to speak. Admittedly Heal’s are at the pricier end of the spectrum and about 90% of their designs are way out of my budget but that doesn’t stop me dreaming. Plus as you read this post there’s 15% off at the store if you quote LIVINGAW16 at checkout.
I spotted three different wall lights at Heal’s, the first being this super simple but oh so chic design called ‘Junction Wall Light‘. Perfect for contemporary industrial interiors, I like the simplicity of its slender lines and the exposed bulb. The light plugs directly into the wall and would look fantastic if grouped in rows of three along a single wall.
If that’s a little bit too minimalist for you then you may like the monochrome design of BTC’s Circle Line Wall Lamp. As with the other BTC wall lamps mentioned above, the brand creates hand-assembled lights in Oxford that are inspired by factory fittings, childhood toys and iconic 1940s design. The Circle Line wall lamp combines early twentieth century looks with modern materials and hand painting….in this case stripes of black and white.
For a more classic feel then you can’t go far wrong with the Original 1227 Brass wall light from Anglepoise. As you’d expect from the brand, the design is the instantly recognisable by its silhouette. I adore the brass detailing and that rope flex; the light is available in deep slate, dusty blue and elephant grey hues.
So that’s the end of today’s round-up. I absolutely know that there will be plenty of other stores/shops/brands that I haven’t included…simply because I don’t know about them…so with this in mind we’d love to hear about your favourite haunts for picking up a lighting bargain. Why not tell us all about them in the comments box below. Oh and Vanessa…I really hope this helps you in your hunt for your home too xx
Having struggled to justify the price of anglepoise wall lights when so much else needed doing in our house, my hubby found these and that’s what we settled on http://www.made.com/cohen-wall-lamp-deep-grey-and-american-oak
They come with a cord but can be fitted to the mains too as ours are. They look great and were surprisingly cheap so I won’t worry too much about replacing them with the anglepoise ones I really wanted when we can!
They’re lovely Claire and so reasonably priced too. I love the table lamp especially xx
Fab selection and great timing. We need a pair of wall lights to finish off the bedroom – those JL Campbell lights might be just perfect for bedtime reading xx
Pleasure sweetheart xx
Yes – excellent timing!!! I was only started searching last night for wall lights for our house. Messy building work coming to an end so can start looking for pretty things 🙂
Diane I am so jealous. We’re still in messy building work stage but I’m still looking for pretty things regardless. I’d love to actually be putting the house back together though…so much fun!!
Lolly! Thank you so much for this! I think I would have loved to have gone for the Dano wall light had it not been for the fact that you would have to replace them, that is a real shame as the design is pretty cool. Like you, I will seriously consider the Amazon glass wall design. Luckily we have many a room with wall lights so I can choose more than one! The Ikea Ranarp would be perfect downstairs. Not sure how I missed that on Ikea as we have the Hektar (funnily enough!) floor lamp which has some similarities in style.
I really appreciate the help ladies 🙂
John Lewis does say that the light has 20,000 light hours so it could last a hefty amount of time before you would need to replace it but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case. Glad this morning’s post came in handy Vanessa and that you liked it xxxx
Thank you so much for this post The amazon lights will go perfectly on the walls in our living room (now just need some plastered walls 😉 ) saved me a few evenings of searching x
Ahhhh glad I could be of assistance Rebecca. The Amazon lights are so nice aren’t they!
Lolly, you knew exactly what post I needed today. I have hated our wall lights in our lounge ever since we moved in (6 years ago) but for some reason have never changed them. I’ve spied some on Artifact Lighting (http://www.artifact-lighting.com) which I’m rather taken with. They have some lovely soft muted colours. Probably need a new main light then too…….
Oh Lottie what are you doing to us!! The olive grey and mid-grey wall lights are amazing! Want!
Love this post; can i ask a reeeeally stupid question re wall lights- what is the best way to fit them? ie are many mains fitted to a plug or do i need a magic man to come and do some electrical jiggery pokery? thanks xx
If they’re hardwired then you’ll need a qualified electrician to come out and fit them for you. A couple of the Ikea ones in this post aren’t hardwired so it’s just a question of plug and go with those. Hope that helps xx
Only last week we were stood in John Lewis observing that the majority of wall lights ARE awful and as Vanessa said, who actually chooses to have them anymore? They’re like a less useful Big Light and I LOATHE those as it is!!
We’re about to move to a house with wall lights (urgh) that we plan to extensively renovate so I’m torn. We’ll be getting rid of them eventually, but we could end up living with them in the interim for ages. I’ve been looking for an inexpensive temporary fix so this post has been very helpful, thanks.
I have a Pinterest board for wall lights which might help inspire anyone else stuck with this problem (although it’s pretty sparse due to how awful the majority of wall lights are!)
http://pin.it/mVs_va6