How TO
position lighting
There’s more than just aesthetics at play when you consider where to install your sconces and pendants; their placement will ensure you bathe the room in a soft glow (or whatever your ideal lighting state may be). And remember that having a mix of lighting in a space—some overhead, some tabletop, for example—creates a more dynamic effect.
Table and Floor Lamps
In the living room, the bottom edges of the shades should typically be at or just above eye level when you’re seated, so you and your guests have an unobstructed view of one another. On a bedside table, the bottom of the shade should be at chin level when you’re sitting up in bed (the ideal reading level). When there are different lamps in the same room, keeping the tops of the lampshades at the same height will provide the most visual unity, though that’s not a mandate—sometimes having varying heights provides more visual interest.
Pendants
When a pendant will be mounted over a kitchen island or bar, the bottom of the shade should hover 30 to 34 inches from the surface; same for any ceiling light that’s over a dining table or banquette. Allow at least 7 feet of clearance for pendants that will be hung over areas where people walk underneath—or a few inches higher if your ceilings are higher than 8 feet.
Sconces
The general rule is to mount this type of light at or above eye level, whether in a hallway (place them 8 to 10 inches apart) or on either side of a bathroom mirror (36 to 40 inches apart). These are space-saving alternatives to table lamps on either side of your bed, hung so they’re at eye level when you’re sitting up—or low enough to cast proper light when reading but high enough so that you don’t see the light bulb from your usual sitting position.
Tip
Bulbs today are rated in terms of brightness, not wattage, and measured in lumens. The old 60-, 75-, and 100-watt bulbs are comparable to 800-, 1,100-, and 1,600-lumen bulbs, respectively.