Wall Lights Vs. Ceiling Lights (When To Choose Them?)

Last Updated on October 30, 2023 by Barry Gray

Lighting fixtures are a necessity in any household nowadays. In addition, the choice of lights can potentially illuminate your home in more ways than one. Both wall and ceiling lights come in various sizes and designs, providing many choices to ensure that your imagined aesthetic becomes a reality. However, are wall lights better than ceiling lights?

Ceiling lights are more expensive than wall lights as they cover a larger area. Both light fixtures provide a large range of styles so you can achieve any aesthetic you wish to accomplish. In addition, wall lights are great for saving space in any room where ceiling lights are more situational.

When debating your choice, there are many factors to consider between the two options. To further help you in your decision, we will be looking at similarities or differences in price, compatibility, watt usage, design variety, and the pros and cons of each type. So, without further delay, let us conclude whether wall or ceiling lights are the lights for you.

The Price Differences Between Wall Lights And Ceiling Lights

high ceiling pro

The pricing of wall lights varies from $20 to above $115. However, one thing we can guarantee is the range of styles available to choose from is incredible. There is something for any aesthetic you wish to achieve: vintage, modern, rustic, or classic. In addition, Wall light fixtures do not cover as much area as certain ceiling lights, hence the lower price range.

The cost of ceiling lights, like wall lights, has a wide range of pricing. However, it will sensibly stretch more to the expensive side of the spectrum as lighting fixtures sometimes get designed to cover large areas. Therefore, the price of ceiling lights is between $25 to above $200.

Compatibility Of Wall Lights And Ceiling Lights

It is important to research which lighting type will best suit the room you intend to illuminate. The structure of certain rooms might require you to choose between the two to maximize the functioning of the space better. So, let us look at when you should use wall lights over ceiling lights and vice versa.

Situations To Choose Wall Light Fixtures

Wall lighting has come a long way since its medieval origins, beginning as simple timber torches. In addition, wall lights are a perfect balance between lamps and ceiling lighting as lamps provide dim lighting and ceiling lights provide more intense lighting. Let us look at various situations where wall lights are an excellent choice.

Combining wall lights with the mirror in the bathroom provides you with beautiful lighting, limiting shadows within the entire room. This visually balanced lighting is also suitable for tasks such as shaving in the mornings or applying makeup.

Wall lights are not often the first choice when designing the kitchen, but you can use wall light fixtures in certain areas where you need excessive light. Certain places that suit this description are food preparation areas near the sink. Even installing two slim wall lights beside the stove is a great combination.

If space is an issue within your bedroom, wall lights are the perfect choice to provide charming lighting and save you space to use the free space for other features such as bookshelves or dressers.

Situation To Choose Ceiling Light Fixtures

Ceiling lighting, like wall lights, has a rich history, being present from century to century. They have also been available to people from all statuses, whether that be a regular citizen or royalty. Let us look at certain rooms and see how ceiling lighting will assist in charming the place up.

In the living room, you can go traditional, installing a modern chandelier in the center of the room. However, if you seek a more futuristic style, adding LED lights can illuminate the room and bring the space a pop of color. In addition, for lowered ceilings, a flush mount light is the perfect choice to save space while still providing a sophisticated look.

Another popular room for ceiling lighting is the dining room. The hanging light fixture is placed above the table to maximize the amount of light in the area to ensure all your gatherings become efficiently lit. Again, there are many different styles, whether a traditional crystal chandelier or pendant lighting.

Ceiling lights in the bedroom often get combined with fans; however, this is not the only way to include roof lighting within the bedroom. You can also use LED fixtures to provide color or go for a combination of recessed lights to deliver a minimalistic yet sophisticated finish.

Pros And Cons Of Wall Lights And Ceiling Lights

wall light

To simplify all the advantages and disadvantages that come with both wall light fixtures and ceiling light fixtures, we will assist you in deciding which type of lighting is perfect for you. Below are the pros of wall light fixtures.

  • Saved space
  • A vast amount of styles
  • Cheaper than ceiling light fixtures
  • Indoors and outdoors use
  • Compatible with any room
  • Excellent balance of light, not too bright or too dim

Below are the cons of wall light fixtures.

  • Height needs to be precisely measured
  • Installation difficulty
  • Multiple needed to light an entire room efficiently

Below are the pros of ceiling light fixtures.

  • A vast amount of designs
  • Light covers a large area
  • One or two needed to light an entire room
  • Compatible with ceiling fans

Below are the cons of ceiling light fixtures.

  • Rooms specific
  • More expensive
  • Many ceiling lights can make a room appear smaller in size

Conclusion

So, it can become very situational when looking between wall lights and ceiling lights. Even though wall light fixtures are compatible with all types of rooms, including outdoors, sometimes a ceiling light brings a stronger glam element into the room. 

One similar attribute is both lighting types provide a vast range of designs enabling you to achieve any specific look you have in mind. Therefore, the best way to maximize the space and beauty of a room is to fully understand which light fixture type best suits that specific space. However, in the end, the final look is determined by you and your creative vision.

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Barry Gray

Hi, I’m Barry. I’ve loved woodworking and bringing things back to life for more years than I care to remember. I hope my passion for tools comes across loud and clear in everything you read here on The Tool Square.