Okuzeka
Interior Design vocabulary · Lighting

Wall sconce

Meaning in interior design, with examples

/ˈwɔːl skɒns/nounCommon term

In interior design, wall sconce means: A light fitting fixed to a wall, often decorative, used beside beds, mirrors and fireplaces or along corridors and stairs.

In Turkish: aplik, duvar apliği

How it is used

Often just called a sconce, especially in American English; British speakers also say wall light. Sconces add a softer layer of light at eye level, and their wiring has to be planned in the wall before plastering.

Example sentences

  1. Two wall sconces either side of the bed free up space on the bedside tables.

  2. Let's mark the wall sconce positions before the electrician chases the walls.

Common collocations

  • pair of wall sconces
  • bedside wall sconce
  • brass wall sconce
  • plug-in sconce
  • pendant lightA light that hangs down from the ceiling on a cable, chain or rod, often used above dining tables, kitchen islands and in stairwells.
  • lighting planA drawing that shows where every light, switch and lighting circuit goes in a space, often with a key listing the types of fittings.
  • ambient lightingThe general, even light that fills a room and lets people move around safely, usually from ceiling lights, downlights or daylight.
  • layeringCombining several levels of something, such as light sources, rugs, fabrics and textures, so that a room feels rich, deep and comfortable rather than flat.

More terms: Lighting

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: