Wall lights get hung too high more than any other mistake. The fitting ends up near the cornice, throwing light at the ceiling while the wall below sits in shadow. A good height puts the glow where people actually are, around eye level when standing, lower beside a bed.
Here's the short version, then the detail by room. Every measurement is to the centre of the fitting, from the finished floor.
The rule that saves most rooms: eye level when standing, roughly 150 to 165 cm. Go higher only when you want light on the ceiling, lower only beside a bed or a chair.
The general height: 150 to 165 cm
For a wall light doing ambient work in a living room, hallway or open wall, centre it about 150 to 165 cm off the floor. That lands the fitting near standing eye level, so light spreads into the room rather than up into the cornice. On a standard 2.4 m Australian ceiling, 160 cm is a safe default. Raise it a little for very tall ceilings, but past about 180 cm the light starts working for the ceiling, not you.
Beside a bed: 150 to 160 cm, or by reach
Bedside sconces are the exception people get wrong the other way, too high to read by. Two ways to place them: centre the fitting around 150 to 160 cm off the floor, or measure 25 to 30 cm above the top of the mattress or bedside table so the light and switch fall to hand when you're sitting up. If it's mainly for reading, position matters more than height, and the best reading lights for bed guide covers the angle. A matched pair either side of the bed, mounted level, does more for a room than a single fixture.
Beside a bathroom mirror: 160 to 170 cm, at the sides
Vanity lighting works best beside the mirror, not above it. Mounted at the sides around 160 to 170 cm, roughly face height for the main users, a pair throws even light across your face and kills the under-eye shadows a single downlight creates. Keep them 5 to 20 cm out from the mirror edge. One note for Australian bathrooms: our indoor range is rated IP20 for dry areas, so keep any non-rated fitting well clear of the shower zone and check the IP rating your spot needs.
Hallways and stairs: 150 to 170 cm, evenly spaced
In a hallway, centre fittings around 150 to 170 cm and repeat them every 2 to 2.5 m so the light is even rather than pooled. On a staircase, follow the incline: keep each light the same height above its own step nose, not level with the one before, or the run looks like it's sliding downhill.
Flanking art or a feature wall
Here height follows the thing you're lighting, not a rule. Sit the fittings so they frame the artwork or panel, usually centred near the top third of the piece. Symmetry does the heavy lifting, and a matched pair reads as intentional even when the exact height is unusual.
The thirty-second test before you drill
Cut a paper circle the size of the fitting, tape it at your chosen height, and look from the doorway and from sitting. Move it up and down 10 cm and look again. It costs nothing and it has caught more mistakes than any measurement. Deciding between two heights, the lower one is usually right. Sizing the fitting itself is a separate question, covered in how to choose a wall light.
Every Battii fitting lists its dimensions on the product page, so you can mark the real size on the wall before your electrician arrives. Browse the full wall light range to check measurements.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a wall light be from the floor?
Around 150 to 165 cm to the centre of the fitting for general and hallway lighting, measured from the finished floor. Bedside lights sit lower, about 150 cm or 25 to 30 cm above the bedside table.
How high should bedside wall lights be?
Centre them around 150 to 160 cm off the floor, or 25 to 30 cm above the mattress or bedside table so the light and switch fall to hand when you're sitting up to read.
Should vanity wall lights go above or beside the mirror?
Beside the mirror, mounted at the sides around 160 to 170 cm and 5 to 20 cm out from the edge. Side lighting is even across the face, while a single light above casts shadows under the eyes.
How far apart should hallway wall lights be?
Every 2 to 2.5 metres, all at the same height of about 150 to 170 cm, so the corridor is evenly lit rather than patchy.
