Two questions decide whether wall lights look designed or accidental: how many, and how far apart. Get them wrong and a hallway looks patchy or a bedroom looks like a hotel corridor. The good news is the rules are simple.
Space for even light, not maximum light. In a hallway that's a fitting every 2 to 2.5 metres. In most other rooms it's a pair, and no more.
Hallways: space by distance
This is the one room where quantity is a real calculation. Place a fitting every 2 to 2.5 metres along the wall, all at the same height, so the light is even end to end rather than pooled with dark gaps between. A 6 metre hallway wants three; a short entry might need just one. Keep the spacing regular, an uneven run is more obvious than the lights themselves.
Bedrooms: a pair, almost always
Beside a bed, the answer is two, one either side, mounted level. It's symmetrical, it clears both nightstands, and it gives each person their own light. A single bed against a wall is the exception, one sconce on the open side. More than two in a bedroom usually reads as busy.
Living rooms: pairs and features, not a grid
Living rooms aren't lit by counting, they're lit by targeting. A pair either side of a fireplace or media wall, plus one for a dark corner, is plenty. Wall lights here are the accent layer, not the main light, so resist the urge to line the walls with them. How they sit alongside your ceiling lights is in how to layer lighting.
Feature walls: let the wall set the number
On a feature wall, space fittings so the light overlaps into an even wash rather than leaving scalloped bright-and-dark patches. Two evenly placed usually beat three crammed in. Bigger fittings spaced wider look calmer than small ones dotted close together, and sizing is covered in how to choose a wall light.
Can you have too many?
Yes, easily, and it's the more common mistake once people commit to wall lights. Over-lighting flattens a room and kills the very atmosphere the lights were meant to create. If in doubt, use fewer, larger fittings and put them on a dimmer. Height matters as much as spacing, that's in how high to hang wall lights, and room-by-room placement is in where to put wall lights.
Planning a layout? Note that most Battii pieces work beautifully in matched pairs, browse the full range and check dimensions before you set the spacing.
Frequently asked questions
How far apart should wall lights be?
In a hallway, every 2 to 2.5 metres at the same height for even light. On a feature wall, spaced so the light overlaps into a smooth wash rather than leaving dark gaps.
How many wall lights does a hallway need?
Roughly one every 2 to 2.5 metres, so about three across a 6 metre hallway and one in a short entry. Keep the spacing regular.
Do wall lights come in pairs?
They're usually bought and mounted in pairs for symmetry, either side of a bed, mirror or fireplace. Single fittings suit corners and short entries.
Can you have too many wall lights?
Yes. Over-lighting flattens a room and removes the atmosphere wall lights are meant to add. Fewer, larger fittings on a dimmer almost always look better.
