The Best Wall Sconces (Under $500), According to Interior Designers

The Onyx wall sconces from CB2 was a a favorite of four of the experts I spoke to — Becky Sturniolo, designers Lina M. Gómez and Fendy Castillo of Nemai Studio, and Victoria Adesanmi. At under $150 a sconce, it is one of the most affordable options on this list. Sturniolo, who often turns to CB2 for décorlike sconces, calls the Astr a “gorgeous, more natural, modern option.” Gómez and Castillo add that in addition to being a lighting fixture, the piece functions as artwork, describing it as a “sculptural focal point that adds uniqueness and a wow factor to a space.” Adesanmi recommends using a dimmable bulb, adding that the sconce is ideal for “creating a moody interior.”

A sconce doesn’t have to be safe. Denver-based interior designer Jess Knauf is partial to adding color to a room with an unexpected design. “This New Orleans–based company has the coolest stuff at the most accessible price point,” she says. “I love these mounted on a bath mirror or used as a ceiling mount.”

Or try a seashell with a trompe l’oeil lightbulb pearl. “I am dying for someone to let me use this over a bathroom vanity. Would definitely take a boring bath from drab to fab,” says Knauf.

For a more diffused uplight, consider this sconce made from capiz shell that designer Heather Goerzen likes. “Between the capiz texture and the scalloped silhouette, these sconces bring a whimsical and playful touch to any space,” she says. “They’re unique and striking, which translates in a home to visual intrigue.” Shown here in white, it also comes in a soft pink shade.

“This is a really charming update to an antique candle-sconce look at a great price,” says Knauf.

A sculptural, mushroom-inspired glass sconce can leave a big impression. It’s recommended by Emilia Baker, an architect at Atelier Cho Thompson, who calls the color “the most beautiful shade of blue that reads both modern in form but transitional through color and material.”

Baker also likes the organic floral shape of the Radner sconce from Lulu and Georgia. “The fixture brings a bit of the outside to any interior,” she says.

Try a traditional metal sconce in a more playful silhouette, like this one from LightCove that Baker also recommends. “The play between feminine frills and heavy brass is very fun,” she says.

For just around $50, you can’t go wrong with the versatility of a swing-arm sconce that Vanessa Yufe of VY Designs likes for framing a bed. “Mount a swiveling wall sconce strategically and it can illuminate your nightstand,” she says. But that’s just one place it could live in a home. “Depending on how you tilt it, the sconce can be used as task lighting near a desk or bookcase, or to illuminate artwork on a gallery wall.”

This super-basic sconce would be a good option for anyone looking to inject a pop of color because it comes in 14 different shades, from orange to Kelly green to ochre. Designer Devin Shaffer loves how it “unapologetically juts its way into a room,” calling the sconce “simple with an obvious need to be noticed and talked about.”

In Common With’s double-headed Up Down sconce is another interior-designer favorite for its customizable color options. (It also comes in ceramic and glass, in addition to metal.) The shades available are peach, oxide red, bone, black, pewter, and different finishes of brass-reed green — and the sconce’s backplate can come in any of those hues too.

A picture light is another wall fixture that can bring a bit of sophistication and drama to a room by illuminating a favorite work of art. Yufe has used this one from Visual Comfort in her projects and has some advice for sizing: “For portrait pictures, choose a picture light that is about half the width of the picture. For landscape pictures, choose a picture light that is between a third and a half of the picture width.” This model shown is 30 inches across, but you can get it in other lengths as well.

Here’s a more affordable option in a similar style that designer Eda Bejko recommends. Shown in that brass finish, the fixture, which has a linen shade, also comes in brushed-nickel and matte-black finishes.

Fore more adjustability, here’s a swiveling sconce recommended by multiple designers — including Gómez, Castillo, and Eda Bejko. They like how easy it is to direct light onto a nightstand, home-office desk, or reading nook.

If you don’t want to go through the trouble of hardwiring a sconce (or simply can’t given your home’s electrical situation), consider using a wireless sconce that can be placed just about anywhere.

Ming Thompson, co-founder of Atelier Cho Thompson, recently told Strategist senior writer Emma Wartzman about this sconce from Poplight for her story on the best renter-friendly sconces. (I’ve included some of her picks in this story.) “These are great if you want to add light in a dark hallway, add warmth above a nightstand, or create a little pool of light in an entryway,” she told Wartzman. “The fact that they’re removable means you can experiment with placement until you find something that works.” The rechargable sconces are easy to install and last about nine hours.

These little LED reading lights are only $22. They were recommended to Wartzman by digital creator and interior designer Corey Staley, who has them mounted on a recessed media wall.

Designer Nina Takesh, who appreciates the flexibility of peel-and-stick décor hacks for rentals, recommended these traditional sconces to Wartzman that can also attach to the wall by way of adhesive.

Home décor meant for kids can work equally well in grown-up spaces, like this rechargeable scallopped sconce from Pottery Barn Kids.

Here’s a rechargeable picture light that will give you the same effect as the hardwired option above.

A plug-in sconce can be just as easy to install, as long as there’s an outlet nearby. “I love that this extends for bedroom reading or a chic dining room moment,” says Knauf.

This pair of sconces is a great deal. Digital creator and decorator Madeline Scalzi has them installed in her bedroom and one in the dining area. She told Wartzman that she appreciates the movable arms and that they were easy to install.

Jordan Slocum of the Brownstone Boys was drawn to the slope of this light’s neck. “The fixture itself isn’t enormous, but it still creates a presence. I want something that adds interest through shape rather than sheer scale,” he told Wartzman.

Strategist contributor Fiona Byrne first told us about this picture light from Westinghouse in her story on how she can’t stop buying plug-in wall sconces. “There’s something about a picture light that elevates a space — and ever since I put this fixture in my home, it’s received a ton of compliments. It’s diminutive, so it works great over smaller pieces of art and accommodates an incandescent bulb, so you can get a nice level of warmth,” she wrote.

Tommy Lei, an interior designer, stylist, and photographer, loves this 3-D-printed, dimmable LED sconce from Gantri. “I have a strong penchant for 1920s aesthetics with an air of modernity, and the Arintzea wall light designed by Muka Design Lab really seals the deal for me,” he says. Made with plant-based polymers, it has a ridged base and bowl-shaped diffuser, which Lei says “optimizes the lumens of light for bedside and nighttime activities.” Lei is partial to the deep forest-green base, which to him “evokes peace and serenity.”

Recipe developer and cookbook author Dan Pelosi placed these sconces from CB2 on either side of his bed. “The shades are clean white, and they illuminate both up and down on the walls. We have an overhead light and a lamp on a dresser, and as soon as we put these sconces up, we needed no other light,” he told Wartzman.

Wartzman loves the bright yellow of this swiveling sconce from West Elm’s kids’ line.

Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie put up these inexpensive Ikea sconces in her living room that now “give ‘Soho loft’” to her space. She told Wartzman that they “look super-neutral and throw bright light in two directions,” and are “lightweight enough to mount with a single nail or even a Command strip.”