Reading light

Plan one wall mounted reading lamp per side of the bed or per seat, with an arm that brings the light onto the page rather than onto the wall. These adjustable wall lights mount above a headboard, near a sofa or over a desk, and usually give a warm white of 2700 to 3500 K, the light that rests the eye in the evening.

What is a reading wall light and what light does it give?

A wall mounted reading lamp is a wall light whose head points at the book rather than at the wall: articulated arm, flexible arm, adjustable arc or telescopic tube. It lights a precise area in warm white, leaves the rest of the room in half-light and mounts above a bed, a sofa or a desk.

Wall mounted reading lamp: an arm that brings the light onto the page

What separates a reading light from an ambient wall light is the control of the arm. In our selection of wall lights and designer wall lamps, you find articulated arms on several axes, a flexible arm, an adjustable arc, a telescopic tube or a movable head. Metal structures the arm on the vast majority of models; fabric, linen, velvet or woven bamboo dress the shade, and glass appears on a few pieces. The beam stays concentrated where you read, which avoids switching on the ceiling light.

Warm white or neutral white: which colour temperature for reading?

For evening reading, a warm white around 2700 to 3500 K tires the eye less and matches wood as well as textile. A few models also offer a neutral white of 3500 to 4500 K, closer to daylight, useful over a desk. The whole collection is IP20: these wall lights live indoors, in a dry room, on a fixed wall supply. To compare technologies, browse the LED wall lights. The whole lighting catalogue gives the overall view.

How to choose between articulated arm, adjustable arc and movable head?

The articulated arm folds on several axes and brings the light closer to the book; the adjustable arc covers a longer distance, from 130 to 185 cm of reach depending on the model; the movable head or telescopic tube suits walls close to a bedside table or a desk.

Black, silver or gold reading wall light: which finish to choose?

Black dominates the collection, followed by silver; gold, bronze and white complete the palette. A dark finish blends into the wall and disappears once the light is off. A silver or gold finish bounces the light back and underlines the line of the arm. These shades appear in the metal models. The most understated tones are gathered in the black finishes.

E27 socket or LED module: what does it change in use?

With an E27 socket, you choose the bulb, its colour temperature and its power, then replace it without changing the wall light. An integrated LED module is already set to warm white and cannot be replaced. A few pieces use a GU10 socket. This balance between socket and module reads well in the modern styles, where both solutions coexist.

Which headboard reading wall light to install in a bedroom?

Above a headboard, you look for a reach that brings the light over the mattress without disturbing the other person: models with an articulated arm or adjustable arc offer a reach of 90 to 185 cm depending on the model, in warm white 2700 to 3500 K, with a dimmer when the product sheet provides one.

Headboard reading wall light with switch: what to check

The presence of an integrated switch, a dimmer or a cord switch depends on the model and is not stated on every product sheet. Open the sheet of the model you want before ordering: that is the only reliable source. If the wall only has a simple cable outlet, a wall control or a controllable wall light can take over.

Which reach to light above the bed?

A short reach, around 90 cm, is enough when the bedside table is close to the wall. A long reach, from 130 to 185 cm, reaches the top of the mattress in a wide bedroom. The gold Articella with articulated arm plays the short reach with a velvet shade, while Calypsa combines an E27 socket and a 1 W reading spotlight. To equip both sides of the bed, compare the models gathered in the bedroom wall lamps, then widen with the selection of bedroom wall lights.

Which wall light for the living room, and how to match it?

In the living room, a reading wall light mounts near the sofa, on the free wall side, and directs its light towards the seat. Models with a long reach, in fabric, velvet or bamboo, give a soft warm white light and blend with the furniture by picking up its colour.

Living room wall lights: targeted reading or ambient light?

An adjustable reading light concentrates its beam on the seat and leaves the rest of the living room in low light, which is enough to watch a film or talk. A wide-diffusion wall light, on the contrary, washes the wall and serves as general lighting. In the same room, the two complement each other: reading on one side, ambience on the other.

Matching the wall light to the sofa and the wall colour

On a dark wall, a black wall light disappears and only the light is seen. On a light wall, silver and gold catch the light and draw the arm. Fabric, velvet and woven bamboo soften the beam and sit well near a linen sofa. Browse the living room wall lights to compare reaches, then refine the choice in the modern style living room wall lights.

Original, boho or country chic wall light: which styles to choose?

Models that step away from the classic play on material: woven bamboo, velvet, linen, ochre or green fabric, sometimes combined with a black or gold arm. That mix creates the boho chic or country chic wall light effect in a bedroom, a living room or a desk, without changing the reading function.

Bamboo, velvet, linen, glass: which materials to choose?

Woven bamboo lets a warm, striped light through, as on Banwa, whose shade measures 60 cm in diameter for 25 cm in height. Velvet absorbs the light and makes it soft, in blue on Pavone and in green on Velvesara. The linen of Arcia filters the beam, while the glass and metal of Éclio bounce it back frankly. For care, natural materials are dusted dry. Discover the glass wall lights for a more graphic look, and the gold wall lights for a more dressed touch.

A boho chic wall light for the bedroom or the living room?

Boho chic rests on three things: a natural material, a warm tone and a slender arm, black or gold. Banwa, with its black arc and its bamboo shade, is the clearest example; Pavone brings colour with its blue velvet. In both cases, the head stays adjustable and the light stays warm white.

Powerful LED wall light: which socket and which power to choose?

This collection combines two approaches: the E27 socket, which accepts a bulb up to 40 W and lets you choose its colour temperature, and the integrated LED module of 6 to 10 W, already set to warm white. The dimmer, present on a large part of the models, lets you adjust the light.

E27 40 W or LED module: how to read comfortably?

Both work, provided you aim at the page. An E27 socket can be refitted with a more or less powerful bulb, which leaves room; an LED module of 6 to 10 W stays fixed and uses little. Neither replaces the direction of the beam. Fjorgard, in black steel, combines an E27 socket and a dimmer, in an industrial spirit.

Dimmer: adjusting the light without glare

Lowering the intensity in the evening avoids glare when the wall light is close to the face, which often happens above a headboard. More than half of the models in the collection accept a dimmer, to be checked on the product sheet: some control the socket, others only a module. A telescopic tube like the one on Ellaria is adjusted in height before adjusting the intensity. Find these solutions in the selection of LED wall lights and in the modern style models.

Where to install a reading wall light outside the bedroom?

The same adjustable wall light serves the desk, the hallway, the staircase or the dining room, wherever a targeted light avoids switching on the whole room. All these dry rooms are suitable, provided the wall fixing and the supply already provided on the wall are respected.

Staircase, hallway and desk wall light: where adjustable light serves most

On a staircase, direct the beam towards the step, never towards the eyes of the person coming down: a short arm or a movable head is enough. In a hallway, the light accompanies the passage without lighting the whole volume. At a desk, the wall light replaces the standing lamp and frees the work surface. See the staircase wall lighting and the hallway models.

Design toilet and WC wall light: what is possible in IP20

A toilet accepts a small format wall light, adjustable and discreet, like Calypsa and its 11 cm backplate. The room is dry, IP20 is enough. A compact model in black or silver metal makes the room neater than a ceiling light, provided the beam is placed on the wall rather than in the line of sight.

Waterproof outdoor wall light: why these models stay indoors

A waterproof outdoor wall light displays a protection rating designed for rain and humidity. All the models in this collection are IP20: they are intended for dry indoor rooms. For a damp room, better choose a bathroom wall light designed for that use; for a dining room wall, look instead at the dining room wall light, where grazing light highlights the wall.

How to install and maintain a wall mounted reading lamp?

The wall light is fixed to the wall on a backplate drilled with fixing holes, then connected to the existing wall supply. Maintenance depends on the material: soft cloth on metal, steel and glass, dry dusting of fabric, velvet, linen and woven bamboo.

Reading wall light with switch or USB port: what the product sheets say

An integrated switch, a USB port or a USB-C cable cannot be guessed: the sheet of the model concerned is authoritative, and the information is not present everywhere. So plan the control before buying if the wall has no dedicated switch. The indoor wall lights of the collection mount on a single backplate, without heavy work.

Cleaning by material and 2 year warranty

A soft cloth is enough on metal, steel and glass; velvet, linen, fabric and woven bamboo are dusted dry, without product. The whole selection is covered by a two year warranty. The Éclio with round head and articulated arm combines glass and metal, easy to maintain, and the Valranara model with adjustable reach combines metal and textile, to be dusted dry.

Secure payment, tracked delivery, accepted returns and Designix customer service: you order without risk. If the doubt concerns the height or the reach, first measure between the wall and the edge of the mattress, then choose the wall mounted reading lamp that covers this distance in the collection of reading wall lights, or widen the search in the Designix lighting catalogue.

Frequently asked questions about the reading wall light