In most UK hallways, industrial wall lights should be mounted so the centre of the fitting sits around 1.7 to 1.9 metres above the floor. That is a little higher than the usual guide for living rooms, because hallway fittings are passed at close range and many industrial designs, such as cage lights and bulkheads, project further from the wall. In narrow corridors, keep the underside of any projecting fitting clear of head height, and space lights roughly 2 to 3 metres apart for an even run of light.
Those numbers are a sound starting point, but the right height for your hallway depends on its width, ceiling height, the shape of the fitting, and what else lives on the walls. Our range of industrial wall lights UK sale covers everything from slim pipe fittings to fuller cage and bulkhead styles. Below, we explain how to adjust the basic guidance to suit your space.
In a living room or bedroom, wall lights are usually viewed from a seated position, so they can sit a little lower. In a hallway, almost everyone is standing and moving. The light needs to fall comfortably on faces and the floor without shining straight into the eyes of someone walking towards it.
Hallways are also where people carry things: shopping bags, pushchairs, bicycles, laundry baskets. A fitting that projects at shoulder height is easy to knock. Raising it slightly keeps it out of the way while still giving useful light. It also helps to see wall lights as one part of a hallway plan that may include a pendant or ceiling fitting from our wider modern lighting UK range, so each source has a clear job.
Industrial wall lights come in a wide variety of forms, and each behaves differently.
A bulb enclosed in a metal cage gives a strong, workshop inspired look. Because the bulb is exposed, glare can be an issue. Mount cage lights towards the upper end of the range, around 1.8 to 1.9 metres, so the bulb sits above normal eye level. A warm, low output filament bulb helps too.
Bulkheads are compact and close to the wall, often with a glass cover and a metal grille. Because they project very little, they can sit slightly lower, around 1.7 metres, and they suit narrow corridors well.
Pipe style fittings with an arm extending from the wall can project a considerable distance. In a narrow hallway, this is where you need the most care. Either choose a short arm or mount the fitting high enough that the arm and shade are clear of a tall person’s head as they pass.
Simple metal cylinders that cast light upwards and downwards suit modern industrial schemes. Because the light is directed along the wall rather than outwards, glare is less of a concern. Around 1.7 to 1.8 metres usually looks balanced.
Wide enamel or metal shades in the style of old factory lights direct light downwards in a defined pool. They look best in hallways with taller ceilings, where they can be mounted a little higher without looking lost.
Ceiling heights vary a great deal across UK housing. A Victorian terrace may have a hallway ceiling well above 2.7 metres, while a modern flat may be closer to 2.4 metres. The fitting should look proportionate to the wall as well as practical.
A useful check is to look at the space above and below the fitting. Roughly a third of the wall above it and two thirds below tends to look natural.
Width affects both height and projection. In a narrow hallway, perhaps just wide enough for one person to pass comfortably, a projecting fitting at head height is a real risk. Choose slim or flush designs and keep projection to a minimum. Mount them a little higher if they do extend outwards.
Hallway widths vary noticeably between property types, so measure the clear width at its tightest point, usually beside a radiator or the foot of the stairs, before choosing a fitting. In wider entrance halls, you have more freedom to use larger fittings with longer arms.
For a long hallway, an even rhythm of fittings looks orderly and gives consistent light. As a starting point:
Keep all fittings at the same height. Even small variations are noticeable along a straight wall. Use a laser level or a long spirit level and mark each position before drilling.
If one side of the hallway has doors, coat hooks, or a radiator, it is usually easier to place the lights on the opposite wall. Staggering lights on both walls can work in wider halls but needs careful planning to avoid looking random.
Hallway lighting and hallway furniture should be planned together. A bench, a console, or a shoe cabinet beneath a wall light will change how high the light should sit and where it falls.
Browse our modern hallway furniture UK sale collection with your lighting plan in mind. As a rule, leave at least 40 to 60 centimetres between the top of a console or cabinet and the bottom of a wall light, so items placed on the surface are lit without crowding the fitting.
Coat storage needs particular thought. A freestanding coat stand or a row of hooks fills the wall with bulk, and a projecting light above it can catch hats and bags. Our coat stands UK range includes slim designs that sit neatly in a corner, leaving wall space clear for lighting. If you use wall hooks, position lights either side of the hook rail rather than directly above it.
Depth matters as much as height. Our guide to hallway furniture depth and UK corridor clearance explains how much space to leave for comfortable movement, which is worth reading before you add both furniture and projecting fittings to the same wall. If you are still judging whether your space counts as narrow, our guide to average UK hallway sizes by property type gives useful context.
Industrial style can feel harsh if the light is too cool or too bright. Warm white bulbs, around 2200K to 2700K, soften metal and concrete tones and make the hallway feel welcoming. Exposed filament LED bulbs suit the look and come in many shapes, from globes to tall tubes.
Brightness should be enough to see clearly, find keys, and move safely, but not so bright that the hallway feels like a stairwell in an office. Dimmers are useful, as is a two way switch so lights can be controlled from both ends of the hall or from the top and bottom of the stairs.
In homes where the hallway is used at night, consider a low setting that stays on during the evening, so nobody needs to fumble for a switch.
The industrial look draws on factories, warehouses, and workshops, but in a home it works best when softened slightly.
Match the finish to small details in the hallway: door hardware, stair rods, or the frame of a mirror.
Wired wall lights should be fitted by a qualified electrician, who will confirm fixing points, cable routes, and switching. In older properties, it is worth asking them to check the existing circuit while they are there.
If your hallway forms part of an escape route, as it often does in flats and houses with upper floors, keep fittings secure and avoid anything that could obstruct movement. Bulkhead and flush designs are a sensible choice in these spaces.
Begin with the basic guide of 1.7 to 1.9 metres, then adjust for your ceiling, width, fitting, and furniture. Mark positions with tape, walk the hallway in the evening with a torch, and check nothing will catch a shoulder or a coat. When you are ready, you can explore lighting and hallway storage together at Furniture in Fashion.
Around 1.7 to 1.9 metres from the floor to the centre of the fitting is a common guide for hallways, slightly higher than for living rooms.
Roughly 2 to 3 metres apart usually gives an even spread of light, though brighter fittings can be spaced a little further apart.
They can be, but choose a compact design with minimal projection and mount it towards the higher end of the range to reduce glare and the risk of knocking it.
One wall is usually simpler and looks more orderly. Lights on both walls can work in wider halls if they are carefully aligned or deliberately staggered.
Crystal wall lights are the jewellery of a luxe glam dining room, adding sparkle at…
Sage green is one of the calmest colours you can put on a wall, but…
Choosing the right brightness for bedroom wall sconces can be confusing now that bulbs are…
Rustic dining rooms are about texture, warmth and a sense of history, and single wall…
Battery powered wall lights can go exactly where proportion says they should, which makes them…
Swing arm wall lights are task lights by design. They reach out from the wall,…
This website uses cookies.