A hallway is the space you cross most often and look at least. It is usually narrow, often without a window, and the entryway is the first thing a guest sees. Good hallway and entryway lighting does three jobs: it lets you walk safely, it makes a narrow space feel wider, and it gives the entrance a welcome. Below you will find seven ideas, a table of slim wall lights ranked by how far they stick out from the wall, and a simple guide to how many lights a 3 m to 12 m hallway needs.
What makes hallway lighting different
- Width: in a narrow corridor, every centimetre a wall light projects is taken from the walkway. Depth from the wall matters more than anywhere else in the home.
- Headroom: people walk under a hallway ceiling light. A common guide is to keep about 210 cm (7 ft) clear between the floor and the lowest point of a pendant.
- Length: one ceiling light at one end leaves the other end dark. Hallways are lit by a row of lights, not by one.
- Walls: light on the walls makes a corridor look wider than light on the floor. Wall lights that glow or wash up and down are the natural choice.
7 hallway and entryway lighting ideas
1. A row of slim wall lights along the corridor
The most reliable hallway idea is a row of wall lights at regular intervals. In a narrow hallway, choose a shallow one: the Travertine Wall Sconce projects only 6.5 cm and draws a spot of light on the wall below, and the Crystal Disc Wall Sconce projects 7.3 cm and spreads a circular halo. Our guide what is a sconce explains how projection relates to corridor width.
2. Glass sconces that glow
Glass turns a wall light into a small lantern. The Fluted Glass Sunburst Wall Sconce (Ø 24 × H 24 cm) casts fine rays across the wall and lights about 5–10 m²; the Vintage Shell Glass Sconce (W 28 × H 24 cm, 13 cm from the wall) sends a soft glow upward. See all glass wall sconces and our glass wall sconce guide.
3. Up-and-down wall lights to make a corridor feel taller
Light washing both up and down draws two long lines on the wall, which makes a corridor read taller and wider. The Walnut & Hammered Copper Wall Sconce (H 50.5 cm, 15.4 cm deep) and the Two-Tier Plaster Wall Sconce (W 32 × H 13 cm, matte white plaster that blends into the wall) both light up and down.
4. Small pendants in a row
If the ceiling is high enough, a row of small pendants lights the length of a hallway. The Round Silk Globe Pendant (Ø 25 × H 26 cm, 150 cm cord) and the Tall Oval Silk Lantern Pendant (Ø 30 × H 40 cm) are narrow enough for a corridor or a stairwell; the Ribbed Fluted Glass Pendant (Ø 31 × H 15 cm) and the Flower Glass Pendant (about Ø 30 × H 13 cm) are shallow, which leaves more headroom.
5. A statement light in the entryway
The entrance is where a single larger fitting makes sense. The Scalloped Glass Globe Pendant (Ø 30 × H 31 cm, on a rod) suits an entrance hall; the French Wabi-Sabi Chandelier (Ø 50 × H 25.5 cm) and the Large Acrylic Chandelier (round D60, D80 or D100 cm, about 15–30 m²) suit a larger entry. For a high entrance ceiling, see our French chandeliers and fringe lamps.
6. A tall sconce or floor lamp beside the console
A console table and a mirror are the classic entryway pair. Frame the mirror with two wall lights, or add a tall light beside it: the Spanish Marble Alabaster Wall Sconce (H 50 or 75 cm, only 10 cm deep, dimmable) glows through natural stone, and the Wabi-Sabi Slanted Shade Floor Lamp (H 173 cm, shade Ø 30 cm, foot switch) reads as a sculpture in an entrance hall.
7. Wall lights up the staircase
On a staircase, wall lights are easier to reach and maintain than a pendant in the stairwell. The Japanese Louvered Slat Wall Lamp (12.5 cm deep) and a row of Travertine Wall Sconces follow the slope of the stairs well. More stone options are in our travertine lamp guide.
Slim wall lights for a narrow hallway: real depths
Depth from the wall is taken from each product page. Where a page does not state it, the table says so.
| Wall light | Depth from wall | Size | Light direction | Suited to (product page) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travertine Wall Sconce | 6.5 cm | H 16 × W 6.5 cm | Narrow beam down | 3–5 m² |
| Crystal Disc Wall Sconce | 7.3 cm | Disc Ø 16 cm | Halo on the wall | 1–3 m² |
| Spanish Marble Alabaster Wall Sconce | 10 cm | H 50 or 75 × W 20 cm | Whole stone glows | 5–10 m² |
| Japanese Louvered Slat Wall Lamp | 12.5 cm | W 18.5 × H 17 or W 20 × H 24 cm | Through the slats | 3–5 m² |
| Vintage Shell Glass Sconce | 13 cm | W 28 × H 24 cm | Up | 3–5 m² |
| Pleated Glazed Ceramic Wall Sconce | 13 cm (burgundy version larger) | W 25 × H 27 cm | Up | 5–10 m² |
| Walnut & Hammered Copper Wall Sconce | 15.4 cm | W 19.7 × H 50.5 cm | Up and down | 5–10 m² |
| Flower Wall Lamp | 16 cm | Ø 18 cm | Halo on the wall | 3–5 m² |
| Aluminium Cone Wall Sconce | 18 cm | H 13 × W 10 cm | Up or down (rotates) | Not stated |
| Classic Fabric Wall Sconce | 25 cm | Shade Ø 17 × H 23 cm | Up and down | 3–5 m² |
| Vintage Brass Flower Wall Sconce | 25 cm | H 25 cm | Glow and halo | 3–5 m² |
| Fluted Glass Sunburst Wall Sconce | Not stated | Ø 24 × H 24 cm | Rays across the wall | 5–10 m² |
So what: in a corridor under about 1 m wide, start with the first five rows. The deeper sconces (25 cm) are better in an entryway or on a landing, where nobody brushes past them.
How many lights does a hallway need? A guide with real figures
A common rule of thumb is to space hallway wall lights about 2.4–3 m (8–10 ft) apart, with the first and last light about half that distance from each end. Dividing the length by the spacing and rounding up gives the count below. The last column checks the result against the coverage printed on our Vintage Shell Glass Sconce page (3–5 m² per sconce), for a hallway 1 m wide.
| Hallway length | Wall lights at 2.4–3 m spacing | Floor area (1 m wide) | Coverage of that many Vintage Shell sconces |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 m | 1–2 | 3 m² | 3–10 m² |
| 4.5 m | 2 | 4.5 m² | 6–10 m² |
| 6 m | 2–3 | 6 m² | 6–15 m² |
| 9 m | 3–4 | 9 m² | 9–20 m² |
| 12 m | 4–5 | 12 m² | 12–25 m² |
For a pendant in an entryway, a common guide is to add the room's length and width in feet and use the total, in inches, as the diameter. A 2 × 2.5 m entry (about 6.6 + 8.2 ft) gives about 15 in, or 38 cm: a Round Silk Globe or a Scalloped Glass Globe. A 3 × 3 m entry (about 9.8 + 9.8 ft) gives about 20 in, or 50 cm: the French Wabi-Sabi Chandelier or the Ø 50 cm Pleated Fabric Dish Pendant.
Headroom check: with the 210 cm guide, a 250 cm hallway ceiling leaves about 40 cm for the shade and its cord. A shallow shade such as the Ribbed Fluted Glass Pendant (H 15 cm) fits easily; a deeper one is better over a console, where nobody walks underneath. If your ceiling is lower, read our guide to lighting for low ceilings.
Light colour and switches
In a hallway that leads to the bedrooms, a warm white avoids a harsh glare at night; our guide warm white vs cool white explains the numbers. Several of our hallway wall lights are hardwired, so plan a wall switch at each end of a long corridor with your electrician.
Still weighing a row of pendants against wall lights? Our guide to pendant lights vs wall lights compares the space each one takes, with real sizes.
For a hallway with character, compare the wall lights in our guides to Victorian lamps and sculptural lamps and wall lights, both with real sizes and depth from the wall.
Going further: see our staircase lighting ideas for the stairs off the hall, wall lights beside a mirror for an entryway mirror, pendant lights for high ceilings for a double-height entrance, and how many lights a room needs to count the sconces.
FAQ
How far apart should hallway wall lights be?
A common rule of thumb is about 2.4–3 m (8–10 ft) apart, with the first and last light about half that distance from each end. A 6 m hallway then needs two or three wall lights.
What is the best light for a narrow hallway?
A shallow wall light that glows on the wall. Our slimmest are the Travertine Wall Sconce (6.5 cm from the wall), the Crystal Disc Wall Sconce (7.3 cm) and the Spanish Marble Alabaster Wall Sconce (10 cm).
How low can a pendant hang in a hallway?
Where people walk underneath, a common guide is to keep about 210 cm (7 ft) between the floor and the lowest point of the light. Over a console table, it can hang lower.
See all our wall lights, glass wall sconces, pendant lights and chandeliers.
