Staircase lighting has one job before any other: to show every step clearly, from the bottom tread to the landing, without shining into the eyes of someone walking up or down. Most stairs are lit by wall lights along the climb, a pendant or chandelier in the stairwell, or both. This guide gives practical staircase lighting ideas, lists the real depths of the wall lights in our range (the figure that matters most beside a staircase), the cable lengths of our long-drop pendants, and shows how many lights a typical flight of stairs needs.
Five staircase lighting ideas
- A row of slim wall lights along the climb. Sconces that follow the slope of the stairs light the treads evenly and keep the walkway clear. Shallow designs such as the Travertine Wall Sconce and the Crystal Disc Wall Sconce stand out less than 8 cm from the wall.
- A glowing panel at the turn. On a half landing, a tall sconce that glows through, such as the Spanish Marble Alabaster Wall Sconce (50 or 75 cm high, dimmable), marks the change of direction.
- Up-and-down light on a long wall. The Two-Tier Plaster Wall Sconce washes the wall above and below, which softens a tall, plain stairwell wall.
- A long-drop pendant in the stairwell. In an open stairwell, a pendant on a long cord fills the height. The Tiered Fringe Fabric Pendant has a cord of up to 2 m.
- A statement light over the landing. A wide shade such as the Pleated Fabric Dish Pendant (up to 100 cm across) or the Acrylic Flower Chandelier works where the landing is large enough to walk around under it.
Real depths of our wall lights for stairs
On a staircase, people brush past the wall with a hand on the rail, so depth (how far the light stands out) matters. A common benchmark for a walkway is about 10 cm (4 in). All figures below come from our product pages; “Not stated” means the page does not give the figure.
| Wall light | Size | Depth | Light | Lighting area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travertine | H 16 × W 6.5 cm (6.3 × 2.6 in) | 6.5 cm (2.6 in) | Downlight | 3–5 m² |
| Crystal Disc | Disc Ø 16 cm (6.3 in) | 7.3 cm (2.9 in) | Halo, 8 W integrated LED | 1–3 m² |
| Spanish Marble Alabaster | H 50 or 75 × W 20 cm (19.7 or 29.5 × 7.9 in) | 10 cm (3.9 in) | Glow-through, dimmable | 5–10 m² |
| Louvered Slat | W 18.5 × H 17 cm or W 20 × H 24 cm | 12.5 cm (4.9 in) | Glow-through, 5 W | 3–5 m² |
| Pleated Glazed Ceramic | W 25 × H 27 cm (9.8 × 10.6 in) | 13 cm (5.1 in) | Up only | 5–10 m² |
| Two-Tier Plaster | W 32 × H 13 cm (12.6 × 5.1 in) | Not stated | Up and down, 12 W LED | 1–3 m² |
| Classic Fabric | H 23 cm (9.1 in) | 25 cm (9.8 in) | Up and down | 3–5 m² |
The Travertine, Crystal Disc and Spanish Marble stay at or under the 10 cm benchmark and can sit right beside the rail. Sconces on an arm, such as the Classic Fabric at 25 cm, belong on a landing wall or on the side of the stairs away from the handrail.
How many lights for a flight of stairs
Two simple checks, using the lighting area on each product page:
- Spacing. A common guide is one wall light every 2 to 3 m (6.5 to 10 ft) along the climb, plus one at the top and one at the bottom if no other light reaches them. A straight flight of about 4 m of walking length therefore needs 2 to 3 sconces.
- Area. A stair and landing of about 6 m² needs 2 Travertine sconces (3–5 m² each, 6–10 m² together), or a single 75 cm Spanish Marble (5–10 m²). With the Crystal Disc (1–3 m²), count 2 to 6, which is why it works best as an accent at each step of a short flight.
- Height. A common guide is to mount sconces about 180 cm (6 ft) above the nose of the step below them, the same height all the way up, so the row follows the slope.
Pendants in a stairwell: check the drop
In a double-height stairwell, add the cord and the shade to see where the light ends. Under a 500 cm ceiling, the Tiered Fringe Fabric Pendant (cord up to 2 m, shade 21–22.5 cm high) hangs down to about 277 cm above the floor at full length, before its canopy is counted: high enough to walk under on a landing. The Pleated Fabric Dish Pendant on its 1.2 m wire reaches about 362 cm above the floor in the 100 cm size (18 cm high): it lights the stairwell from above rather than the steps. Always keep at least 210 cm (about 7 ft) of clear height over any step or landing, a common guide for walkways. For ceilings under 250 cm, see lighting for low ceilings.
A warm white of 2700K to 3000K keeps a staircase soft at night; our guide to warm white vs cool white explains the numbers. For corridors at the top or bottom of the stairs, see hallway and entryway lighting ideas.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best light for a staircase?
Slim wall lights along the climb, because they light each tread from the side without glare. Choose a depth of about 10 cm (4 in) or less beside the handrail: the Travertine (6.5 cm), the Crystal Disc (7.3 cm) or the Spanish Marble (10 cm).
How far apart should staircase wall lights be?
A common guide is every 2 to 3 m (6.5 to 10 ft) along the slope, at the same height above each step, with a light near the top and the bottom of the flight.
Are these wall lights plug-in?
No. None of the wall lights in the table above is sold as a plug-in version; those whose product page states the installation are hardwired, so have them installed by a qualified electrician.
See all our wall lights, our pendant lights and our guides to modern wall sconces and what is a sconce.
