30 Cool & Impactful Sconces To Make Your Walls Look Great (7 Are Under $100!)

I love unique wall sconces; they’re essentially functional art for a wall. They look beautiful, add visual interest *and* provides light. Honestly, I’m not sure sconces get enough play in the world of design writing. But here’s the thing: A good one can turn a very simple room into an absolute showstopper (I’ll show you if you keep reading). That’s power, my friends. No joke, a plain white wall with just the right double-arm sconce transforms into, well, a chic white wall that can stand alone.

Let’s take a moment to admire some handsome visuals to get our gears churning before we dip into shopping:

This was the first photo I bookmarked for this post because it stopped me in my tracks. By the interior geniuses at Ashe Leandro, I’ve never seen anything like this in all the best ways. What more do you even need on a wall when this baby is the centerpiece? Just wow.

This shape of blown glass sconce is all the rage recently. These, the Vera Sconce by In Common With, in collaboration with artist Sophie Lou Jacobsen, pack a punch at over $1,800 each and a 12-week wait time. Eeesh, but looking is free, after all.

Playing with materials is a way to easily up the visual factor of just about anything. In sconces, a wood finish is always eye-catching, like in this double linen-shaded sconce being sold by a retailer called Lucia Living (you can find this exact sconce for a fairly affordable price at a lot of e-comm lighting stores, FYI, including one that I found with a plug-in function).

Some of the best things you typically find in a home are either custom or vintage. These brass and powdery blue sconces in a dining room by Ward + Gray are the latter. Either way, both can break your heart if you wish to see them in your spaces.

I just love the shape of this sconce by the French lighting manufacturer WO & WÉ. This one is a great example of a sconce as art. Most people would think they needed to hang either a frame, a canvas, or a mirror in this arched wall feature, but don’t forget that statement lighting is always an option, too.

Now, time to shop around. As a lighting lover, my selections could be nearly endless for a post such as this, but I kept it to a tight six for each category that I pieced together. There are a handful of premium price point options, but most I tried to keep realistic (even if a realistic stretch for some). But like most things these days, lighting—especially sculptural lighting—is EXPENSIVE. Hence why I pulled together a bonus under-$100 roundup at the end, as well.

Extra-Tall, Vertical Sconces

I’m going to start with my favorite type of eye-catching sconce. The extra-tall, vertical sconce is one of my absolute most-loved ways to fill a wall. For instance, the Valerie Objects Lamp N°3 is so simple but commanding, swooping down from the wall like a street lamp, available in a variety of eye-catching colors. It’s a pricey one (see my roundup), but if you can swing it, it’s a worthwhile investment. West Elm has one with similar vibes for about 1/5 of the price. I’ve had my eye on the Leggero Champagne Pole plug-in sconce from CB2 for years, and it packs the biggest value in terms of price in the bunch.

1. Tamlin Aged Brass Long Wall Sconce | 2. Leggero Champagne Pole Plug-In Wall Sconce by goop | 3. Valerie_Objects Hanging Lamp N°3, Menie Red | 4. Arum Plug-In Wall Sconce | 5. Kern Metal Overarching Plug-In Sconce (59″) | 6. Platet A05 Wall Sconce by Christophe Mathieu, For Bover

Round & Flush Sconces

On the complete flip side of the tall and skinny sconce is the small, round, and chunky sconce. I call these “donut” sconces, but there are different styles besides the circle backplate with a round bulb, as well. I’m essentially being haunted by this lilac sconce from Claude, but at over $900 each for something 6 inches wide and tall, it’s just not in the cards for me. Can it be in the cards for you?!? (Send me a picture of it installed in your home, if so, so we can celebrate together). A far more affordable option that’s making my mouth salivate is the double bubble option from Vakkerlight (#3), and the green onyx flushmount from radilum (#5). Both of those are retailers that sell affordable lights—though note that many of them are knock-offs of higher-end things, and everyone has a different tolerance for that kind of thing.

Of course, Rejuvenation has a plethora of high-quality sconces, like the Angelise sconce (#1) that’s kind of reminiscent of an old candle sconce. The burgundy backdrop of West Elm’s Thayer sconce is kind of irresistible to me, as is the beautiful matte wood of this minimal wall light from a store called Lamps Modern (anyone shop from there and have a review?).

1. Angelise Sconce | 2. Thayer Sconce (7″) | 3. Two Globe Glass Plug-in Wall Sconce | 4. Natural Wood Minimalist Round Wall Light | 5. Novi Onyx Wall Lamp | 6. Single Calle Wall Sconce in Dusty Lilac

Extra-Long Arm Sconces

By far the most versatile sconce on my list today is the extra-long wall sconce. It’s such a good way to get overhead light without a ceiling installation, and adds that “oh! I should have thought of that” moment to a vignette. The double-arm version above—Paul Matter’s Flutter sconce, a cool $4,000+—in a room by Studio Rob Diaz shows the drama that an extended arm can add (again, it’s basically art). Our dear friends at Velinda Hellen Design used a version of this type of light in a very useful way: above a reading nook in a bedroom.

There seem to be a lot of plug-in versions of the extra-long arm. I didn’t even notice they comprised 5/6 of my findings below, which is ideal for adding in to any spot you need (a breakfast nook, a reading nook, a cozy corner) without having to bring in an electrician to hardwire anything. I’m swooning over the colors of the Charlotte Adjustable Arm Chandelier (it’s a sconce, don’t fear the name), and the Adjustable Wall Ceiling Light in Melos Cobalt (#5). You just can’t beat the visual punch of a primary color like these. For something more toned down but still fantastic, West Elm’s Piero and Dazuma’s Cantilever Wall Lamp deliver a similar look to the far more expensive Luceplan Malamata Steel Armed Sconce, though I’d imagine the craftsmanship of it far exceeds the prior two.

1. Charlotte Adjustable Arm Chandelier | 2. Cantilever Wall Lamp Modern Minimalist Metal LED Light | 3. Duarte 1 Light Plug-in Plug-in Sconce by Troy Lighting | 4. Piero Plug-In Sconce (20″) | 5. Adjustable Wall Ceiling Light Melos Cobalt | 6. Luceplan Malamata Steel Armed Sconce

Plug-In Sconces

I’ve already said this above, but the plug-in sconce is basically a design superhero. It doesn’t need much besides a wall, some screws, and BOOM, you’ve got a sconce up and running. No junction boxes needed. We’ve come such a long way with these in the last decade; I remember working on a story on the topic for Apartment Therapy about 10 years ago when I was their Design Editor, and it was slim pickings, I tell ya. Kind of cheapy, chintzy dorm-room style versions were the majority of the market. But now, high-design versions across multiple price points exist, and thank goodness for that!

Chrome and polished nickel are on trend right now, so if you like that cool modern look, #1 from West Elm is up your alley (I LOVE it!). Also from West Elm is the more whimsical Faceted sconce by Emma Chamberlain—the cord is actually a whispery sky blue rather than the white it looks here, so cute. Doco has a compact little wood number for under $100 that would be so cute next to a bed or flanking a fireplace. If you need more light, Mitzi makes the Onda 2-Light Sconce in both plug-in and hard-wire, and the same goes for the Hour Rho available through Radilum, which I showed in an inspiration image above. And last but not least is this cutie Mushroom Wood wall lamp that I’m considering for *something* in my house because I can’t seem to look away from it.

1. Shiloh Plug-In Sconce (10.6″) | 2. Emma Chamberlain Faceted Plug-In Sconce (7″) | 3. Hour Rho Plug-in Wall Lamp | 4. Carlyle Plug In Wall Lamp | 5. Onda 2-Light Plug-in Wall Sconce | 6. Mushroom Wood Wall Lamp

Under $100 Sconces

The premise of this post was “interesting” sconces in specific categories, but I couldn’t ignore the need for some nice-looking wall lights that you don’t have to set up a savings account to be able to afford. And while it’s really not that difficult to shop for sconces under the $100 mark these days, I find that so many of them look the same. I challenged myself to dig around for something a bit more interesting, whether it’s a cooler shade, a cooler shape, or a cooler color.

You’ll find a hearty helping of scalloped wall sconces like #1 on Etsy. Every color your heart could desire, really. Just be sure to dig into the reviews to make sure you’re buying something worth your money. Another pick from Etsy is this cool pill-shaped Marble Wall Sconce. Try it along a hallway for a compact but punchy design. The Cynthina Flush Mounted Sconce comes in three additional colors, but you can’t beat that green in my opinion. Oh, and Quince, as Jess and Mallory reported on a few weeks before, is taking its home options more seriously these days. I found this cute rattan shade sconce on their site for $75. For something traditional and giving that English vibe, Greenrow is your spot (you have your pick of fabrics for the lampshade). And of course, our friends at Article deliver with a jazzy clamped metal shade sconce under our budget here.

1. White Scalloped Wall Sconce | 2. Cynthina Flush Mounted Sconce | 3. Printed Sconce Lamp Shade | 4. Curved Iron Sconce with Rattan Shade | 5. Marble Wall Sconce Oblong Bar Panel | 6. Coy Sconce – Black

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As always, I hope my words and picks helped you figure out something for your home or discover something new. At the very least, maybe you mumbled “oh, cool sconce” under your breath as you scrolled on through. Either way, thanks for being here today, in a world overflowing with content, you chose to read my post. Always appreciated.

Until next time, friends…

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | Mountain House Reveal: Our Calm Scandinavian Master Bedroom