Wall Light with Switch

The switch that puts the evening in your hand

Half the pleasure of these fittings is never crossing the room to lower the light. A small rocker on the backplate, or a brass pull-cord by the shade, lets you settle the light from your seat instead of the wall plate. We are fond of the swing-arm sort beside a reading chair, where the arm pivots over the page and the rest of the room stays low. Many fittings carry an opal or ribbed glass shade that softens the bulb into a warm pool, on a cast brass backplate with reassuring weight.

Do wall lights with a switch need to be hardwired?

Not always. The switch describes how you control the light, not how it draws power. Some are hardwired into the wall and want an electrician. A rechargeable wall light runs on an internal battery, so it lifts off its bracket and needs no socket behind it, handy in a plastered alcove. Plug in wall lights take a flex to a nearby socket, with the switch set in the cord or on the body. Pick the route the wall actually allows.

How to choose a wall light with a switch

Look at the projection, how far the fitting reaches off the backplate, so a slim profile suits a narrow landing and a deeper swing arm earns its place by the bed. Check the lampholder (E27 or B22) and pair it with a warm white bulb at 2700K, nearer candlelight than an office. Antique brass and brushed nickel dull down nicely with use, while solid brass (not brass-plated) takes a patina you can clean back or leave. If the fitting allows, a dimmable bulb drops the level late on.