Wall light above a living room or hallway mirror: the guide

A wall light above a living room or hallway mirror turns a simple reflection into a point of light that makes the room feel bigger and lights your face before you go out. You still need the right width, the right height and a light that does not reflect straight into your eyes: here are the figures for getting it right.

A living room or hallway mirror does not have the same role as a bathroom one: you check an outfit as you pass, and it reflects light back into the room. The wall light above it must therefore decorate, light a face and never dazzle in the reflection.

If you are looking for bathroom mirror lighting, with its zones and protection ratings, see our guide to lighting a bathroom mirror without shadows on the face. Here, we stay in dry rooms: hallway, living room, corridor, dining room.

1. Why a wall light above a mirror

A mirror without its own light stays dark in the evening, and the central ceiling light lights your back when you look at yourself. A wall light fitted just above it lights your face from the front and creates a second point of light in the mirror, visually doubling the lighting.

The reflection also gives the wall depth and makes small hallways feel bigger, a principle described in mirror and wall light, the duo that makes a room feel bigger.

2. Above the mirror or on each side?

A single wall light above suits wide mirrors and narrow hallways. Two wall lights on either side give a more flattering light, with no shadows under the eyes, but need width.

If you are unsure, our guide to the double wall light explains how to get two beams from a single cable outlet.

3. The width of the wall light in relation to the mirror

A wall light above a mirror is between half and two thirds of its width. Narrower, it looks lost; wider, it overwhelms the arrangement. For a round mirror, aim for a third to half of the diameter.

4. The fitting height above the frame

Place the bottom of the wall light 10 to 20 cm above the top of the frame. Any closer, and the light hits the glass and creates a shiny reflection; any higher, and it lights the top of the head and deepens the shadows under the eyes. In most hallways, the top of a mirror is around 170 to 190 cm from the floor, so the wall light ends up at about 185 to 210 cm.

If your ceiling is low, check that at least 15 to 20 cm remains between the wall light and the ceiling, otherwise the halo gets squashed. Our article on the distance between a wall light and the ceiling gives all the guidelines. For side wall lights, the rule changes: their centre goes at eye level, between 150 and 165 cm from the floor, and 10 to 15 cm from the edge of the mirror.

5. Projection, the detail that changes everything

Projection is how far the wall light sticks out from the wall. Too flat, and the wall light only lights the frame; a projection of 10 to 20 cm throws the light towards the face. In a hallway people walk through, however, avoid more than 25 cm of projection below a height of 190 cm. An adjustable wall light lets you aim the beam down and forward.

6. Avoiding glare in the reflection

A bare source is seen twice, directly and in the reflection. Three rules stop you being dazzled every time you walk past.

• Choose a concealed source: opal diffuser, translucent stone, shade, or LED aimed downwards under a profile.
• Check the angle: from 1 m in front of the mirror, you should not see the source in the reflection, only its light.
• Prefer downward light or up and down light rather than a globe that shines in every direction.

Our article on glare and the UGR index explains why a bare source is so tiring.

7. Lumens, kelvins and colour rendering

There is no need for the output of a make-up station: you want an accent light that adds to the general lighting.

3000 K stays warm while letting you judge the colour of an item of clothing. See our comparison 2700K, 3000K or 4000K.

8. The hallway mirror: seeing yourself before you go out

In the hallway, you check your hair, a collar, how colours go together: the wall light must light the face and upper body evenly. A light bar or two side wall lights do the best job, controlled from the switch by the door. Our guide to the hallway wall light covers the whole space.

9. The living room mirror: decor first and foremost

In the living room, the large mirror above a fireplace, a sideboard or a sofa is first of all a decorative feature. Soft lighting is best, on a dimmer if possible. Above a fireplace, a pair of side wall lights remains the most balanced arrangement; above a sofa, a single wall light with little projection. See our guide to the living room wall light.

10. Which material in front of a mirror

A mirror amplifies reflections, the veins of stone and the warmth of wood.

• Natural stone and travertine: light filtered through stone gives a soft halo, with no bright spot, ideal facing a mirror. The reflection reveals the material from both sides.
• Black or gold metal: graphic and crisp, it highlights a slim frame. Choose a matt finish to limit stray reflections.
• Wood: it warms up a mirror with a simple frame and goes well with a wooden console table.

Our stone and travertine lights are particularly well suited to this use, precisely because the source stays hidden behind the stone.

11. Fixing and power supply

The cable outlet is rarely in the right place. Create a light point, run trunking along the frame or hide the cable behind the mirror: see our 7 tips for hiding a wall light cable. For fixing, locate the studs in the partition and use the right fixing to fix a wall light to plasterboard.

12. In short

A wall light above a mirror is half to two thirds of its width, is fitted 10 to 20 cm above the frame and projects about ten centimetres. Source invisible in the reflection, light around 3000 K: in the hallway it helps you see yourself, in the living room it serves the decor.

Frequently asked questions