Bathroom Sconce Height Guide + The Sconces I Chose for Our New Home

If you’ve ever fallen down the rabbit hole of choosing bathroom sconces, welcome to the club. 😅

As we’re building our new home, I’m currently making decisions on all of our light fixtures. And because our electrician needs to know exactly where everything goes before drywall, I’m focusing on the trickiest ones… bathroom sconces.

With chandeliers and pendants, I only need to decide where they’ll be placed and can finalize the exact fixtures a few months down the road. But bathroom sconces are different. Their placement depends on the specific fixtures you choose, so I need to lock in both the sconces and their exact location before electrical rough-in.

Today I’m sharing the bathroom sconce height guidelines I’m following in our new build, some of my favorite bathroom sconces from my search, and the sconces I’ve selected so far for our bathrooms and above our built-in dining room sideboard. Let’s get to it! (This post includes commissionable links. For more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})

Bathroom Sconce Height Guidelines

Getting bathroom sconce placement right makes a real difference in how flattering and functional your lighting feels day to day. When flanking a mirror, mount sconces so the center of the light source sits at roughly 60 to 66 inches from the floor. This range works well because it places the light close to eye level for most adults, creating flattering, even lighting instead of harsh shadows.

Of course, there isn’t one perfect measurement for every bathroom. The ideal placement also depends on ceiling height, mirror size, sconce design, and the people who’ll be using the space. For example, you might choose a placement closer to 60″ for a kid’s bathroom and closer to 66″ for taller adults.

I’ve been mocking up each bathroom before finalizing locations to make sure everything feels balanced. For example, this is my lighting plan for our youngest daughter’s bathroom:

Sources: 38″ Scalloped wood mirror | Olive leaf sconces | Arched faucet

A good rule of thumb is to leave about 2 to 6 inches between the edge of the mirror and the inside edge of each sconce, but exact spacing depends on the width of your vanity and the size of your light fixtures.

If you’re placing sconces directly above a mirror rather than beside it, aim for roughly 75 to 80 inches from the floor, or about 2 to 6 inches above the top of the mirror frame. In the primary bathroom of our previous home, I hung the sconces at the lower end of that range because the clear glass shades had very little visual weight, allowing the fixtures to sit a bit closer to the mirror without feeling heavy or crowded.

Vanity Area Sources: Wood & rattan double vanity  |  Vanity knobs  |   Faucets (similar)  |  Vanity lights  |  Vanity mirrors (gold finish)  |  Woven seagrass tray on vanity (similar) |  Marble stacking pots  | Soap & lotion sink set with tray

Favorite Playful Sconces

Since we plan on our new build being our forever home, I’m designing each space to reflect the personality of the person who’ll use it most. My youngest daughter loves whimsical design, so I was drawn to sconces that felt playful while still being timeless enough to love for years to come. These are some of the beautiful bathroom sconces I considered:

1. White leaf motif sconce (20″ h x 5.75″ w x 6.25″ d) | 2. Wood bead sconce (17″ h x 6.25″ w x 7″ d) | 3. White floral sconce (20.25″ h x 5.5″ w x 7.5″ d) – also see {this more budget-friendly version} | 4. Scalloped shade brass sconce (19.25″ h x 5.5″ w x 9″ d) | 5. Scalloped alabaster base sconce (14″ h x 6″ w x 7.5″ d) | 6. Gold olive leaf sconce (21″ h x 6″ w x 7.25″ d) | 7. Ceramic beaded backplate sconce (13.5″ h x 5.5″ w) | 8. Scalloped capiz shell sconce (12″ h x 7″ w) – also see {this budget-friendly version} | 9. Wide scalloped shade sconce (10.5″ h x 8.25″ w x 13″ d) | 10. Pleated shade sconce (8.25″ h x 4.5″ w x 5.5″ d)

I ultimately chose the design I shared earlier in the post with {this wavy mirror} and {these sconces}:

For budget-friendly, playful sconce options, check out {these decorative wall sconces}, including both rechargeable and plug-in options.

Favorite Timeless Bathroom Sconces

In our primary bathroom, I wanted something with a more classic look, focusing on sconces that I think I’ll still love for years to come. I looked for clean lines, beautiful proportions, and designs that feel fresh today but are classic enough to stand the test of time. These are some of my favorites from the selection process:

Source Links: 1. Acrylic & brass sconce (18.625″ h x 5″ w x 6.625″ d) | 2. Grasscloth covered sconce (22″ h x 6.75″ w x 7.5″ d) | 3. Crystal & brass sconce (15.25″ h x 5″ w x 7″ d) | 4. Drum shade soft brass sconce (19.25″ h x 7.5″ w x 9″ d) | 5. Soft brass & white sconce (15″ h x 5.25″ w x 8.25″ d) | 6. Rattan wrapped sconce (18″ h x 6″ w x 7″ d) | 7. Curved ball sconce (18″ h x 6″ w x 10″ d) | 8. Basic brass sconce (17″ h x 6″ w x 7″ d) | 9. Budget-friendly brass sconce (14.25″ h x 5.5″ w x 8.75″ d) | 10. Swoop sconce (14″ h x 7.5″ w x 11″ d) | 11. Double glass sconce (16.25″ h x 6″ w x 7.5″ d)

And here’s what I’ve chosen:

Source Links: Mirror | Sconces

I’ll likely choose our powder room sconces from one of these timeless finds too, but I’ve got to finalize the vanity design before nailing that decision down.

Favorite Double Sconces

Another place we’re planning to use sconces is above our built-in dining room sideboard. Unlike bathroom sconces, these aren’t meant to provide task lighting. Instead, they’re there to add warmth, highlight the furniture, and create another layer of ambient light.

These are some of my favorite double sconces I found in my search:

Source Links: 1. Calistoga double sconce (12.25″ h x 21.75″ w) | 2. Hulton double sconce (17.5″ h x 14″ w) | 3. Estrela double sconce (16.5″ h x 15″ w) | 4. Lewis metal double sconce (16″ h x 19″ w) | 5. Left hand linen wall sconce & Right hand linen wall sconce (22″ h x 12.75″ w) | 6. White dassel sconce (21″ h x 12″ w) | 7. Baxley double sconce (20.875″ h x 13″ w) | 8. Reed double sconce (13.25″ h x 14.75″ w)

I’m leaning toward using {this pair}:

I love how their clean lines feel timeless while the double-arm design gives them enough presence to anchor the long sideboard without competing with everything else going on in the room.

I’m a very visual person, so for me, creating renderings of each space has been one of the most valuable parts of the design process. It’s helped me feel confident that the style, scale, and overall proportions all work together.

In case you’re wondering how I created these renderings, I uploaded the cabinet drawings we created with our cabinet maker to ChatGPT and provided details on the cabinet color/finish. Then I used Canva to cut out the background of the different sconces I was considering and layered them on top to “audition” them in each space.

There are still plenty of lighting decisions ahead, but checking these sconce selections off my list feels like a big win. 😊 I’d love to hear which of the sconces I shared is your favorite or if there’s another beautiful one I should add to my ever-growing inspiration folder!

XO,