Mid century wall lamps: Modern wall lights for your stylish home

What is a modern wall light?

Wall lamps, sconces and similar wall lighting solutions have been around for decades, centuries even if we take into account the earliest candle-powered wall lamps of the ancient days. For much of their history, they were mostly reserved for castles, royalty residencies and other spaces which were far beyond the reach of an ordinary man. The democratization of wall sconces was oddly delayed, compared to other types of lighting and it appeared in homes quite recently from a historic perspective. So just their appearance in that context was, in itself, modern.

However, when we say modern wall lamp and modern wall light, we most commonly think of classic designs of this type that first appeared during the mid century era and that were light solutions shaped by mid century design practices and postulates. They presented a stark break from the baroque-dominated design of the previous eras and a move towards contemporary sleek, elegant, stylish and functional design. Of course, this doesn’t mean that decorative wall lamps aren’t still around – in fact, many of these designs are undoubtedly decorative – but they still rely on simple forms, glare-free light and elegance stemming from simplicity for their unique aesthetic expression. Glass shade is a very common way to ensure this, but as we will see, many innovative designers found different ways to achieve the specific quality of light, including composite multi-layered shades made out of bold materials rich in texture, such as polished and brushed nickle, aged brass or oil rubbed bronze.

Vintage wall lamps in a modern home

Just because mid century modern wall lamps have several decades behind them, that doesn’t mean that they can’t still fit in in a contemporary modern home. In fact, these timeless classics have truly aged gracefully thanks to their timeless elegance and clever design. Today, they still shine with the same glare-free light and the same sophisticated glow as they did decades ago. But far from being simply rustic wall lamps, these designs anticipated most of the contemporary trends in the field of lighting architecture and they also utilize modern materials characteristic for industrial production, including different types of metal as well as plastic.

Many of them also anticipated contemporary forms, like numerous Scandinavian mid century plug-in swing arm wall lamps which offer amazing flexibility and adjustability. In fact, many types of swing wall lamps first appeared during this era, inspired by some Bauhaus designs that preceded them. Both in their sleek elegance and their functionality, these models perfectly match the qualities of the much more contemporary products and as such, they are an ideal solution for any modern home.

Styling with wall mounted lamps

Sconces, wall lamps and other types of wall mounted lighting fixtures can be very effective décor elements. Aside from being very functional at illuminating the room from different angles and creating additional layers of complexity and visual interest, they can also draw attention to statement pieces, accent walls or other décor elements that you want to truly stand out. With just a little bit of planning, this stylistic touch can easily get additional pragmatic value. For example, why not placing a wall reading lamp next to your stylish accent armchair to draw attention to it, while at the same time ensuring optimal light for your reading sessions? You can also combine several wall mounted lamps with lower intensity light bulbs for a dreamy, warm and cozy ambience, especially if they can act as hanging light fixtures, or just a few swing wall lamps in copper or stainless steel for a touch of industrial style. So, as long as your position of light fixtures is correct and follows your overall decor and ambience, you have a significant degree of freedom in choosing the exact style and model.

Where to buy wall lamps for living room or bedroom?

While your first instinct might be to go to Ikea and shop for some wall lamps for your home, or maybe check websites such as eBay or Amazon, you might want to consider trying your luck with retailers specializing in mid century furniture. By doing so, you will ensure that your lamps are of the highest quality and that they come with the same stylistic characteristic as the original vintage wall lamps.
Here at byBESPOEK you can find premium-quality reproductions of some of the most iconic wall lights from the mid century era which retain the same quality and durability, the same elegance and style as the original, while being available at just a fraction of the original price.