Lantern Wall Sconces

Lantern Wall Sconces: Classic Framed Light for Living Rooms, Halls and Stairs

Long before electricity, a lantern was how a household carried light safely: a flame enclosed in a frame, hung by the door or along a stair. Lantern wall sconces keep that shape and its sense of shelter. The bulb sits inside panes, a cage or a woven shell, so the fixture looks like a small house of light, traditional and reassuring at the same time.

The lantern silhouette moves easily between styles, and this collection shows it: six designs have a vintage look, four lean rustic, three industrial, and a few take a boho or Japandi turn. To compare lanterns with every other shape, start with our full collection of wall sconces.

This page gathers 8 hardwired lantern designs. Wood frames four of them, as in the Weathered Wood Lantern Wall Sconce and the Pagoda Lantern Antique Wood Wall Sconce. Bamboo, rattan and rope shape the woven ones, iron gives the Black Iron Lantern Wall Sconce its crisp outline, and glass or crystal enclose the more refined designs.

Box, Pagoda, Hurricane or Woven?

Square box lanterns, with four flat sides, look tidy and architectural. Pagoda lanterns, with stacked or flared roofs, borrow from Japanese garden lanterns and suit calm Japandi rooms. Hurricane lanterns enclose the bulb in a tall glass chimney, the shape of an old storm lamp, as in the Hurricane Lantern Wall Sconce. Woven designs such as the Bamboo Rattan Lantern Wall Sconce filter light into soft patterns. Pick the shape that echoes something in the house, such as a window grid, a paneled door or a woven chair, and the fixture will look as if it came with the home.

Frame and Shade: What Changes the Light

Wood and bamboo frames warm both the light and the wall around it. Woven lanterns in rattan or bamboo let light escape through their gaps and draw patterns on the wall; our rattan and bamboo wall sconces offer more of that texture. Iron gives a sharp, dark outline, and our black wall sconces show more dark frames. Glass changes the glow most: opal glass, as in the Opal Glass Lantern Wall Sconce, hides the bulb and glows evenly, while the Crystal Lantern Wall Sconce adds sparkle.

Living Rooms, Halls and Stairs

Living rooms come first here, with five designs listed for them: a pair of lanterns on either side of a fireplace or a bookcase gives instant cottage warmth. Four suit hallways, where a lantern wall sconce keeps glare out of the eyes of people walking past; space fixtures 8 to 10 feet apart and center them 60 to 66 inches above the floor. Three work beside a bed and two in an entry.

On a staircase, keep the same height above each stair nosing so the lights climb with the steps; our staircase wall sconces show more designs for that run. One lantern here is listed for bathrooms; near water, check its product page for a damp rating and keep it clear of the shower. For other rooms, our guide on how high to mount wall sconces has the details.

What About the Front Door?

A lantern beside the front door is a familiar American sight, but the designs on this page are chosen for indoor rooms. Outside, use a fixture with a damp or wet rating that matches the spot: damp for a covered porch, wet where rain reaches it. Our outdoor wall lights are made for exterior walls. Size them to the door: about one third of the door's height for a single lantern, about one quarter each for a pair.

Bulbs for a Lantern Glow

Because a lantern frames its bulb, the bulb becomes part of the design. Five designs here take a standard E26 bulb, one a narrower E12 candelabra bulb and one has integrated LEDs; read our guide on E26 vs E12 bulbs if the codes are new to you. Warm white at 2700 K is the classic choice, and 2200 K amber bulbs come close to candlelight. Use LED bulbs in wood and woven frames, since they run far cooler than incandescent ones. None of the 8 is listed as dimmable.

Installing a Lantern Sconce

All 8 designs are hardwired and mount to a junction box with a crossbar or a backplate. Turn off the breaker, test the wires, then connect the fixture following its instructions. Whatever the material, make sure the box is firmly anchored, especially for a glass or crystal design. If the box is missing, loose or in the wrong place, a licensed electrician can fix it.

Caring for Wood, Woven and Glass Lanterns

Dust collects inside a lantern, so clean it each season with the light off and the bulb cool. Brush bamboo and rattan with a soft, dry brush or the brush attachment of a vacuum, and never soak woven materials. Wipe wood with a dry cloth. For glass panes and crystal, spray glass cleaner onto a soft cloth rather than onto the fixture, then polish gently.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Using a hot incandescent bulb inside a wood or woven frame.
• Putting a bare, bright bulb behind clear glass at eye level.
• Hanging an indoor lantern on a porch.
• Mixing several lantern styles along one hallway.

FAQ: Lantern Wall Sconces

What is a wall sconce?

Any light fastened to a wall instead of the ceiling counts as a wall sconce. A lantern sconce is one version, with the bulb enclosed in a frame of glass, metal, wood or woven bamboo, the way oil lamps were once protected from the wind.

What are wall sconces?

They are wall-mounted lights that add ambient, accent or task light at eye level without taking floor or table space. Common spots are living rooms, hallways, stairs and the wall beside a bed.

Can lantern wall sconces be used outdoors?

The lanterns on this page are chosen for indoor rooms. Outside, use a fixture whose product page states a damp or wet rating that matches the location.

Which rooms suit lantern wall sconces?

Living rooms, hallways and bedrooms suit them best, along with entries and stairs. A pair beside a fireplace or a bookcase is a classic arrangement.

What bulb goes in a lantern sconce?

Most designs here take an E26 bulb; one takes E12 and one has integrated LEDs, so check the product page. Warm white at 2700 K suits most lanterns, and an amber 2200 K LED gives a candle-like glow.

How high should lantern sconces be mounted?

Center them 60 to 66 inches above the floor in living rooms and hallways. On stairs, keep the same height above each step.

Explore More Lantern and Heritage Lighting

A lantern on the wall pairs naturally with a lantern overhead. Hang lantern pendant lights in the entry or over a dining table and repeat the frame material on the walls nearby, so the two read as a set. For more heritage character, browse our vintage wall sconces, with aged finishes and nostalgic shapes.

If the pagoda and bamboo designs speak to you, our Japanese wall sconces gather more Japandi shapes. To plan a whole room around a fireplace and a reading corner, see our living room lighting.

Eight Lanterns, One Timeless Shape

These 8 lantern designs were chosen for the sheltered, steady light a framed bulb gives, whether it warms a living room or guides you up the stairs. Measure your wall, check each product page for size and bulb base, and choose the frame that fits your home's character.

Keep exploring: lantern pendants · all wall sconces · vintage wall lights