Before you buy: three measurements
Height. The centre of a wall light usually sits 1500 to 1650mm from the floor, roughly eye level for a standing adult. Beside a bed, 1100 to 1300mm from the floor works better. On a staircase, measure from the nose of the tread directly below.
Projection. How far the fitting comes off the wall. In a hallway under a metre wide, stay under 180mm or someone will catch a shoulder on it. Our Shallow Projection collection filters for this.
Spacing. Along a corridor or a long wall, space sconces 1800 to 2500mm apart. Either side of a fireplace or a bed, match the symmetry of the thing they flank rather than the room.
Wiring
Hardwired fittings must be installed by a qualified electrician working to BS 7671. We supply fixing screws but not wall plugs, because the right anchor depends on whether you are going into brick, block, plasterboard or lath and plaster. Weights are stated on every product page. Anything over about 4kg wants a timber fixing or a heavy duty plasterboard anchor, both of which we sell.
Bathrooms
Zone 1 (inside the shower or above the bath to 2.25m) needs IP65. Zone 2 (within 600mm of the bath or basin edge) needs IP44 or better. Outside zone 2 any indoor fitting is permitted. Every fitting in our bathroom collection states its rating.
Lamps and dimming
We recommend 2700K warm white throughout a home; anything cooler makes brass look grey. Use dimmable LED lamps on a trailing edge dimmer. Leading edge dimmers and LEDs flicker together. Never exceed the maximum wattage on the product page — on a shaded fitting it is a fire risk, not a guideline.
Unlacquered brass, bronze and copper
These are supplied bright and are meant to darken. Fingerprints show first, then the whole surface warms and evens out over six to eighteen months. If you want to keep it bright, clean with a soft cloth and a little Renaissance wax twice a year. If you want it to age, do nothing at all. Never use abrasive metal polish on a lacquered finish; it removes the lacquer and you will get a blotchy patina.
Alabaster and plaster
Dust with a dry soft brush. No water, no cleaning products. Alabaster is gypsum and will mark permanently if it gets wet. Plaster fittings can be painted with the same emulsion as your wall — two thin coats, avoiding the lamp holder.
Glass and crystal
Remove the shade before cleaning. Warm water, a drop of washing up liquid, dried immediately with a lint free cloth. For crystal, our cleaning kit does it without leaving streaks in the facets.
Exterior fittings
Within a mile of the sea, choose marine grade. Wash the salt off with fresh water twice a year. Check the gasket annually and replace the lamp before it fails rather than after, so moisture never sits in a cold fitting.
Something gone wrong?
We stock replacement shades, flex, backplates, gaskets and rewire kits for everything we sell. Email support@homartuk.com with your order number and a photograph.