Want to add entryway lighting without an electrician? Do you live in a rental and want to install wall sconces without hardwiring? Or maybe you’re looking for a cost and time efficient way to elevate your home with lighting. Sconces are a great way to do this, but traditionally they require professional help to install. Not anymore!! Today, I have a home decor lighting hack to show how you can install sconce lighting yourself (no electrician required)!
Adding sconces to your home can instantly elevate your space. Gorgeous sconce lighting is a feature you’ve seen before in high-end homes, but custom lighting like this isn’t just for million-dollar homes. It’s for you to install and enjoy too! My goal with my personal home decor is to achieve the most high-dollar look for the lowest price possible without having to compromise on aesthetic.
In many aspects of my lifestyle, I abide by the high and low rule. Mixing budget-friendly finds, with higher-priced items is how I believe I’m able to achieve a home that feels cozy, yet refined — sophisticated, but not stuffy. And remember, you can still find deals for the pricier things to cut down costs. Why pay full price for Saks Fifth Avenue if you don’t have to?
For my entryway, I got these gorgeous gold-framed intaglios from a local store in Birmingham. I’ve sourced similar ones here that you can customize online with intaglio, frame size, and mat color. This is by far one of my best-selling affiliate items on this blog! Framed intaglios are an easy way to instantly elevate any space. They are beautiful and timeless pieces of art. These Ballard intaglios you don’t have to customize the size on, but entryways are usually so uniquely shaped I think custom frame size is sometimes the best way to go!
To frame up my entryway nook perfectly, I decided to add two gold sconces to flank the art on both sides.
The demilune console table I have here, I sourced from an estate sale for $50! What. A. Find! This piece actually inspired this entire design. I struggled for 2 years on how to style this little entryway nook, and one day I stumbled across an estate sale in Birmingham and found this wavy demilune console table and the rest is history!
I’ve sourced similar demilune console tables for you — available at every price point.
Ok, now that I’ve shared how I completed this entryway project in my home, Let’s get started with your non-hardwired entryway lighting project!
What you will need?
- Any style of sconces of your choice. However, since we’ll be using puck lights in this DIY, a sconce with a lampshade would be best.
- Hardware to install the light (most sconces come with the required materials) but a toolbox will be handy.
- Battery-operated puck lights. These will go inside your sconce. These are the ones I used: Remote Control Puck Lights
- Other non-hardwired lighting tutorials you may have seen on the internet could be telling you to use these rechargable lightbulbs but those will not work on small-scale sconces. I’m not saying those blogs are wrong, I’m saying the lights they are using are compatible with a regular-sized lightbulb.
- Smaller/skinner sconces (like I’m using in this design) are made to fit a candelabra type of lightbulb. So that is why we are using battery-operated puck lights and sticking them to the interior of the lamp shade.
*Note: I haven’t tried this yet but apparently there are these base converters for candelabra sconces. If you buy these converters, then you can fit a regular-size rechargeable light bulb in your sconce. HOWEVER, depending on the measurements of your sconce the regular-size lightbulb might be too tall and stick out of the top of your lamp shade.
SO, that’s why I just continue to use the puck lights!
DIY Wall Sconces without hardwiring — No Electrician Required!
1) Choose The Appropriate Wall Sconce
If you haven’t done this already, you first need to pick out the wall sconce you wish to use. It’s important that you pick one with a wide enough shade so that you can easily attach the puck light to it. I wouldn’t go any smaller than the ones I used.
My exact sconces pictured are linked here.
2) Decide Where You Want to Position Your Sconce
Once you’ve finalized the type of sconce you’ll be using, it’s time for you to decide the exact place you want to attach it. Trace your wall sconce onto some paper, and use tape to position it where you want. Although optional, this step makes it easier for you to install the sconce later on.
3) Remove The Wiring
Since we’re not hardwiring them, you can go ahead and remove any excess wiring the wall sconce may have or you might just be able to tuck it up into the wall plate.
4) Install Your Sconces
Most sconces come with installation instructions that are easy to follow. However, if you don’t want to install them permanently, you can always try and use 3M strips to stick them onto the wall. I hang all of my art under 6 pounds with these 3M stickies and they have served me well over the past few years. To me, it’s so much easier to hang lightweight art without having to nail anything to the wall. Definitely, the best way to hang art in a rental is the use these 3M wall velcros! Check out my dining room gallery wall, installed completely with these 3M command strips
To hang your sconces, measure and use a pencil to mark where you want the sconce to sit, then use the hardware provided to secure them to the wall. (We used a power drill)
5) Stick Your Puck Lights to the Lampshade
These puck lights come with 3M sticky pads for you to use. Insert three AAA batteries to each puck light you want to use, add a sticky pad to the back of the puck light and place the sticky part on the inside of the lampshade. I place mine on the very backside so that the light illuminates out to the front of the shade.
6) Add the Lampshade to Sconce
By now, your sconce light is attached to the wall, all you’re left to do is simply set the lampshade in place. Now, step back and use the remote control to turn on your new non-hardwired battery-powered lighting!
Bonus Tip: I found wireless sconces on Amazon after I had already installed the new sconces, so if you don’t already have your heart set on a pair, check these out. It comes with everything you need — sconce, lampshade, battery-powered/rechargable lightbulb, and remote control to turn lights on and off
Battery Operated Hardwired Sconces
If you don’t like these particular ones for your space, then everything I explained in this blog on how to install sconces without hardwiring is everything you need to know! With these tips I’ve shared today, you can confidently choose from a wide variety of sconce lights and easily install them in your home without needing to hire an electrician!
Comment below or DM me on Instagram if you have any design questions!
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