Kitchen Sconce Bandwagon: Let Me Help You Aboard

rowofsconces — A row of library style sconces dress up a long kitchen window. (Source)

I have written about sconces in the kitchen before and they are on my mind once again. I’m working on a kitchen design that has the potential for wall lighting and I have suddenly found myself all in on kitchen sconces. However, my client is more hesitant about seeing a wall of sconces saluting her every morning and since it is something she will ultimately see every day and not me, I have been sending her “sconcey” kitchens, farmhouse inspired wall lights and sketches of sconces in an effort to sway her decision towards my pro-sconce camp.

sketch pendants — This is a quick sketch I did for my client with a trace overlay showing pendants over the future peninsula and a pendant over the sink. I don’t know if you can tell by the way I scrawled out the barstool, but this is my least favorite scenario.

sketch sconces — And the same sketch with an overlay of lovely sconces over the open shelves and a pendant at the table. I think not having pendants at the peninsula opens up the kitchen to the rest of the room quite nicely and look how happy the barstool looks now!

The thing about putting sconces in your kitchen is that most of the time, they are not terribly useful. The sconces in the above sketch illuminate shelves that are already lit sufficiently by the downlights in the room. I think this is what was ultimately causing my client to wake up at 5 am worried about her wall of sconces. If you want sconces in your kitchen, as I apparently seem to want, first look for a place where they will provide needed light and then find a space with the architecture and cabinetry that makes sense.

blacklibrarysconce — Sconces over the sink! This is where (as of Tuesday) we have decided to place a sconce. A light over the sink area is quite useful – a sconce over the window or next to it will only help and will look pretty helping.

barnsconces — Barn light sconces illuminating the sink area. I can see propped up chalkboards looking cute underneath them. (Source)

brass and bronze sconce — Another sconce near the sink area. I like the two toned metal here and the way it’s mounted onto the cabinet. (Source Unknown)

small sconces — Smaller sconces mounted where there are no upper cabinets. Unlike the previous photo’s, this kitchen is not all about sconces. If you want them to be more subtle – don’t use black and scale them down a notch in size. (Source)

librarysconces — This is more the look I was petitioning for – these are library style sconces designed to illuminate the shelves below. As you can see they are mostly for decoration – the kitchen is well lit as it is. (Source)

librarysimple — Sconces above a window seem to make sense! Notice how they cut into the crown molding to make room for them. (Source)

I like the way sconces in kitchens amp up the style and coziness of a room that can look a bit sterile with stainless steel appliances and wall to wall cabinetry. For the same reasons, I really like lamps in kitchens – they give an instant “homey-ness” to a room.

ina garten lamp — Ina Garten famously has lamps in her gorgeous kitchen. I do too, and there the similarity ends… (Source)

Moral of the story? If you, too, like sconces in kitchens, look for places where you will need light and then find a logical and attractive place for them. If you are worried that your kitchen is going to look like a lighting showroom, draw them out and see what you think. If it looks like too much, it probably is.