The black wall lights on this page are matt or textured, almost never gloss. The black covers LED reading lights and cast-iron candle sconces alike; what changes the light is the glass, smoked or opal, or no glass at all.
For reading in bed, a black reading light rather than smoked glass
Smoked glass, fitted to a few models, holds back part of the output. An 800-lumen E27 bulb behind it gives far less. Enough for 300 to 500 lumens of background light, not for a book. At the bedside, 1.10 to 1.30 m off the floor, pick a reading light with a directed beam of 400 to 800 lumens. This selection has plenty, on flexible necks or swivel heads.
A black LED bar needs 60 to 80 cm of clear wall below the ceiling
The long LED bars light both up and down. Mounted 1.60 to 1.80 m off the floor, they need 60 to 80 cm of clear wall above them, or the upward beam leaves a hot spot on the ceiling.
A good share of the page has integrated LED, most often at 3,000 K. You choose the colour when you order. The module can't be replaced, with 15,000 to 30,000 hours claimed. With an E27, E14 or GU10 lampholder, the bulb is your choice, and yours to buy unless the page says "included".
Matt black doesn't shine, but it does show the dust
Matt black reflects nothing, neither the lamps nor the window. That is the point of it. Dust still settles grey on top of a shade or along an arm; a dry cloth deals with it, though the gritty textured finish clings to it more. Fixed to a dark wall, the fitting vanishes and you see only its light. On white paint, its outline stands out, and a few models soften it with a candle or a gold head.
Near the shower, a black wall light with an IP44 rating
Black suits black taps. Above the bath or shower tray, though, and within 60 cm of it, which BS 7671 calls zones 1 and 2, the fitting must be IPX4 at least. Outside the zones IP44 is still advisable, and only a few models here carry it, designed for the mirror with 500 to 800 lumens either side of the face at 1.55 to 1.65 m. Wall lights with no IP rating belong in dry rooms.
Swing-arm reading lights are gathered under bedroom wall lights, IP44 models under bathroom wall lights, bars for a canvas under picture lights, the same shapes in brass under gold wall lights.
Every colour is among the wall lights, and our guide to installing a wall light covers the fitting. To find out whether a black is matt or textured, or whether a model is IP44, call +33 9 70 46 66 67, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm UK time; delivery is free in the UK and the European Union, with 30 days to change your mind.
