There’s no denying that LED technology has enabled lighting fixture designers to conjure up some innovative and intriguing luminaires — particularly for the wall. The slim profile and small package of chip-on-board LEDs, for instance, make for great, flat, light-emitting surfaces that, in turn, can lead to more compact or flat fixtures that don’t awkwardly jut out from the wall, or sculptural lights whose silhouettes need not accommodate bulkier lamping. Here are seven recent wall lights that exemplify what product designers are able to accomplish with LEDs.
RIM R Wall from Nimbus Group.
Nimbus Group: RIM R Wall
Originally created as a ceiling fixture, the RIM R luminaire featured a pivoting, light disc that lent itself well to a wall sconce design. Naturally, Nimbus thought so, too. This revamped version for wall mounting has the same smart design: an aluminum base rotates 350 degrees on the wall, while its ring holds the illuminated acrylic disc, which tilts 90 degrees in any direction. The combination essentially allows the luminaire to function as an up-, down-, or spotlight or even a wall grazer. Its integrated sensor enables touchless control and dimming (though the unit can also be controlled by conventional switches). Six base colors are available.
Vibia’s Fold, designed by Arik Levy.
Vibia: Fold
Designer Arik Levy has been collaborating with the Spanish lighting manufacturer on a number of successful products mostly defined by high levels of customization. Case in point, his Fold series can be manipulated into a piece of bespoke wall art. Four preconfigured modules (of one, two, four, or seven chevron diffusers with a single back plate) can be installed clustered or spaced as desired, offering multidirectional LED illumination and an Escheresque optical illusion of cubes. The diffusers come in matte red, green, dark chocolate, or off-white lacquer.
Ledge by Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Rich Brilliant Willing.
Rich Brilliant Willing: Ledge
An exercise in reduction, this sconce features a clean design and compact body consisting of just two pieces, one of which is a projecting “ledge” that integrates the LED light source. Installable as an up- or down-light, it’s constructed of cast-aluminum with an opaque acrylic lens. The LEDs produce 700 lumens in a white-color temperature of 2,700 Kelvins. The fixture is available in a square or circular design.
Lana by Pablo shown on the wall (left) and repositioned on the floor lamp’s stem (right).
Pablo: Lana
Craft meets advanced manufacturing in this lighting family, which offers wall, floor, table, or pendant luminaires. Its shade, composed of natural wool and recycled PET bottles, gives Lana a warm, handmade quality. But its LED module, with thermal management built right in, boasts cutting-edge technology. The module is also magnetic, enabling users to position the shade and light source anywhere and any way desired on ferrous surfaces.
Adamas from Axo Light.
Axo Light:Adamas
Reading like a light show on the wall, Adamas is an indoor/outdoor fixture that consists of high-power LEDs around its perimeter to produce four or eight multidirectional rays of light in 10- or 40-degree beam spreads. When powered off, it’s an eye-catching accent that resembles a precious diamond with brilliant-cut facets. The unit is constructed of aluminum alloy finished in gray paint, and measures five inches in diameter by 4-3/8 inches deep. The LEDs can be specified in 3,000 or 4,000 Kelvins color temperature.
Tech Lighting’s Bowman.
Tech Lighting: Bowman
A very simple, minimalist silhouette that recalls the familiar table-lamp shade defines this sconce series from Tech Lighting. The indoor/outdoor wall fixture is constructed of die-cast aluminum in black, antique bronze, silver, or white finish, and measures 7½ inches at its widest point by six inches high. Its LED module provides 2,270 lumens in a white-color temperature of 3,000 Kelvins.
Delta’s Forty-5.
Delta Light USA:Forty-5
Another optical-cube design, Delta’s Forty-5 presents an isometric perspective to fool the eye but really only protrudes 2-1/8 inches from the wall. Each “cube” is fitted with an LED cluster that delivers 420 lumens in a white-color temperature of 3,000 Kelvins.