Battery vs Hardwired Wall Lights: What You Can Fit in a NZ Rental
You Can Have Wall Lighting in a Rental. Most People Assume They Cannot.
The assumption goes like this: wall lights are wired into the wall, wiring means an electrician, an electrician means a landlord conversation, and that is where the idea dies.
That is only true for hardwired fittings. A large share of wall sconces sold in New Zealand come with an inline switch line, which means they plug into an ordinary wall socket and mount with two screws. No wiring. No electrician. No permission needed beyond whatever your tenancy says about putting screws in walls.
This post is about which is which, and how to pick one that does the job you actually want.
Switch Line or Hardwired
Switch line. A cord runs from the fitting down to a plug, with an inline switch partway along. You mount the fitting, run the cord, plug it in. Fitting time is about ten minutes. The cord is visible, which some people mind and some do not. In a rental, this is almost always the right answer.
Hardwired. No visible cord. The fitting connects directly to the mains behind the wall and is switched from a wall switch. It looks cleaner. It requires a registered electrician, which in New Zealand is not optional for mains work. Worth it in a house you own, rarely worth it in one you rent.
If you are renting and want the hardwired look, run the cord down behind furniture or use a cord cover painted to match the wall. It disappears more than you expect.
Fixed or Adjustable
This is the choice that decides whether the light is useful or just decorative.
A fixed sconce throws light up and down the wall in a fixed wash. It creates atmosphere. It is very good in a hallway, beside a mirror, or either side of a bed for ambience. It is close to useless for reading, because the light goes along the wall rather than onto your book.
An adjustable head rotates, often through 360 degrees, so you can aim it. This is what you want beside a bed if you actually read there. Point it at the page, not at the ceiling.
People buy the fixed one because it photographs better, then discover they cannot read by it. Decide which job you are hiring the light to do before you choose.
Mounting Height
For a bedside sconce, mount the fitting roughly 100 to 120cm from the floor. That puts the light source above the mattress and below your eye line when sitting up, so the light falls on the page rather than into your eyes.
For a hallway, 150 to 170cm is normal, which is roughly eye height for most adults. Higher and it lights the ceiling, lower and it glares.
For either side of a mirror, match the height to the centre of the mirror so the light hits your face from the side rather than casting shadows down it.
Wattage, and Why the Number Looks Small
Modern LED wall lights are commonly 5W. That sounds tiny next to the incandescent bulbs most of us grew up with, and it puts people off.
5W of LED gives roughly the light of an old 40W incandescent bulb, at a fraction of the running cost. It also runs cool, which matters for a fitting mounted near a headboard or in a narrow hallway where someone might brush past it.
For a bedside or hallway sconce, 5W is plenty. You would only want more if the fitting is the sole light source in a large room, and in that case a wall light is the wrong product anyway.
What About the Tenancy Agreement
Standard residential tenancies in New Zealand generally allow minor alterations that can be reversed, and screw holes in a wall are usually treated as reasonable wear that you make good when you leave. Your specific agreement is what governs, so read it, and if you are unsure, ask in writing so you have a record.
Two screw holes, filled and painted on the way out, is a very different conversation from cutting into a wall.
Where to Start
If you want light you can read by, choose an adjustable head. If you want atmosphere, choose a fixed sconce. If you are renting, choose one with a switch line either way.
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