Lights & lighting

Vintage Wall Lighting Guide | Factorylux

Vintage Wall Lighting Guide | Factorylux
Here's our guide to finding the right vintage wall lighting for your room or space. All the Factorylux wall lights are dispatched for safe and simple installation with easy-to-follow instructions, wiring diagrams and all the necessary fittings and fixtures.

Choosing a Light Fitting

The Maria range includes a range of designs - from the compact Maria Sconce to the large Maria Banjo and the starting point to choosing the right wall light is to work out what you want the light to do.

General or ambient lighting

Although general or ambient lighting in most rooms comes from ceiling pendant lights, wall lights can be used to increase general light levels in a space. If ambient lighting is required, then look to a larger light fitting, for example the Maria Wall Light. Larger fittings generally take bulbs with a larger cap size and/or bulbs which have a higher power rating, both of which will produce more light.
vintage brass wall light Detail from a vintage brass Maria Scorsese Wall Light shown with a small globe loop filament bulb
Additional ambient lighting from wall lights is particularly useful in areas which are shaded from, or more distant from, light from the main ceiling pendant, for example in alcoves.

Accent lighting

Wall lights can be used for accent lighting - to create visual interest and texture, or for lighting 'vertical' features such as wall art or book cases/shelving. Accent lighting might require less light than general or ambient lighting but the design of the fitting, in terms of how the light is cast or whether it is adjustable, may be more important. The Maria Scorsese designer wall lights have two joints to allow maximum adjustability and the Maria Library light has a slim mounting plate so it can be fixed directly to a bookcase.
vintage wall lights kitchen Vintage wall lighting in a kitchen used for task lighting above a work surface, but the lights also create visual interest
If the purpose of lighting is to create visual interest, then choosing a more decorative fitting or choosing decorative light bulbs, such as traditional filament, makes sense.

Task lighting

Effective task lighting is obviously important for whatever the activity is. When choosing lighting for by the side of a bed or seating, wall lights with shades which direct or focus the light help ensure a practical light level for the task. The Maria Banjo Wall Lights and Maria Sconces both have shades which create 'pools' of light which are ideal for reading or whatever the task in hand is. As with accent lighting, adjustability may be desirable to ensure the light is cast exactly where it is needed.
vintage wall lights with shades bedroom Maria Banjo wall lights with black enamel shades used for bedside lighting

Choosing Colours and Finishes

When you've decided on what the purpose of the light is and chosen a design, there's then the question of finishes and/or colours. The components for Factorylux vintage wall lighting are precision machined from solid new brass in the UK. The bright new 'brassy' colour is too loud for most tastes, so the components are given an aged vintage brass finish, a yet darker antique bronze finish or plated in nickel for a classic silver finish. All three of the finishes are both attractive and durable.
antique bronze wall light Detail from an antique bronze Maria Wall Light shown with a classic Edison loop filament bulb
If you've chosen a wall light with a shade, there's also the choice of shade colour or metallic finish. The range includes six genuine vitreous enamel colours and six metallics. The range is designed to offer options compatible with every colour scheme or interior design aesthetic. The colours range from a subtle white vitreous enamel to the striking bold red vitreous enamel. And the metallics from the opulent genuine nine carat gold plate to the starkly industrial centrifuge galvanised zinc.
retro silver wall light Detail from a silver nickel plate Maria Sconce wall light shown with a mini-tube zigzag filament bulb
To ensure quality and durability, all the Maria wall lights are hand built at the Factorylux production HQ in Hebden Bridge. Although many of the styles, colours and finishes have an authentic vintage aesthetic, the assembly and testing is done to the latest British and European standards. And each fitting is tested and certified to BS EN 60598-1:2015 to ensure electrical, thermal and mechanical safety.
vintage wall lights enamel shade Maria Banjo wall light with an antique bronze body and grey vitreous enamel shade

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