How to Add Wall Lights Without Rewiring - or Calling an Electrician
Wall lights have a habit of making a room look instantly more considered.
Either side of a bed, above a reading chair, along a hallway or illuminating a dark corner, they create those lovely little pools of light that make a space feel warmer after dark.
The problem? Traditionally, adding one usually means wiring.
And that can mean an electrician, chasing cables into the wall, filling plaster, repainting and quite a lot of disruption for what started as a simple desire to make a corner feel cosier.
Thankfully, there’s another way.
Cordless wall lights have changed things
Rechargeable wall lights look much like traditional wired fittings, but contain their own rechargeable power source.
Instead of being permanently connected to the mains, you charge the light when needed and use it completely wire-free.
That means you can add a wall light without:
Chasing cables into plaster
Moving existing sockets
Hiding trailing wires
Calling an electrician for a new electrical point
Redecorating the wall afterwards
For rooms that have already been decorated — or homes where you simply don’t want the upheaval — that’s a rather useful development.
Where do cordless wall lights work best?
Beside the bed
This is one of our favourite uses.
Wall lights free up precious bedside-table space and create a softer, more relaxed light than relying on the ceiling fitting.
They’re particularly handy in bedrooms where the electrical sockets aren’t quite where the bed needs to be.
Reading corners
A favourite chair tucked into an alcove can look wonderful during the day and become rather gloomy once the sun disappears.
A rechargeable wall light gives you focused light exactly where you want it without having to run a cable across the floor.
Hallways and landings
These are often the places that need extra atmosphere but have the fewest convenient sockets.
A pair of cordless wall lights can make a hallway feel much warmer and more welcoming after dark.
Alcoves and shelving
Wall lights are brilliant for adding depth to a room.
Rather than lighting everything evenly, use them to draw attention to books, artwork or architectural details.
Do rechargeable wall lights give enough light?
They’re generally designed for atmospheric and task lighting rather than lighting an entire room.
And that’s really the point.
The loveliest rooms rarely rely on one very bright source of light. They use several softer lights at different heights.
A rechargeable wall light beside a chair, paired with a table lamp across the room and perhaps a floor lamp near the sofa, creates a much more flattering atmosphere than one ceiling light trying to do everything.
Look for warm LEDs around 2700K–3000K if you want a softer evening glow rather than cool, clinical-looking light.
Dimming is also worth having, particularly for bedside and reading lights.
How often do they need charging?
That depends on the model, battery size and brightness setting.
Many rechargeable wall lights offer several hours of use from one charge, with lower brightness settings usually extending battery life considerably.
If you use one for a couple of hours each evening, you may find you only need to recharge it every few days.
We always list the expected battery life and charging information on our individual product pages so you know what to expect.
Can you install one yourself?
One of the main benefits of cordless wall lighting is that there’s no mains electrical connection to make.
You still need to attach the fitting securely to the wall, so always follow the manufacturer's instructions and use fixings suitable for the wall type.
But electrically, there’s no rewiring involved.
Are cordless wall lights a replacement for wired lighting?
Sometimes.
If you’re renovating an entire property and already have electricians on site, permanently wired lighting may still make sense in certain areas.
But for adding an extra layer of light to an existing room, moving furniture around, lighting an awkward corner or avoiding unnecessary decorating work, rechargeable wall lights can be a wonderfully simple alternative.
They also give you freedom.
If you decide six months later that the bedside light would work better in the reading nook, you aren’t committed to an electrical point buried inside the wall.
A little light, without the upheaval
Our own interest in cordless lighting began for exactly this reason.
We wanted more wall and table lighting around our home, but not enough to justify cutting into walls we’d then have to repair and redecorate.
Sometimes the simplest solution really is the nicest one.
Explore Noctura’s rechargeable cordless wall lights - beautiful light, without the wiring.