How to Install Bedside Wall Sconces

Bedside sconces transform a bedroom. They deliver focused task light for reading, create ambient mood, and free up nightstand space that lamps monopolize. The catch: they're electrical work, which means planning matters. You're either tapping into an existing circuit, running new wire, or both. If you've changed a light fixture before, you can do this. If you haven't, this is honest electrical work that's worth learning. Done well, sconces feel built-in, not added on—and they actually work when you reach for them in the dark. The real skill here isn't complicated. It's methodical: kill the power, understand what's behind your wall, make clean connections, and test before you finish. We'll walk through both the easy path (using an existing outlet) and the proper path (running new circuit). Either way, the fixture installation itself is identical.

1. Turn off power and locate your source. Kill power to the relevant circuit at the breaker box. Test the wall outlet or switch you plan to tap with a non-contact voltage tester to confirm it's dead. If you're running wire from a junction box or panel, verify there's a live circuit you can legally tap. If you're unsure about circuit capacity or code, stop here and consult an electrician—overloaded circuits and unpermitted runs cause fires.
2. Plan your wire route and cut holes for boxes. Measure the height where you want the sconce (typically 48-60 inches from finished floor). Hold the bracket against the wall to mark where the electrical box will sit. Drill a pilot hole and use a drywall saw to cut a hole for the switch box (or outlet box if you're extending from one). For each sconce, mark and cut one hole. If you're running new wire through walls, map the route—avoid studs where possible, keep wires parallel to studs and outlets when you can't.
3. Run wire from your source to the first sconce. Feed 14/2 Romex cable (or 12/2 if your circuit is 20 amps) from your source—existing outlet, switch, or junction box—to the first sconce hole. For in-wall runs, drill a small pilot hole at stud locations and carefully thread cable through. Keep slack (6-8 inches) at both ends. Strip 6 inches of outer sheathing at each box location. This is the tedious part; work slowly and don't cut the insulation on individual wires.
4. Secure the electrical box and connect the first sconce. Insert the switch or outlet box (or a blank cover plate box if you're running through-wire) into the wall hole and secure it. Pull your wire through the box knockout. Strip the wire, connect black to the brass screw (or wire nut), white to silver, and bare copper to the green screw. Tuck wires gently into the box. Do not fold them hard or cram them—if the box feels packed, you've got too much wire and need a larger box or better organization.
5. Mount the sconce bracket and test. Secure the mounting bracket to the wall using the fasteners appropriate to your wall type (drywall anchors if you're not hitting studs, wood screws into studs if you are). Screw the base of the fixture to the bracket. Before you wire the fixture, use your non-contact tester again to confirm the box is still dead. Then connect the fixture's wires: typically black to black, white to white, and green/bare to bare. Use wire nuts and wrap with electrical tape if the connection feels loose.
6. Attach the fixture and repeat for the second sconce. Slide the sconce body over the base plate and tighten it down per the manufacturer's instructions. Use your non-contact tester one final time to confirm no voltage. Restore power at the breaker. Flip the switch or plug in the circuit and test the sconce. It should light immediately. If it doesn't, flip breaker back off and recheck your connections. If it does light, you can now run wire to the second sconce using the same method, either from the first sconce or back to your source.
7. Run wire to the second sconce and finish. From the first sconce box, run 14/2 cable to the second sconce location using the same threading method. Strip, connect, and mount the second bracket and fixture identically to the first. Test immediately. Once both sconces are live and working, fold any excess wire back into the boxes, secure cover plates or trim rings, and call it done. Check that the switches control both sconces (if wired in series) or individually (if you used a two-switch setup).