Friends, I have a design conundrum and I need your help. There is one area in our cabin that desperately needs lighting before the short, dark days of fall and winter arrive and that area is the hallway upstairs! You’re probably wondering to yourself, “what lighting??” Well, it’s time to come clean: I Photoshop out the junction boxes every time I share a photo of this space! So today, I am asking for your help in selecting the perfect low profile modern flush mount light for our upstairs walkway/hallway.
Weigh In: Which Low Profile Modern Flush Mount Light is Perfect for Our Hallway??
The Before
When we first moved in, there were 3 quasi-boob lights in this area. They drove me nuts because they just looked so awkward on the angled ceiling. As soon as we committed to painting the entire open space of the cabin, we removed them and never looked back… and then proceeded to not put any lights back!
There hasn’t been lighting here for nearly a year and a half. It’s perfectly fine in the summer, but in the winter months the sun sets as early as 4 pm here. Which means that when I leave my office at the end of the work day, I have to go down the stairs in darkness (the other light is controlled by a switch at the *bottom* of the stairs, naturally).
It isn’t great and I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve cursed while fumbling downstairs carrying Noodle or whatever dirty plates I brought up to my desk for snacking while also using my cell phone to light my way…
Things to keep in mind about choosing lighting for this area:
Quantity
Because our home was wired by an extremely eager person, there are 3 junction boxes along the ceiling of the hallway. It’s actually a LOT of lighting for such a small area. My thinking is that whichever flush mount light fixture we choose will need to be very minimal in aesthetic so that it isn’t overwhelming to look at!
The angled ceiling
To me, the biggest challenge around selecting lighting for this area is that the ceiling is angled. And because of that angle, you can’t have too large of a drop from the fixture. In order for Sean to be able to walk under the lighting, we have only about 5-7″ of verticality to play with! That really narrows down the options for our flush mount ceiling light.
The aesthetic of the area
And, of course, the vibes are very important, as always! Aesthetically, I would love a minimal, modern flush mount light in a brass finish. The goal is something that’s reminiscent of mid-century modern style, vintage-inspired, and maybe with a touch of the schoolhouse/industrial look.
It’s also worth noting that this area is very visible from the rest of the cabin, so whatever we choose will need to work with the rest of the lighting. As you can see in the photo below, most of the lighting that’s already up is modern and white, so not too big of a challenge thankfully!
Low Profile Flush Mount Light Options I Am Considering
Now that we’ve gotten the parameters laid out, let’s chat options for our flush mount ceiling light. I can’t even tell you how many hours I’ve spent perusing and searching. SO MANY. Here’s what I’ve narrowed it down to:
Option 1: Cylindrical Sconces
In my mind either of these 2 options are the simplest, most straightforward option… but will they look odd on an angled ceiling??
A double sconce is another version of this option. While I love the brass finish (especially because the brass finish from Schoolhouse is such a classic), I could also install it in white so that it blends in with the paint color and is less noticeable.
Option 2: Articulating Sconces
To be totally honest, I think this is the style of fixture I am most leaning toward. I like that each of the modern flush mount lights have articulating arms without adding too much length. This will be nice for positioning each light for maximum illumination on the walkway.
Besides having to decide on a finish, the other thing to consider with this option is whether it will look better for the light to articular from the top of the can or from the side. I don’t want the lighting to feel like a spot light overhead, so perhaps the second version of this flush mount is the most practical.
Option 3: Light Bar
Even though this is meant to be a wall sconce, I think it could function well as a flush mount ceiling light. That being said, I am not convinced it’s the right one for this project.
My concern is that 3 of them would read as lines across the ceiling and visually compete with the wood beams on the ceiling. They could be orientated parallel to the other beam, but is that too institutional looking??
As you can see, this is quite the design challenge and there isn’t a clear solution!
PS – Looking for flush mount ceiling light options for your own home? Check out my round up of the best modern flush mount lighting!
So which is your favorite modern flush mount light fixture for this area?? Leave a comment and let me know your pick! And, as always, thank you so much for your kind support and feedback, it always helps so much to get your thoughts.
I like the clean look to the cylinder double sconce. I like the practicality of the articulating sconce but I think it could look too “messy” and if it were me I’d constantly be repositioning so the angles weren’t off.
I didn’t think of that but now that you pointed it out… I would probably do the exact same thing 😂
Hi! I think I like Option 2 If it doesn’t hang down too far, but what about some of the flush options from your other post? I think the Hudson Valley brass or Nina Alabaster ones could look great there! Kinda a “liveaboard” aesthetic!
I vote for the articulating sconces! They seem classic, stylish, but also extremely practical. The fact that you can point them in different configurations seems ideal for an angled ceiling.
You make excellent points!! Thanks for voting :)
My vote: Cylinder Double Sconce
thanks for weighing in!
My vote is for articulating sconces.
Also, you’re selections are fantastic!
aww thank you!! I’ve spent wayyy too much time mulling this one over!
Option 3 in zig zag orientation / \ / or 2 pendant linear light bar in opposing angle
hmmm… I hadn’t considered that formation. I’ll photoshop it and see!