Weather protection. Outdoor wall lights are sealed against rain and dust, shown by their IP rating, and use finishes that stand up to Australian conditions. Indoor wall lights and sconces prioritise style and soft light instead. The two ranges are not interchangeable: an indoor fitting used outside will fail quickly and can be unsafe, while outdoor fittings used inside simply cost more than they need to.

Under a covered patio or eaves, IP44 is generally sufficient. For walls exposed directly to rain, look for IP54 or IP65. Within a few kilometres of the coast, choose corrosion-resistant materials such as marine-grade aluminium, brass or 316 stainless steel, as salt air destroys standard finishes regardless of the IP rating.

Fittings that throw light in two directions at once, washing the wall above and below the fixture. The effect adds height and drama to entries, facades and feature walls, and a row of them along an outdoor wall is one of the most effective ways to lift a home's street presence at night.

Scale it to the wall, not the room. On a large blank wall or beside a tall entry door, small fittings look lost, so size up. As a guide, an entry wall light looks balanced at roughly a quarter to a third of the door's height. Inside, keep fittings in proportion to nearby furniture, and use pairs for symmetry either side of a bed, mirror or fireplace.

Indoors, space fittings 2.5 to 3 metres apart for an even wash along a hallway or living room wall. Outdoors, 3 to 4 metres suits most facades, or centre a fitting on each architectural feature such as columns, the garage and the front entry. Consistent mounting height matters more than exact spacing, so pick one height and hold it right around the home.

They do not need to be identical, but they should feel related. The easiest approach is to keep one finish family, such as matt black or brass, across both, then vary the form. Many of our ranges include indoor and outdoor siblings in the same finish, which makes a cohesive look easy without buying the same light twice.