Wall lights are a popular way to add illumination without taking up floor space. They illuminate areas at eye level and can be positioned in unique ways to make a statement.
One of the most exciting 2025 trends is using natural materials in lighting designs. Wood and rattan bring warmth and texture to interior spaces.
Natural Color Palette
A light-colored palette evokes natural elements like sky and sea. Shades of green and blue reflect sand and water, while earth tones mirror trees and grasses. Browns and grays, meanwhile, pair beautifully with wood accents and other natural materials. Neutrals in shades of white and off-white, such as Mannequin Cream OC-92, Timid White OC-39, and Simply White OC-117, enhance spaces while providing the perfect backdrop for natural decor. Darker hues, such as chocolate browns and charcoal grays, offer a sophisticated, textural contrast with light-colored decor and create the impression of depth and dimension.
Outdoor wall lights allow you to illuminate your garden and home for evening entertaining and relaxing after sunset. In addition to enhancing curb appeal, wall-mounted lighting adds a layer of security to your property after dark.
Choose fixtures based on lumens rather than wattage for an optimal level of brightness. Many modern systems also offer color-changing capabilities that let you adjust your outdoor lighting to suit the mood and occasion. Dim the lights for a romantic dinner or crank them up for a party. You can even use them to showcase your favorite plants with a colorful glow that highlights their foliage and shapes.
Colored lighting also offers opportunities to add a touch of magic to your landscape design. Illuminate pathways and entryways with a set of twin lights or one mounted on either side of a doorframe. This creates a pleasing, symmetrical look that welcomes guests as they arrive. To create a sense of whimsy in your backyard, consider a patterned lighting option that projects patterns or designs onto walls or other surfaces. You can even transform a water feature into a nighttime wonderland with a blue lighting color that shifts the tone of the black water wall at the Noir.
Yellows and earthy greens evoke sunbeams and verdant growth. This palette, anchored by soft sage-green walls and wood countertops, pairs effortlessly with white cabinetry and nubby jute area rugs. Greens with cool gray undertones, such as eucalyptus or spruce, provide an airy balance to the room. This earthy palette also features a mix of vibrant purples, such as deep orchid and magenta, in a down comforter and mauve accessories.
Houseplants
The use of natural materials in wall lighting offers an eco-friendly way to bring warmth and authenticity to your interior decor. Wood, rattan, bamboo, and raffia are versatile options for creating unique shapes and textures. They work well with neutral or earthy color accents to create a soft ambiance and complement any type of furniture.
For a more contemporary look, consider using a spotlight for highlighting architectural features. These fixtures are available with a variety of beam angles to suit your needs. For instance, you can opt for a narrow spot to reach the bottom of your living wall and use a wide floodlight when placing the fixture closer to the ground.
If you're growing houseplants, choose a full-spectrum light to help them thrive and grow to their maximum size. These types of lights mimic natural sunlight, which is essential for growing most plants. Culinary herbs, greens, and starter plants benefit from these bulbs, while mature plants, such as cattleya orchids or succulents, do better with a bulb with a higher Kelvin number that borrows from the full spectrum of colors, including cool and warm tones.
Another option is to install a wall lantern. These are fixtures that resemble traditional lanterns with panels of glass that provide decorative and ambient lighting to your entrances or outdoor living spaces. They also come in a range of finishes and designs to match your home's style.
In addition to enhancing the aesthetic of your home, these types of lights can also be used for security and safety purposes. Many of these lights are motion-activated and automatically turn on when they detect movement, which can help deter intruders. They can also be placed near stairs or walkways to provide lighting and eliminate shadows in recessed areas.
While matching exterior and interior light fixtures can create a balanced, harmonious look, it's not always necessary. Mixing different styles and finishes can add visual interest to your space and allow you to showcase your unique personality. Moreover, carefully evaluating the function of your lighting and understanding how light will be distributed in your space can help you choose fixtures that meet your specific requirements.
Organic Geometries
The most direct way to bring the outdoors in is by adding plants, but there are other natural elements that can also inspire interior designs. These elements include woven materials, organic shapes, and earth tones. Using textures like rattan and seagrass in furniture, lampshades, and rugs creates an immediate connection to the natural world. Artwork that features nature-inspired landscapes, botanical studies, or adobe-inspired patterns helps to tie indoor spaces to the outdoor environment as well.
When it comes to organic shapes, there is a distinct difference between geometric and natural forms. Geometric shapes are precise, with defined measurements and angles. These are the circles, squares, and triangles that are found in math class—and while they can appear in nature, they’re not as common as organic shapes. Organic shapes are curved, flowing, and free-form.
Using a wall light featuring organic curved lines can add a touch of nature to any space. These types of sconces are ideal for bedrooms, hallways, and bathrooms, where they can help to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Natural wall lights are made from a variety of renewable and sustainable materials, including wood, bamboo, raffia, and rattan. These natural materials help to create a warm and authentic decor while also contributing to a more eco-friendly space.
A woven wall light or lampshade is another simple way to incorporate a touch of the outdoors into your interior. Using materials like seagrass, rattan, and bamboo can instantly connect your home to the natural environment. Woven elements can also be used in furniture and other decorative pieces, tying your entire space together.
Incorporating a bit of natural beauty into your home can make you feel more connected to the outdoors and even help relieve stress. From plant-inspired wall sconces to houseplants, there are many ways to introduce the outdoors into your indoor spaces. Incorporating natural colors and textures will also help to subconsciously tie your space to the outside, improving the mood and productivity of your occupants. To learn more about incorporating nature-inspired elements into your space, contact the experts at Motivo Decor. They can help you find the perfect wall light for any room in your home.
Earth Tones
The earth-inspired colors you see in the soil, rocks, and trees outside can bring balance to any room in your home. Evoking the earthy shades of brown, green, and terracotta, these earth tones are timeless in their beauty and complement almost any decor style. The neutrals in this color palette—gray, taupe, and ivory—are perfect for creating a unified look, while the bolder tones of earth, like rich teal and amber, can be used as eye-catching accents throughout your space.
The organic texture of earth tones, like woven baskets and rattan furniture, is also ideal for creating cohesion in your space. Introduce these natural elements with a woven throw pillow or basket on your bed, or use them in decorative accents such as ceramic vases and wooden bowls. The rich hues of these pieces work beautifully with a variety of other tones, including deep blues and burnt oranges, which offer the kind of color contrast that brings visual interest to your design.
In addition to incorporating the natural tones of wood, stone, and soil into your home, consider using a darker wall color to define a cozy seating area or highlight an interesting accent wall in your living space. Chocolate brown paint evokes the soil of the ground and is an inviting backdrop for any room. In this bedroom office from Fantastic Frank, chocolate brown walls pair with white accents to create a warm and inviting space.
Other colors that complement earth tones include soft shades of white and muted blues and grays. Muted greens are an especially versatile option, bringing a hint of nature to a modern space while still blending well with other colors and textures. The softer tones of an earthy palette can even be used as a neutral background for patterned fabrics.
If your home has a view of nature, be sure to showcase it with the right lighting. Hanging lights can illuminate a beautiful outdoor vista, while recessed or track lighting can be used to highlight natural features in your garden or yard. Outdoor lights with motion sensors, such as this outdoor LED wall light from Motivo Decor, are an ideal choice for illuminating paths and seating areas in your garden or guiding visitors safely to your front door after dark.