How to light a period flat or mansion block
Quick answer
In a period flat or mansion block, use wall lights to make the most of tall ceilings and long corridors: evenly spaced lights between doors in the corridor, and pairs on the main walls of the living room and bedrooms. Check your lease before any wiring work, as you may need your landlord's consent, and consider battery wall lights where wiring is difficult.
Large, purpose-built blocks of flats, known as mansion blocks, came to define large areas of London in the high Victorian era, and they are still being built today [1]. Alongside them are flats carved out of Georgian and Victorian houses. Both usually have tall ceilings and fine proportions, but also long, dark corridors and rules about what you can change. Wall lights suit them well. If you rent, see wall lights for rented flats.
How do you light a long corridor in a period flat?
Space wall lights evenly along one wall, between the doors, all at the same height. The rhythm of lights turns a dark passage into something like a gallery, and you can hang pictures between them. Keep each light clear of door swings and architraves. Our guides to lighting hallways and stairs and lighting a hallway with wall lights cover spacing in more detail.
Do I need permission to add wall lights in a leasehold flat?
Check your lease. The Leasehold Advisory Service explains that most leases have a clause on alterations, and that where they are allowed you may still need to get consent from your landlord or another party before starting; consent should not be unreasonably withheld for an improvement [2]. If the building is listed, listing covers the interior too, and most works affecting its special interest need Listed Building Consent [3].
- 1A party wall shared with a neighbour: check your lease before cutting into it.
- 2Wall lights on the corridor wall, evenly spaced.
- 3A pair of wall lights on the living room wall opposite the windows.
- 4Original features such as cornices and ceiling roses can make a flat feel grand when lit from the walls.
- 5Thin internal walls: cable safe zones can apply on both sides.
What makes wiring harder in a flat?
Walls may be shared with neighbours, and some blocks have solid floors and ceilings that make running cable difficult. Internal walls can be thin: safe zones for hidden cables can apply on both sides of a wall 100mm thick or less [4]. Any new wiring should be done by a registered electrician and certified; Part P of the Building Regulations covers electrical safety in homes [5]. Battery wall lights avoid all of this; see battery wall lights that look hardwired.
Which wall lights suit a period flat?
Match the period of the building. Victorian and Edwardian blocks suit shells, fans and classical shapes; 1930s blocks suit stepped and sunburst Art Deco designs; a converted Georgian house suits fluted and leaf motifs. Our Victorian, Art Deco and Georgian wall light guides help you choose.
These designs from our Shrewsbury studio suit period flats. Each comes as shade only, battery LED with a remote, or UK mains hardwired.
An Edwardian mansion flat in Hampstead shows the tall rooms, long corridor and period details typical of London mansion blocks [7].
Video: House & Garden, “Inside an Edwardian Hampstead Heath Mansion Flat Filled with a Lifetime of Art | Design Notes”, via YouTube.
Which bulbs suit a period flat?
Warm white, about 2700K, chosen by lumens, as the Energy Saving Trust explains [6]. Tall rooms may need slightly brighter bulbs, especially with uplighters, because the light has further to travel to the ceiling; see uplighter or downlighter.
Battery
Battery wall lights avoid wiring altogether.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Mansion block | A large, purpose-built block of flats, typical of Victorian London [1]. |
| Leasehold | Owning a flat for a set number of years under a lease. |
| Licence to alter | A landlord's written consent to alterations [2]. |
| Party wall | A wall shared with a neighbouring property. |
| Safe zone | Where hidden cables are expected to run [4]. |
Good to know
Common questions
Can I add wall lights in a leasehold flat?
Usually, but check your lease first. You may need your landlord's consent before any wiring work.
How far apart should corridor wall lights be?
Evenly spaced between doors, often every 2 to 3 metres, all at the same height.
What if I can't run cables?
Use battery wall lights with a remote. They need no wiring.
Do tall ceilings need brighter bulbs?
Often a little, especially with uplighters, because the light travels further before it reaches you.
Sources
References and further reading
Harvard style. Web pages were checked on the access date shown.
- The Architecture Foundation (2023) At Home in London: The Mansion Block. 4 April. Available at: architecturefoundation.org.uk/news/at-home-in-london-the-... (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
- The Leasehold Advisory Service (n.d.) I want to alter my property, do I need to ask my landlord for permission? Available at: www.lease-advice.org/faq/i-want-to-alter-my-property-do-i... (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
- Historic England (n.d.) Living in a Grade I, Grade II-star or Grade II listed building. Available at: historicengland.org.uk/advice/your-home/owning-historic-p... (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
- DIYWiki (n.d.) Safe zones for electric cables. Available at: wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Safe_zones_for_electric_cables (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2013) Electrical safety: Approved Document P. Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/electrical-safety-appr... (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
- Energy Saving Trust (n.d.) Energy saving light bulbs and lighting. Available at: energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/lighting/ (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
- House & Garden (n.d.) Inside an Edwardian Hampstead Heath Mansion Flat Filled with a Lifetime of Art | Design Notes [Video]. YouTube. Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_sP_wZDg-o (Accessed: 10 November 2026).
How to cite this article
van Locke, J. (2026) ‘How to light a period flat or mansion block’, The Flare Journal. Flare Studio UK. Available at: https://flarestudio.uk/blogs/journal/lighting-a-period-flat (Accessed: 12 November 2026).
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