Candle sconces have been both used for practical and decorative purposes for many centuries, all over the world. In the Middle Ages, sconces were used throughout homes and other buildings to give off light and heat. Candle sconces became increasingly popular in the seventeeth century to illuminate high society balls and other social functions, and were highly sought after to brighten personal boudoirs. The very first sconces were said to have been crafted in Italy. Produced with a shiny metal backplate to reflect light, these candle sconces were a hit and rapidly caught on all over Europe. The French coined the term "Bras" for candle sconces, due to the fancy, decorative corbels on the sconces.

Today, candle sconces come in all different shapes and sizes and are made from many different types of materials. Some sconces are made from certain hard metals, such as brass, copper or wrought iron. Others are made from various synthetic materials, like ceramic, clay or mirrors. They can be used with almost any type of candles. There are sconces for votive candles, pillar candles and taper candles as well. There are a wide range of different designs and styles, from antique to modern, country to goth. It has become fairly simple to find a wall sconce that will match just about any type of interior decor.

Most candle sconces come with a glass cover to surround the candle for added protection against hot wax drips and fire. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to install for even the most inexperienced craftsperson. With no electrical wiring needed to operate these fixtures, these sconces provide an ideal source of light and heat that will not cost you anything for operation. Having the metal backplate on the sconces helps reflect light and also helps reflect the heat and fire away from your walls. You will want to hang these sconces with heavy hardware, to discourage against the sconce coming loose. You will also want to ensure these sconces are not hung to close to the ceiling or window coverings, and check the height of the candle before hanging the sconce to make sure it will not be to close to surrounding decor.

Finding the perfect candle sconces for the design of your home is now relatively simple. Many of the local home improvement stores carry a wide variety of sconces, and even wholesale stores and local hardware stores carry a decent variety. You can find just about any sconce your heart desires on the internet. A simple search for wall sconces on just about any search engine will bring up around a million results. There are many different vendors worldwide that can find you the sconce that you are looking for. All you have to do is find the type and style that you need, and search.