Domakihub Install a Hardwired Wall Sconce Without Surface Conduit
A clean, professional sconce installation starts inside the wall — here is how to do it safely.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Wall sconces add focused ambient light to living rooms, hotel corridors, and holiday rental bedrooms without the clutter of a floor lamp or the glare of overhead fixtures — but they look their best only when the cable is hidden inside the wall. The video above walks through the full process on a real project; this article breaks down each stage into clear, actionable steps suited to Greek residential properties, villas, and commercial spaces. Whether you are a property owner tackling a single accent light or an electrician fitting a row of sconces along a corridor, the sequence below will keep the work safe, neat, and code-compliant.
Why Hide the Cable in the Wall?
Surface-mounted conduit is faster, but it draws the eye straight to the wire rather than the fixture. In a renovated apartment in Athens or a boutique hotel room in Santorini, a clean wall finish is part of the product. Concealed wiring also eliminates the conduit as a dust trap and a snag hazard — a genuine concern in rental properties with high turnover.
Greek building practice, like most European standards, strongly favours embedded wiring in plaster or dry-wall channels. Running cable inside the cavity of a double-leaf brick wall or behind plasterboard is therefore both aesthetically correct and aligned with how the structure was built.
Tools, Materials, and Greek Electrical Code Notes
You will need an oscillating multi-tool or drywall saw, a low-voltage bracket or remodel electrical box (old-work box), cable rated for fixed wiring (H07V-U 1.5 mm² for lighting circuits is standard in Greece), cable fish tape or a flexible drill bit, wire connectors or terminal blocks, and a non-contact voltage tester. Always verify the circuit is dead at the breaker and confirm with the tester before touching any conductor.
Greek electrical installations are governed by ELOT EN 60364 (harmonised with IEC 60364). Lighting branch circuits run at 230 V / 50 Hz and must be protected by a 10 A or 16 A MCB with an RCD on the same circuit. If you are adding a new circuit rather than tapping an existing one, the work must be signed off by a licensed Greek electrician (ηλεκτρολόγος με άδεια) and a Responsible Declaration (Υπεύθυνη Δήλωση) submitted to the network operator.
How to Install a Hardwired Wall Sconce
- 1
Mark the box location and cut the opening
Hold the sconce backplate against the wall at the desired height — typically 170 to 190 cm from the finished floor for a corridor sconce, or at eye level beside a mirror — and trace the outline of the electrical box. Use a stud finder to confirm you are cutting between framing members or between the reinforcement ribs of a hollow brick wall. Cut the opening with an oscillating multi-tool or a drywall saw, keeping the blade shallow so you do not nick any hidden pipes or existing wires. Test-fit the old-work (remodel) box and confirm it sits flush with the wall surface.
- 2
Plan the cable route and drill the chase
Decide where the power feed will come from — either an adjacent switch box, an existing ceiling rose, or a dedicated circuit in the distribution board. In a plastered masonry wall, use a chasing tool (φρεζάρισμα) to cut a vertical channel from the box location up toward the ceiling void, then run the cable horizontally along the top of the wall behind the cornice if possible. In a plasterboard partition, feed cable fish tape from the box opening up into the stud cavity and down to the nearest accessible junction. Mark the path with pencil so you can plaster or fill it in a straight line later.
- 3
Pull the cable and secure the electrical box
Thread the cable through the chase or cavity so that at least 20 cm of conductor extends from the wall box opening. In masonry, lay the cable in the channel and fix it with cable clips before patching; in plasterboard, the cavity holds the cable without clips. Feed the cable tail through the knock-out of the old-work box, insert the box into the opening, and tighten the locking tabs until the box is clamped firmly against the back of the wall lining. Strip the outer sheathing back to leave approximately 10 cm of individual conductors inside the box.
- 4
Make the electrical connections
With the circuit breaker locked off and the absence of voltage confirmed with a non-contact tester, connect the incoming line (faza / φάση, brown) to the sconce's live lead, the neutral (μηδενικός, blue) to the neutral lead, and the protective earth (γείωση, green-yellow) to the earth terminal on the fixture bracket. Use terminal blocks or twist-on connectors rated for the conductor cross-section. Tug each connection gently to confirm it is secure, then fold the conductors carefully into the box so they do not pinch when the fixture is mounted.
- 5
Mount the sconce, restore power, and test
Attach the sconce's mounting bracket to the electrical box using the screws supplied with the fixture — confirm they engage the threaded holes in the box rather than just biting into plasterboard. Fit the lamp (an E14 or E27 LED candle bulb is typical for sconces; check the fixture's maximum wattage), attach the shade or globe, and restore power at the breaker. Switch the sconce on and verify both the light output and that the RCD on the circuit does not trip. Finally, patch the cable chase with filler or plaster, allow it to cure, and repaint to match the wall.
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FAQ
- Do I need a permit to add a wall sconce in Greece?
- Adding a luminaire to an existing lighting circuit using the current wiring does not normally require a building permit, but any new circuit or significant rewiring must be certified by a licensed electrician and documented with a Υπεύθυνη Δήλωση submitted to the Distribution Network Operator (HEDNO/ΔΕΔΔΗΕ). For rental properties, keeping a copy of this declaration is advisable for insurance purposes.
- Can I tap an existing switch or outlet instead of running a new circuit?
- Yes — tapping a nearby switch box is the most common approach and avoids the need to run cable all the way to the distribution board. Confirm that the existing circuit has enough spare capacity (a 10 A lighting circuit can carry roughly 2,300 W; sconces use far less). Always splice at a proper junction box with a cover, never inside the wall cavity without an accessible terminal point.
- What type of cable should I use inside a plastered masonry wall in Greece?
- The standard for fixed wiring in Greek residential construction is H07V-U (solid copper, PVC insulated) in 1.5 mm² cross-section for lighting, drawn through a protective conduit (σωλήνωση) embedded in the plaster. The conduit protects the cable if the wall is ever drilled into later and is required by ELOT EN 60364 for concealed wiring in masonry. Never use flexible H05VV-F cable as a permanent fixed installation inside a wall.