I paint mine the color of my walls so they blend in. If yours are white, I'd go with white plates.

I swapped out all our switchplates and outlet covers because I hated the plastic ones the builder put in when we did a big reno. I just think the plastic looks kind of cheap and detracts from otherwise lovely surfaces in a home.

Since I needed dozens and the cost can add up, I bought most of them at Target. I used an ORB finish almost everywhere to match our fixtures; used faux stone on my stone backsplash and a brushed silver in DS' bathroom to match his fixtures. As you have found, you can get them in almost any finish and style.

IMO nice swithplates and outlet covers give a more finished and polished look than using the plastic ones.

I would stick with white, but not cheap plastic ones. You can paint the wood ones the same color as your walls or find nice white ones. For a contemporary interior, I would not go with something that contrasts with your wall color.
Diane

I don't consider switch plates to be some grand design element in my rooms...
I paint them the same color as the walls.

Almost all of ours are the original 1919 brass plates so now they are a very aged brass. For those we had to "add" (replacing white plastic that a previous owner put in the addition), we went with as close to matching the old as we could get.

We have bold colors on our walls.

I don't think of switchplates as a design element either, and I have those "awful" off-white plastic ones throughout my home (most of my walls are vivid colors) and I've never had anyone recoil in disgust.
;-D

I switched out mine for copper ones because copper was a new metal used in our home. For me, the devil IS in the details and I wanted them to look as nice as a picture on the wall hanging nearby. I spent a small fortune on them in the kitchen, but if I had my druthers, I would install outlet strips under my upper cabinets and have unobstructed backsplashes for that clean uncluttered look.

If you get the cheap white ones, they break very easily. I would just get some nice white once to match your trim assuming your trim is white. :c)

The muslin is a great idea. Now I have another multistep project to do 8-l

I just switched all of mine out for Restoration Hardware metal plates. Some are oil rubbed bronze some are silver or aged brass - depending on the room. Not too expensive and they look very nice.

I like the muslin idea... tho I know I'd never get around to actually doing a project like that. Re RH, I had no idea they even carried them.

Good input, thanks all... I think I will go with the suggestion to use plain white ones that are of decent quality.

White ones on a colored wall look like pimples. I get the paintable ones.

Hate stand out switch plates....they should disappear....glad to hear about covering with muslin...I usually just paint....and repaint....and then paint again if they need it before the room does. The muslin should make the paint last longer.
Switch plates and wall plugs are not to be considered accents...at one time when electricity was a novelty, they were....but not now.

I need to do this! Is there a good online source anyone has used? TIA

Doonie, there are a couple of websites I've looked through, switchhits.com and the link below to DecorativeHardwareStore.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Switch Plates

I can get a bit obsessive over decorating details, and that includes switchplates. For outlet plates they absolutely must be painted the wall color so they blend in! (In the world according to me, I mean.) Having said that, I haven't gotten around to repainting one particular outlet cover in our living room so it's a rosey color against a gold wall... it's been that way for at least 6 months... I only notice it when I sit down to watch TV at night... so I'm guessing it's going to be at least another 6 months! ;)

But for light switch plates, I do believe in having them 'work' with whatever is going on in your room. So if you have white trim, okay, plain white covers are okay. But if you have dark trim and colored walls, I think white covers stand out. I'd either match a metal in the room -- maybe you have ORB lamps, so ORB covers would work -- or maybe a wood plate to match the trim. I do have a few "fancy" ones in my house. I think of them as jewelry in the room! I think it's important not to get carried away, though. I have my coolest ones near the front and back doors. The rest of mine are fairly basic. In my powder room, though, I managed to find a slate one that matches the floor. That, I will admit, makes me sound like I have a Problem.

White ones on a colored wall look like pimples.

LOL! Pimples? That's certainly not an analogy that would've ever come to my mind.

I have a question to all of you who have darker walls and have painted your covers. Do you leave the part that the plug actually goes into white? And wouldn't that still show up on the wall and defeat the purpose? And if you paint that as well, doesn't it get scratched?

I usually just paint....and repaint....and then paint again if they need it before the room does

Switch plate maintenance? No thanks.

Curious, those of you who attempt to disguise the plates/covers ... do you do the same with cords. Are they all out of sight?

So far I haven't painted the part the cord goes in or the actual light switch but I really want to. I've seen photos where people have. I would think depending on how often you paint it would get really funky where the cord plugs in. I can buy more cheapy plastic covers to paint when they get weird.

Cords actually don't bother me but then again, I never noticed switch plates until I came here. I had a trouble corner with lots of wall acne going on (vents, outlets, receptacles), it was suggested to paint and I've been on a roll since.

If you're going to paint though, make sure to prime!! Comes right off if you don't. (Accidently missed one once.)

Duchamp, I love those Artisan Pewter plates! Can't beat functional art. Wish they had the Cat's Life or Cat Toy in a 4 gang switch plate.

I never noticed switch plates until I came here.

I still don't notice them. Weird the things people obsess over. ;)

I don't like it when the plate is a different color than the switch or the plug...so mine are all white. And "high end" plastic. ;^) Doesn't bother me...isn't it interesting the different things that bother us?

Natal, if you don't like people obsessing over switch plate covers, then don't even get me started on cords...
;)

Sue, I think cords are way more visually offensive than switch plates and outlet covers. ;)

So how DOES one effectively hide cords for lamps?

Sueb I kind of look at them like house jewelry too; they add a more finished look. Just like I wouldn't get my hair done and then stick a cheap plastic barrette in it, I don't want a cheap plastic cover on my pretty backsplash (or island, etc.) But that's just me. I'm sort of anal that way. :) (And I'm sure there are things in my house that some people might think 'why doesn't she change that?' but I don't even notice.)

Doonie here's another site with some cool ones (OK some are kind of tacky but some are nice.):

Here is a link that might be useful: Switchhits.com

If you're really anal you don't put outlets on your backsplash period. I don't know if it's still a popular option, but a few years ago when we did our remodel people were singing the praises of plug molding over on the Kitchen forum.

I agree that they should just blend in. Ours our painted but if you get the right kind, and prime, etc. there's no painting, painting and repainting.

The under cabinet outlet strips are great - blending in outlet covers/switch plates on a backsplash can be a nightmare.

Then again, while we don't have any dark or bright walls, we don't have white either. Ours are all pretty neutral, and easier to blend IMO.

Neither (outlets/switchplates or cords) really bother me, but we must have planned things well, we really don't have many cords showing. In the kitchen I don't have any counter-top appliances that stay out, so that helps. I do have a small flat screen in there, but the way it's postioned, you don't see the cord.

Some of the decorative outlet/switchplate covers are pretty, but I think using those just draws attention.

tina

I want plug moulding. :(

Great websites, duchamp and chicagoans! I have been remiss in this fine detail. I am glad to be set straight. I hadn't given them much thought before!

So far I haven't painted the part the cord goes in or the actual light switch but I really want to. I've seen photos where people have. I would think depending on how often you paint it would get really funky where the cord plugs in. I can buy more cheapy plastic covers to paint when they get weird.

I dunno ... After sitting on a jury last year that heard an insurance subrogation case where the plaintiff attempted to blame a devastating house fire on a a faulty electrical plug in the garage, I would be very leery of painting electrical items such as this. I would imagine you'd be voiding any warranty by altering the product, and God forbid there ever was an electrical fire where the source was disputed, you could potentially find yourself liable - all because you wanted everything to match.

Switch plates are one thing, but the actual plugs and cords? Just be careful about what you choose to modify ... that's all I'm sayin'. :-)

Here's what I do, almost always.

I paint all the outlet covers to match the walls, and I (carefully) paint the receptacles, too, unless the walls are white...or very dark, in which case I have the actual receptacles changed to dark brown or black. I want them as invisible as possible. I've never, ever, had an electrical problem from doing this.

When the walls are strong colors, I have the switches replaced with dark brown or black ones, and I often use good quality polished brass or nickel or contrastingly painted switchplates, because I want people to be able to see immediately where the light switch is.

In lighter-hearted schemes, or in kitchens or baths, I sometimes use clear plastic switchplates with something pretty or funny or striking inside them. (In my kitchen, I have plastic switchplates lined with New Yorker cartoons about chefs or cooking...in one hallway, my workroom, and one bath, I lined them with postcards from the museum shop that have images I like. I've also used scraps of fabric or wallpaper, and on wallpapered walls, I often cover the plate with a matched piece, give it a couple of coats of clear matte finish for protection against finger dirt, and then paint the bevel in one of the colors to signal its presence.

I have lamps rewired with clear/silver cords and plugs, which disappear better than anything else. The exception is if the walls are golden or golden brown...then I redo them in the clear brass-colored cords. If I use pin-up rather than hardwired wall lamps, I use cord covers, either to match the lamp finish (many come with them) if I want to see them, or paintable ones, which I paint to match the wall.

I know. I'm a crazy person...

Now I want these... (and according to the reviews they look great in person)...

Here is a link that might be useful: Mother of Pearl switch plates

Our (locally owned) dollar store had tons of switchplates and plug covers last summer, and I bought enough to put throughout the downstairs. Most are solid brass (I'm the odd one who likes brass), a few are some sort of molded plastic in a gold color and a few are whimsical; fire engine red, a fish, an abstract pattern. I also bought a few beautiful hammered pewter ones from the bargain bin at Van Dykes Restorers, a company I highly recommend for their selection, prices and service, plus their bargain bin has some very interesting stuff.

I think adding color, fun and whimsy to a room is cool in any iteration, switchplates included.

sandyponder

Here is a link that might be useful: Van Dykes Restorers

Get the paintable ones. You can usually find them at Home Depot and Lowes. If not on the electrical aisle, check the paint aisle.

Here is a link that might be useful: Masque

I'm a house jewelry girl too. Every switchplate in our house has been replaced with new. Each room has switchplates and outlet covers that coordinate with the rooms they're in. I even tried to match up the vent covers! However, now that I've seen the page Duchamp linked to...oh no, I'm obsessed. Those peweter ones are crazy! I NEED one for my office and another for the library...

Please, DO NOT paint the outlets. Only grounded plugs should ever be put in them, not anything including flaked paint!

I'm sure that those of you who say "don't paint the receptacles" are right...so I withdraw that idea.
This probably comes under "Do as I say, not as I do," and I never want to give unsafe advice!
Sorry, y'all...

I love switchhits.com. I have one like the plate shown below in my entry hall. It's a 4-way switch and needed something jazzy.

When we did our kitchen 3 years ago, we put in the plug molding. I am so happy with it, with one exception. The one appliance that I keep on the counter is the toaster. The black cord from the back of the toaster trails vertically up the backsplash to the plug and by now no one will be surprised to learn that it bugs me! Can I paint the cord? Just kidding.

Here is a link that might be useful: switchplate

Sue, that's why I never considered plug mold. I keep the coffeemaker and toaster oven plugged in all the time. Those dangling cords would have bugged the crap out of me.

dktrahan---now that is a cool thing. Bookmarked!

dktrahan: I had not seen those before; very clever. I like how it hides the receptacles. Duchamp those would give a nice sleek look to the visible outlets (e.g. in halls) when painted the same color as your walls.

Okay, dumb question maybe but for those of you who paint the switchplates, do you also paint the little switch that turns things on and off? We have dimmers almost everywhere so they are a vertical line. I'd like to paint the switch plates the same color but wonder will that hold up to continual use? And if not, does it look funny if the switch plate is painted but the switch isn't? Picture?

We also have a bunch of those wider rocker switches...can they be painted too?

Thanks.

In some jurisdictions, this is against building codes. In all jurisdictions, this is a bad idea.

No, they will not hold up to continual use. Light switches get alot of wear concentrated on the small edges, where the paint will wear off and leave the switch partly covered with paint, and partly the color underneath. Looks ugly and amateurish.

Painting electrical outlets is even worse BTW - paint chips off when inserting a plug, lodges inside the receptacle slots, and eventually can lead to poor electrical contacts and bad connections.

If you have to paint the switch bezel, at least take off the switchplate and paint it separately, and paint the wall beyond the place where the switchplate covers it. This will ease replacing a switch or outlet if necessary. But better to choose a matching or complementary color in the first place, or go with clear switchplates that take paint or wallpaper inserts behind them.

I have the off-white plastic ones that came with my home, they blend into the off-white walls and I don't really even see them except for the walls that have other colors on them and for some reason I don't obsess with those either.

It's too bad manufacturers don't offer these in a myriad of colors and styles.

When painting a switch plate cover, you must prime it first, and you also have to prime (and paint) the screws. BIN spray primer works great. After painting, I also finish with a matte varnish.

Never paint the actual receptacle, switch, plug, etc.

As far as backsplash swithes (and not putting them in) in most areas these are code requirements. I would check that out before opting out.

I haven't taken the time to read through all the replies here but what I do is buy the unfinished wood switch plates at Lowe's or Home Depot and paint them whatever color the wall is. I don't think switchplates are a decorative thing and should blend into the wall as much as possible. They are very easy to re-paint when you re-paint the room as well.