Yes I like them much better! The match isn't perfect, but I refuse to put cheap plastic covers on my backsplash. (Or anywhere else for that matter.)

Here's a picture of a faux stone on my backsplash:
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Just about everywhere else I used ORB outlet and switchplate covers to match our hardware and light fixtures. (DS's bathroom has brushed silver to match his mirror and hardware.) I have yet to purge all the plastic ones from the basement... but may very well do that next time we repaint. Here's an ORB outlet cover at the end of the island. Looks so much better than plastic IMO.

{{!gwi}}

Unfortunately I didn't have an option for the docking station, so I'm stuck with plastic there (at the left under the clock.)
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All the old plastic ones will be in the trash. On one wall will be gray switches/outlets with ss cover plates. On the other two walls haven't decided yet but NO plastic!! Maybe I'll look at the ones you mentioned from HD.

chris45: I 'gifted' the plastic ones back to the electrician and told him he could use them somewhere else. He looked kind of surprised.

FWIW: Target has a few styles in metal finishes (I don't think I've seen stone there) and the price is good.

chicagoans I think that is the same one I bought at HD today. It's actually plastic, but looks good enough, a real stone one would crack if not carefully installed. I picked the darker version because the lighter one look kind of like a almond plastic from far away.

I have a multi color stack stone Backsplash andI actually used regular plastic switch covers and gfi covers, I primed them with spray paint primer for plastic and then used the stone look spray paint. They look pretty good.

Tateland, are you using these?

http://krylon.com/ca/eng/products/make_it_stone_textured_paints/

poorowner

yeah, thats the stuff

This is also faux stone and it matches almost perfectly.

plastic painted or not is not in my house. I have some plain white ceramic ones that I really love. I have a hand painted one that has fushia and humming birds. and some white dark blue flowers. I will take a look at those stone ones to see if the have some light enough to go with my back splash.

Questech makes a fake stone look. It is a good quality product too.

I think mine are resin, not sure. They're not real stone. A few website have a "match your granite" option and while I'm a bit anal about the no plastic thing, I'm not at the point where I'll spend $70+ to get the granite ones! (Maybe if I had just a couple on a granite backsplash. Maybe.)

Switchhits.com has a dozen colors in the faux stone (see link) and I'm sure other sites have alot of variety too, just in case you can't find what you're looking for in the store.

Here is a link that might be useful: Colors of faux stone switchplates

cloud_swift: those are great! Very clever with the magnets/no screw holes. Lovely granite too. What is it called? And your cabs are really pretty, too.

Chicagoans, thanks. The magnetic plates are an option offered by Columbia Gorge Stoneworks. The magnets are very strong so they hold the plates firmly in place - no screw heads showing and no worry about over-tightening a screw. All our outlets and switches had magnetic steel bodies that they attached to, though in the case of the Lutron outlets we had to break off a plastic tab that covered the steel. Columbia Gorge can also supply some magnets to glue on if the switch or outlet body isn't a magnetic material.

Our granite is Azul Do Mar (really it's quartzite - a type of metamorphic rock that is almost entirely made of quartz). It's similar to Azul Macaubas. The latter is primarily white and greenish blue or aqua. Like most stones with a lot of blue, it is kind of pricey due to rarity but not quite as expensive as Azul Macaubas. Cost was the only downside - it cleans up like a dream. It is low porosity so we haven't had to re-seal it. (I don't think it needed the initial sealing based on my tests on the sample but our installer insisted.) It is extremely strong and hard so it doesn't scratch.

The cabinets are natural cherry made by DeWils (semi-custum). They are frameless because we wanted maximum storage space. We were very pleased with how sturdy the cabinets were and they filled our order perfectly.