Remember the switch or outlet itself will stick out like a sore thumb even if the plate is color-matched to the surroundings. It's not recommended to paint the switch or outlets, but I did -- very carefully. I switched the breaker to OFF; taped plastic around the switches/outlets and plugged the outlet holes to be sure paint didn't get inside. I used spray paint.

The switch is the part that goes on and off. The switch plate is the flat surround that gets screwed on to cover up all the works inside and make it pretty and safe. You will have the same issue with the outlets and the plates that cover the outlets...

There are a number of ways to cover switch plates. Some are paintable. Some are plastic with a slot for sliding paper into them, like matching wall paper, or painting a piece of paper to match your wall color and then slipping it in. What's nice about these is that they blend in but the plastic is very cleanable. You could also take a picture of your wall, such as a tile backsplash, print it out and slip it in for a nice match. Others are just the plain plastic which can be bought in colors to match the switch...usually brown, white or ivory.

Then there is the whole world of decorative switch plates which come in themes, patterns, materials, etc....an incredible variety.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plastic switchplate covers

I like to make the outlets disappear, but I want the switches to be easy to find on the wall. If you want a match, the plastic ones Annie suggests are a very good way, for all the reasons she gave, and the slight texture and gloss difference makes them just visible enough. You can easily paint the inside of them with your wall paint for a perfect match with the least fuss, but you'll have to get new ones if you change the color...

I've also used them to hold postcards from the museum shop, cartoons from The New Yorker, bits of lovely wrapping paper, images of Persian rugs cut from magazine ads, and all sorts of things like that when some variety of image is wanted.

For outlets, I take off the covers, paint them and their little screw heads to match the walls, and then very carefully, with a watercolor brush, paint the receptacles themselves. This is frowned upon by my electricians, but I do it anyway. I'm just telling you what I do, and not recommending that you do it. Love, Bronwynsmom and all her lawyers.... :>)

In terms of complexity, your husband is kinda correct on that. But it is nice to make the utilities like switches and receptacles blend in as much as possible, at least in my opinion.

But in my house this has lead to Lutron Black, Lutron Palladium, Lutron off-white, two push button switches, and matching Lutron covers, back painted glass covers, custom plated metal covers, mirrored covers etc, ad nauseum.

The next owner is going to have his hands full if he wants to change the paint colors.

I usually don't paint the plug itself or the switch itself but if I want the switch to blend in best I use the small toggle not the big Lutron style, and I might change the plug from white to ivory to grey to brown or black depending upon the wall color.

There are a couple of companies who make completely concealable switches and receptacles (Imagine a template to cut out the switchplate in wood, granite, or cover it in plaster with just the actual slots for the plug to go in, for example--and all completely flush with the wall surface. There are "mounting depth jigs" and all kinds of tools involved). Extremely expensive as you can imagine with parts and labor in the hundreds for Each outlet or switch. Minimalists have to make a lot of money.

Thanks for the education folks. Does anyone have a photo of how it would look if the switches blended in? In a couple of rooms where the placement of switches are less than optimal, that may be worth it.. Of course I don't know what brands these are and how much this would cost :)

Changing switches and outlet receptacles yourself is really easy and quite safe. Just turn the breaker off first and then double check to make sure the power is off -- plug a radio or something in to make sure there is no juice flowing. A screwdriver is all you need. Basic switches and receptacles are cheap. Three-way and dimmer switches can be a tiny bit trickier.

Prior to redoing my kitchen I had light colored walls so my ivory colored switches/outlets and plate covers didn't bother me but in my new kitchen with darker walls, I could not stand the way the outlets stood out, so I painted the outlets and the covers. I have rocker type switches and while painted their covers, I didn't paint those switches. I thought that paint on the switches would be difficult to maintain because they are constantly being touched.
Looking through my photos, I see that I have some that show how it looks before and after painting the outlets. I definitely like the after better than the before. So here it is for your viewing please:

Before painting the outlets
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After painting the outlets:

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