“It is not within our budget to make them hidden“

Plugmold is not very expensive. It would eliminate the need for receptacles in your backsplash. It comes angled or not.

My contractor told me it would cost hundreds of dollars per outlet to hide them Which is why I was trying to find an alternate solution.

Your contractor evidently is unfamiliar with Plugmold. It’s a pretty common item, easily installed. Hmmm. What else doesn’t he know about. That backsplash looks to be a tricky install. You might want to hire a tiling contractor yourself to do it.

Agree about plugmold. It's practical, give you outlets along the entire length of the counter, and isn't that expensive, and you aren't messing up your back splash. I put plugmold under the granite at the top of my island - it's great, and you aren't inserting it into the island panel.

I just received samples from Lutron, call their 800# and they will mail you a kit. (PS - I had no idea you could get so many colors! LOL)

Plugmold suggestion ignored by the OP as if no one said anything. Ok then. No amount of color matching of outlets and outlet covers will make them less obtrusive in the backsplash you have posted.

Shannon, My father has just been diagnosed with cancer. I haven’t exactly been able to check the internet as often as I would like. Perhaps you should think about those things before you make assumptions.

I kindly thank you all for your suggestions. I will speak with my contractor about it today.

Lisa so sorry to hear about your father. My experience is plug mold is much more expensive than just color matching the existing outlets. In your case pick a warm light taupe/grey and they will disappear more. Really the only inconvenience to that option is just waiting for the product as it will take some time. With the plug mold you have to cap off all old locations and patch the wall so it’s ready for tile. While plug mold is a good solution for a new build (and for those that don’t mind seeing cords dangle up vertically) it’s really not the best option if budget is a concern.

Thinkdesignlive, Thank you. That is a very helpful explanation. 😃 I appreciate you taking the time to walk me through both sides of plugmold.

I am sorry about your father. There is no way I could have known that. You asked for suggestions —specifically “Any ideas of how to make the outlet covers less obvious and tacky”. I responded to that specifically, as did helou. I was also concerned that your contractor doesn’t know about Plugmold, commonly available at Home Depot and hardware stores. You have replied twice since I posted and since helou posted, and said nothing about the 3 prior posts to help you including photos.

We occasionally get people on here who it turns out don’t want the advice they specifically request, and who resent the advice that solves their issue.

ETA: just saw thinkdesignlive’s post - my experience with Plugmold is that it was inexpensive and my electrician said it was easier than installing the receptacles needed by Code. I only have it in one section of my kitchen. But my backsplash is much simpler than the OP’s. With her backsplash she has to weigh how cutting into it with outlets will look and affect the backsplash tiles.

I hate how some of the regulars on here expect everyone to constantly be online. People have lives, work in places where they can't spend hours on Houzz, take care of large families, etc. I do look at Houzz every day, sometimes multiple times, but I do not expect that of everyone who asks a question. I have seen so many nasty comments made about posters whose lives clearly do not revolve around Houzz. Get a grip!

And to the OP, I am very sorry about your father.

Thank you Stillpitpat. 😃 This is Actually my very first post on Houzz. I didn’t realize there were “rules”. I’m just trying to do my very best in the middle of a massive remodel while handling a new, scary diagnosis. I’m just in a time where I realize how important practicing kindness is and how small issues like this truly are in the grand scheme of things. The last thing I need are internet fights about not responding to a message within a specific time period.

Stillpitpat - I am confused by your and the OP’s assertions about response time and saying there is an expectation that people are online all the time. I don’t see that in the thread. Where are you both seeing that? What I commented on was that the OP did post several more times but her posts did not respond to the prior posts. Also the OP was quite specific about not being able to hide outlet covers, and asked for suggestions given the backsplash tile she has chosen. Idk why she ignored the suggested alternative, easily available and easily installed, with which she’d not have to cut her backsplash tile at all. It had nothing whatsoever to do with response time. Had the OP not responded till next month, or had she responded in 30 seconds, I would have been just as perplexed.

Kindness goes a long way Shannon. For the last time, I will reiterate that my mind is not focused on minutiae at the moment. If you were somehow upset because I didn’t instantly acknowledge your idea while in the midst of dealing with my own issues, I apologize. I replied one time, not several but I shouldn’t have to justify that. I would have looked into it when I had time and figured out if this was something that would work. My contractor told me specifically that moving the outlets/drywall repair etc would cost several hundred dollars PER outlet Which is why I said in my original post that I wasn’t looking at moving the outlets and was wondering if anyone had any creative ways of handling the outlets.

I’m done replying to this thread. Enjoy your day.

This company makes clear and paintable covers for $10

https://www.arnev.com/all-switch-plates-category/Mirrored-Glass-and-Acrylic-Switchplates-and-Accessories/

Lisah152 - I am offended. I take care of my mother who has advanced Alzheimer's Disease. As you said "Perhaps you should think about those things before you make assumptions." This morning she was weeping in her wheelchair, though she cannot speak, as I held her hand. That has happened often over the last six years of her illness. I never bring it up on this forum, until now.

As to kindness, I was being kind, and attempting to help you, in giving you a solution for your specific issue that you said you wanted a solution for. I also wanted to be kind by alerting you to it being a red flag if your contractor is not aware of solutions. These are the kinds of advice people come on this forum for. You ignored it and then invented some issue about response time to deflect. Good luck with your backsplash.

I’m confused as to why the OP was called out for not acknowledging someone’s input in the first place.

It’s an online forum. If your advice was ignored, graciously back off.

Lisa, here are a few pics of Lutron outlets and covers in my home. The first two are in bathrooms, on painted walls (not a backsplash). I’m showing them to you for colors that might work for you.

The third is my kitchen backsplash, and is strictly for the outlets, not the covers. The covers were made by the company who made the backsplash. But, you can see how closely the outlets match the covers, and my backsplash.

That is fabulous Dabuka! Thank you!

You’re very welcome.

Btw, I toyed with the idea of installing plugmold strips under the cabs, but came to the conclusion that: 1- I didn’t need so many outlets, 2- I didn’t want to have to reach so far up, and tilt my head up to locate an outlet, and 3- we leave the toaster oven plugged in 24/7. The idea of constantly seeing a dangling cord, was not esthetically pleasing.

My favorite outlet cover isOB2B's. She made color photocopies of her tile and (I think) decoupaged the outlet covers.

I'm also pretty fond of the Bocci outlets...

Oooh that is very cool!!!!!

I don't even see where the advice was ignored, but whatever.

What a great thread! In terms of a survey of technical solutions and advice about hiding the outlets, as I had a similar question, which ironically I had just posted. The decoupage option is truly impressive!! And reassuring to see that there is the paintable gasket that can be used under the glass cover.

So, lots of great solutions for the outlet covers, but what about the outlets themselves? It looks like Leviton makes them in a variety of colors: https://store.leviton.com/collections/outlets/products/renu-20a-self-test-tamper-resistant-gfci-outlet-rgf20?variant=28152711619

As I indicated in my previous post, with photos, Lutron makes both outlet covers, AND outlets, in a variety of colors.

Earlier today, I looked at the color array for both Lutron and Leviton. Unfortunately my backsplash tile is a solid color (unlike the one selected by the OP -- lesson learned here folks!). Consequently, for the outlets to blend in nicely at counter/eye level, I would need a pretty close color match. And my tile color isn't a clear match for anything those two currently offer! The tile color is what I would call seafoam green and some call Coke bottle green -- a light green that is more blue than the sage green that was so popular for years (and which I think Leviton carries) but more green than the Palladium offered by Lutron, and lighter & brighter than their Greenbrier. I ordered a sample of those two from Lutron just in case one might work.

UPDATE -- a Lutron sample arrived already (so fast!) but it isn't a match. However, in looking at the website for arnav, which Andrea mentioned as a source for glass switchplates, and which offers the option for the paintable gaskets, I learned they also sell a product called Socketops. It's a peel and stick laminate designed to cover the business part of the receptacle, available for a variety of configurations (such as the GFIC) and in a variety of colors/finishes. Has anyone tried this?

https://www.arnev.com/what-are-socketops.html

Lowes carries the Legrand brand screwless wall plates. They work best with kitchen backsplashes because they are a matte finish. You can use them with Lutron products too, but the plate itself is thinner, and in my opinion looks better than Lutron, especially in that setting. You need to get Light Almond –it will match perfectly with what you have. Good Luck!

Somewhere, I think it was here on Houzz, I saw recently a new design for outlets, that didn't require a faceplate. I'm googling it now, but haven't found it yet.

However, in my mind, the biggest issue you have is a contractor who wants to charge you hundreds of dollars per outlet to move them. Now, I'm no contractor nor electrician, but I just had an outlet moved, in my very HCOLA area, and I think the licensed electrican charged me $75, which included his service call. And that was only one outlet. In a new build, I'm sure the general can get the electrician back in there and move things around without it costing hundreds of dollars per outlet. That is a signal your builder doesn't care and doesn't want to help you.

What I would do in your situation, is let the contractor know you aren't going to need a backsplash at this time, and let him finish the work. A backsplash can be done later, when you have time to explore your options. Take care of your family situation first, before you put in expensive tile, and then find out later it was inelegantly done. I'd want that tile to be a showpiece in the kitchen. It's the first thing people would notice in your space, and deserves more attention.

I think it is good advice to defer a project that is difficult until you have the emotional bandwidth to deal with it -- or to enjoy it! You could have the outlets put in at the normal level that you would want and in the color that will go with the tile you have selected and then just have tile install done down the road. You can buy outlets with USB built-in, which is appealing to many:

see https://www.lowes.com/pd/Legrand-radiant-White-15-Amp-Decorator-Tamper-Resistant-USB-Outlet-Residential-USB-Outlet/50253183