I was able to find those metal ones (there were white and beige ones, if I recall correctly) at both HD and Lowe's--go back and ask a salesclerk. Maybe they were just sold out of them. I needed the "oversize" ones, and I had to go to a few stores.

I saw the paintable ones in the paint dept. at HD just the other day. They were white, but stated they were the paintable kind.

I can usually find the metal ones at either HD or Lowes, but I do recall being annoyed when I looked the last time. I had to hit a few different HD/Lowes to find them. They were metal with gloss white. Just hit them with one of those sandpaper sponge blocks for a few min and then dust them and paint will hold fine. I know sanding anything was the last thing I wanted to do, but it was better than the nylon/plastic alternatives with the big round corners.

greenmtn,
I've seen the Masque ones before but it seems the big box stores are phasing them out. I ran a quick search on HD's website and it didn't find the product at all, a search on Lowes turned up switchplate covers but no outlet covers. Bummer because they would have been an ok compromise.

pammyfay and backsweat,
They all have the metal ones in white and beige, I was just being lazy and trying to avoid more sanding. ;-) I'm just at the end of my patience with my kitchen 'refreshing'. We weren't planning on doing anything to the room until we gutted and renovated (4-5 years down the line), but a plumbing leak and several holes in the wall kind of changed that game plan.

dgo1223,
Didn't even think to check the paint department. Will give that a shot.

Thanks to everyone.

I didn't sand mine - I just spray painted them with primer. The paint seems to be hold up well.

I couldn't find these at my HD or Lowe's either and when I asked at Lowe's the little sales clerk guy told me to try Hobby Lobby?WHAT? Anyways, I found them several years ago also and thought maybe I was losing my mind. I guess I'll have to try several stores. I need both light and outlet. I'm going to try and match them to my tile backsplash.

Christy

I found this sight maybe it will help.

Here is a link that might be useful: paintable switchplates

Judie, thanks for that link! Love their selection of wood plates. We bought black receptacles to replace the white the electrician installed in the cherry hutch beadboard and I was planning on using decorative covers that look similar to the knobs and pulls, but if I don't like that look now I know I can buy cherry and stain it to match.

Wow, I just noticed they have glass too. That would work for painting or leaving plain.

They have them at Sherwyn Williams and in several textures.

The ones I like are metal and the surface is a tiny bit "crinkled" in texture. They're inexpensive to buy and easy to paint, and I get them at the electrical supply company.

The Masque covers are available from A+ Supply and AZ Partsmaster (I ordered from there most recently and was pleased with the pricing and service) among other places - googling "Taymac Masque" yields quite a few hits. I like them best because they hide the face of the actual receptacle, which may be discolored or mismatched, and blend the whole thing right into the wall. We thought the paint finish held up very well. My coordination is not so good so I often miss the slots on the first try, and the Masque plates did not scratch at all. Even with sanding and priming I never had as good luck with the plain plastic ones.

Natal, there's an eBay seller who makes really beautiful wood switchplates: Montana Creations. (I think his name is Cliff?) Unlike most wood switchplates they're very slim and streamlined (they're reinforced in back so they won't crack). I had some custom made and they came out so nicely I ordered more! Although his "standard" finish is just clear, he will stain plates if desired, or send unfinished - we ordered them unfinished because we knew the stain matching with the beadboard would be fiddly - and matches grain if desired on multiple plates. Although the selection of woods on his eBay store is limited, that's just what he normally keeps on hand and he told me he could get pretty much any wood although it might delay the order by a few days. He was an absolute dream to work with, if only all eBay sellers were like that! (Unlike Arnev, he does accept returns if the result is not what you thought it would be.)

I don't know if this idea is worth anything to you with your decor, but remember you can also decoupage a switch cover.

Plus if you snoop around you can find them in all kinds of pretty finishes. This place in the link below has a ton of designs and some of them are really gorgeous as well as some cutesy ones.

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

Johnmari, thanks!!! I bookmarked it. I'm hoping the decorative ones look ok, but if not I'm glad I have other options.

Hey all. Have an update.

lyynski,
Exactly what I was looking for. And thank you for the reminder to hit the local electrical contractor. They had them, and they cost 1/2 of the 'contractors 10 pack' of stock big box nylon. Bonus points since they're half mile from my house - the local big boxes are @ 7 in either direction. You saved me more on gas than the outlet covers were worth.

Christy,
You're not losing your mind. They definitely used to stock them. The clerk is assuming you want to custom decorative paint the darn thing. Yikes, I'm not that old, but when the 20 year old clerk doesn't "get" it, it's easy understand why big box shopping has become so frustrating.

I was in Lowes today re: some basic window treatments I need. I wanted to drop kick the salesperson since she couldn't answer a simple question regarding two mounting options in their stock collections. Yet she had oodles of time and experience to spend on 5 customer who were looking at $500 per window custom options. *rolls eyes*

bpbrodie,
SW is a mile and 1/2 in the other direction. I'll keep them in mid when I start painting upstairs since they're right on the way home from my Ben Moore dealer. ;-)

johnmarie,
Masque is still be the better (theoretical) option for about 3 outlets in my living room that will be very visible all the time - but I'm going to work with my more cost effective solution for now. BTW, I love the Montana Creations link - some nice wood options there - but they need fish! Our guest room has a fishing thing going on and I'd love something fishing related like that for that room.

oceanna,
I like the enamel on copper designs. It's a different direction that what DH and I have discussed, but for 'man land' it may be a really fun and different choice.

Thank you again, everyone.

A quick follow-up... I was in Home Depot today and the Masque outlet covers were hanging on a rail back in the PAINT department. Why were they all the way back there among the cans of paint??? I picked up another one I needed since it seems they may be getting tougher to find.

All outlet covers are paintable. You just have to know how. Prep. work is key.

I scrub them up with fine steelwool and then wipe them down with acetone or paint thinner (remember those?). Then I prime them. And then I give them as many coats as I put on the walls.

Pretty simple. All my outlets and covers match the walls (if Kitch. sees this she will tease me). In nearly 17 years my home hasn't burned and everything looks fine... and blends nicely into the wall that surrounds it.

You don't have to buy a special product to paint it!

greenmtn,
Sounds like they're phasing them out of stock.

chelone,
Sure, just about anything can be painted with the right prep and priming work. It's not an issue of fire safety or inability to rehab what's here, for me it's about the visual continuity and convenience.

Every single room in this house was painted incorrectly - the 'neutral beige' that was slapped on my walls for resale is a prep nightmare. Orange peel texture due to improper nap and overworking of the paint, roller edge and brush marks, drips, improper patching of previous holes (never sanded smooth), areas touched up with satin over flat, etc. Plus I have 2 rather large custom sized vent covers for my HVAC return ducts that have required extensive hand sanding since the size is no longer available.

The previous owner also had a really big thing for faux polished brass. As in every electrical outlet cover is covered with it, and they're cheap, thin, and dented out of shape. They have to be replaced anyway, so why not go with something that's going to save me some time and has a profile I really prefer?

Yeah, I'm rambling. But with all the extensive prep work I've been dealing with, finding these outlet covers made my day. Sometimes it really is the little things that make it all come together.

Wow flattie ..... what a nightmare. I don't mind painting, it's the prepping & clean up I hate. I think next time we paint the whole house, I'm hiring someone so I don't have to deal with it!

Christy

Hey flattie--I'm glad those worked for you! They are really solid and sturdy, which makes them a lot easier to paint, I find. FYI, I've had good success painting them to match tile by using regular kitchen sponges and craft paint. I love that you can make them blend right into the wall--whatever the wall looks like.

There are definitely some places where you want your coverplates to make a statement, and I love the covers I've gotten from Montana Creations. But if you want fish, check out the link below (I really like the ones they call Fish Fry)!

Here is a link that might be useful: you want fish?

Glad you found what you wanted and what you found made your life easier. I've not found the "prep. work" to be particularly difficult, personally.

InvisiPlates are primed and ready to paint. The plates come textured or smooth. Invisiplate.com. Can be found at Ace Hardware and certain electrical supply stores.

Here is a link that might be useful: InvisiPlates