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erin_callister

Wall Switch Plates, Outlet Covers, Light Switch Covers, Vent Covers

10 years ago

I have seen some pretty vent covers, light switch, electrical outlet covers etc... in a stainless steel look. I am painting my house and am wondering if I should be changing the vents and wall plates. I was thinking I could buy some stainless steel looking ones or even just spray paint them all stainless steel with spray paint? any thoughts? best to keep them white? Most of my walls are a light greige : ) a light green/blue here or there as well. Any thoughts are appreciated : )



Comments (23)

  • PRO
    10 years ago

    Yes! Your house hardware is house jewelry! I would look at the other metal elements within your interior design and work with those. What is the metal finish of your lighting fixtures? water fixtures? door hardware? cabinet hardware? if it is a hodgepodge choose a metal finish in the direction you wish to take your house in.

    Peanut thanked Belltown Design LLC
  • PRO
    10 years ago

    IMO switches and plates are a nessessary evil and should be as invisible as possible Lutron makes oth in many colors and I use them alot The cool thing is if you change the wall color you just order the snap on switch and plate no electrical knowledge needed Vent colors should match the floor or wall they are in

    Peanut thanked Patricia Colwell Consulting
  • 10 years ago

    i'd be concerned with finger prints if you went stainless steel look. its a job.

    Peanut thanked Judy Mishkin
  • PRO
    10 years ago
    White for sure
    Peanut thanked memararchitects
  • 10 years ago

    You have lots of options if your walls are light gray. Mine are white, and I spent a great deal of money on brushed nickel switches and plates only to decide several years later that many of them were located in areas where they would be better off invisible, so I agree with flopsycat1. I didn't change everything, but I would recommend if you aren't sure, to buy cheap metal and cheap white, photograph them and then decide on a case by case basis which areas to upgrade. In general, if you want an area to appear uncluttered and larger, go white (near visible baseboards or large scale paintings). In other areas (bathroom, dressing room, hallways or master bedroom control switches, it might make sense to have more 'jewelry,' depending on your taste.

    Peanut thanked Angela L.
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    2nd attempt, Kindle Fire not cooperating. Our CKD recommended Legrand's Adorne & am I ever glad she did. We now have it in entire front of house & FamRm. Most use brushed SS wallplates, but 2 on island & 1 on hutch use custom wallplates w/ skin or veneer of cabinet wood. (I'm going to Submit this, then try to add pics separately).

    Peanut thanked Bruce Crawford
  • 10 years ago
    last modified: 10 years ago

    Now from my phone. Both receptacles are pop-outs w/ 3 plugs. SS on pantry bksplsh also has 2 1/2-width switches. Sink wall bksplsh has 1 ea. 3-gang & 4-gang w/ GFCI's & dimmers. FamRm has wireless dimmer for LED cans plus switch for switched wall outlet. The GFCI's do not come in pop-outs.

  • 9 years ago

    Will the wall plates/light switches from Legrand Adorne line fit existing electric blue boxes?

  • 9 years ago

    Vi Truvian, yes. I've retrofitted several existing switches & outlets w/ blue JB's. The only glitch I ran into was trying to put a GFCI & a night light in one of their 1.5 sized wallplates b/c the body of the GFCI is bigger inside the JB than is a regular outlet. I retrofitted pop-out outlets as well as dimmers w/ no problems. The pic above of pantry bksplsh has a pop-out outlet & 2 1/2-width switches in a 2-gang JB.

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi, Bruce, thank you for getting back to me. Actually, it was that beautiful pop-out on your island that caught my eye.

    I asked the Legrand Adorne compatibility question because I had an electrician here this week and he said, the switches would fit but wall plates would not.

    Was he simply wrong?

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Vi, I suspect the electrician hasn't ever installed them. I have 4-gang & 3-gang, each w/ GFCI's which have bigger in-JB bodies than pop-out. The pop-outs on my island & pantry bksplsh went in std. JB's. My pop-out in LR went in 1-gang JB installed when my house was built in '73. The wallplates come w/ metal backplate. The green ground wire attaches to it & it screws into JB. The wallplate slips onto backplate & is held by friction. Their website has .pdf files w/ install'n instructions on each component's page. Here are 2 pics. 1 shows island outlet in out position. You can see 2 of receptacles. Other side has 3rd receptacle. Other pic shows pop-out in LR in '73 JB.


  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    LOVE, that pop-out. Just returned from the hardware store with some "test" Adorne wall plates to try with different electrician and, of course a pop-out for my island. Many thanks for your quick responses and excellent information. ta

  • 9 years ago

    Vi, good luck! They'll look great!

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you, Bruce, you've been wonderful. Tomorrow, when the electrician says "no way", I'll be knowledgeable enough to say "Way" [or words to that effect]

  • 9 years ago

    Vi, I got my first Adorne at Lowe's. They carry a limited selection. If you go to Legrand Adorne's website you'll see the plethora of options. A real lighting store can order anything you want from them. The custom & brushed SS wallplates were ordered through the lighting store, as well as LED compatible dimmers.

  • 9 years ago

    Good morning, Bruce. I have been buying and returning my Adornes at Lowe's, actually several in the Dallas Area. I've done that so many times, I'm afraid I've been 'red flagged' by the store as a potential smuggler. I am equally annoyed with myself as with the electrician who told me, 'no go'. I should have done more research before returning $$$'s of carefully collected switches with and without dimmers, outlets-GFCIs and USBs, and wall plates [ Titanium is a perfect match to my walls.] Harvesting these is a labor of love since I need them for a total first story renovation. UGH - back to square one.

  • 9 years ago

    Eve Switches, very interesting. I'll keep in mind as we move through the house.

  • 9 years ago

    Hi, Bruce. I'm back

    I used Legrand Adorne 3 prong outlet with grounding wire on the wall plate. Do you know if this is then a grounded outlet?

    I have an electrical inspection maybe tomorrow and I fear I won'd pass code



  • 9 years ago

    Yes, if you mean metal backplate that wallplate fits onto. That's what I have. My wallplates are metal & I suspect all Adorne are, but don't know for sure. If connected per enclosed instructions, you meet code.

  • 9 years ago

    Yes, the backplates my wallplates fit into are metal. Is there some information I can pass on to the inspector in case he is not familiar with this type of device?

  • 9 years ago

    Just have the instruction sheet handy so he can see they were installed per it. It's all by national code.

  • 9 years ago

    Thank you, will do.