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What wall outlet and switch plate colors do I go with?

4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

We had a backsplash installed and it doesn't look like the white outlet and cover plates will work. The trim in the room is white and that cannot be changed. The switches on the non backsplash wall are white. What color outlet colors should I use all the way around to look good in the room or can you use diffwrent outlet covers based on the area of the room?




Comments (31)

  • 4 years ago

    Please show pictures.

  • 4 years ago

    Sorry. They didn't upload the first time. They are now posted.

  • 4 years ago

    Off-white or ivory would be least visually obstrustive. Or, you could do charcoal to play off the pattern in the splash. If you want the same on all the walls, though, better bet would be the ivory.

  • 4 years ago

    Ivory would be my choice.

  • 4 years ago

    Would you do ivory on all plates or just those on the tile? There are white ones on the other wall that go well with the white trim.

  • 4 years ago

    Helen- that's a cool idea, but I think one that is well beyond my abilities :(


  • 4 years ago

    Look at Lutron Satin colors. They have some non-white neutrals that might look nice on the backsplash for the switch or receptacle itself. And as Helen says. Some people use clear glass or plastic switchplates with a color photocopy of the tile attached to the back with the pattern lined up.

  • 4 years ago

    I was also going to suggest you paint the outlet with the same pattern! Buy the matte/paintable covers.

  • 4 years ago

    It would be fairly easy to see if you could make a "tile" switch since with a digital camera you can take as many shots as you need and a clear plastic switch plate is cheap.


    Also you can disguise it somewhat once you actually have stuff on your counter. I have a strategically placed spice holder in front of the switch for my hood which is on the wall..

  • 4 years ago

    Maybe you can send a tile to these folks and they will do it for you?

    https://www.phoenixmural.com/painted-outlets

    I googled faux painted outlets and many other showed up. maybe you can find someone local.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Don't worry about it. Place something to hide it....move it when you need the outlet.

    Not a big of enough deal to spend money "fixing".




  • 4 years ago

    I remove the outlet cover and paint it with the same wall paint. I lightly and carefully paint the outlet also. On the painted switch plates, that get scratches from a "lot of traffic", I touch-up using the left-over wall paint I've saved. The switches and outlets "disappear"!

  • 4 years ago
  • 4 years ago

    I don't see the need to hide them. I'd just go with ivory or white -- all the same color in the same room.

  • 4 years ago

    I have found scuffing metal covers and spray painting them an accent color works well, for instance I painted my living room light blue and spray painted all the covers a dark blue and it looks great, no chipping as of yet, they’ve been painted for a few months now.

  • 4 years ago

    I always match switchplates to the hardware in the room- match it to the faucet. i like the contrast. Metal is more durable and easy to clean.

  • 4 years ago

    I think it looks fine as is. Once you plug something in, it's not going to be noticeable. It's not an eyesore in my mind. And it's going to cost you to change all your outlets and switches to a different color. I never cared for wallpapered or painted outlet covers, but I understand the reasoning. I think the other outlets look great on your walls, so I would stick to the one white outlet on the tiles to keep it consistant.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I agree that it looks fine as is and stuff on the counter will likely cover it most of the time. You will probably get used to it and not even notice it after a while. You can always change it later if it still bugs you. If you do decide to change them I think a dark color that matches the tile would look good.

  • 4 years ago

    I just went with the closest color to my tile (almond, or maybe ivory.) they’re fairly unobtrusive. I don’t feel the need to actually try to hide them - which wouldn’t really work anyway.

    A friend of mine had her powder bathroom professionally wallpapered - they wallpapered all switchplates & the heat vent cover and outlet covers, expertly lining up the wallpaper pattern. I hate it so much and wish they’d left those things white. Of course, I would never tell my friend that…

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    If you plan to keep the trim, baseplate, and HVAC register white, I would leave them white but maybe go with ceramic plate covers. If you want them to blend in with the wall, I would see if I could find ceramic plates the same color as the wall. Using other colors or pattersn might stand out a bit too much. There are enough textures and patterns already and adding additional colors and/or patterns could appear to clash or make the room too busy.

  • 4 years ago

    If you change the color of the switchplates, remember that the white outlets will stand out like the white plates you didn't like. I'd stick with white. Cover with a toaster or a coffee machine.

  • 4 years ago

    I would keep them same as the trim in the room.

  • 4 years ago

    I think I found ones that work with the backsplash and decor.



  • 4 years ago

    IMO, the white was better.

  • 4 years ago

    You can have custom spray paint mixed to match the color of the wall, therefore it would blend with that wall.

  • 4 years ago

    White.

  • 4 years ago

    For those suggesting white. We did try white and light almost wall plates. The white stuck out like a sore thumb as the backsplash has nothing white in it. The other plates looked cheap and also stuck out. The bronze with the light almost recepticle appear the least noticable and all 3 colors (the near black, bronze, and light almond) all pull from colors in the backsplash. Given that and the darker cabinets, we also decided to replace the cabinet handles and the faucet to bronze. I think that'll tie everything into one color scheme.


    Thanks for all the suggestions.

  • 4 years ago

    Love your final choice.  Send a picture when you change hardware ☺️

  • 4 years ago

    When I was building my house, I bought the cheap contractor packs in beige and ivory as I was thrashing to finish the house enough for the occupancy permit, and took what I could get at the time. I eventually changed them all out for some much nicer nickel plated brass switch plates from House of Antique Hardware and brown flat faced outlets and switches. For me, I wanted to make them more of a feature than trying to blend them in to lend to the vintage vibe of the house.

  • 4 years ago

    Here's the final product. Please forgive the dishes.