apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I will have these in my apartment someday! Modern, beautiful, structural, subtle....I'm so in love.

Can they be purchased in this country?

This is pretty darn cool looking, but you'd probably have to do it at the same time as the wall treatment in most places. That looks way too small to hide an existing switch box or switch box-sized hole. Is there a difference in European switch boxes vs. the standard American rectangle?

Yes, I am pretty sure this can't be used here due to voltage as well as insurance reasons. Electric boxes vary widely in-within Europe too. In England there are fantastic machined metal switch plates and such, which I've never seen on the continent - it must be a bespoke thing.

That said, there was at one time, a very similar switch available here, which was really cool. I think they have also made switch plates for inserting wallpaper behind/into as well.

OR you just do this switch, which is completely conceled. Or can be, rather...

http://www.anigmo.com/

Electricity is the same here as in Europe, the only difference is that we use 110 volts and they use 220 volts. Since a switch is just that... a switch, it will work on either side of the ocean.

The unfortunate issue has to do with electrical code, and what can and cannot be used within the parameters of our code here in the US. Because we have a standard nation-wide electrical code which dictates standards for electrical boxes and such, it would probably be a real challenge to get an inspector to sign off on anything that isn't standard. While the intent of these rules and standards are for the protection of the general population, it unfortunately limits creativity outside of the boring norm we see each day.

Oh, I forgot to mention... Cool switch!

We also use different cycles. The bigger issue is if you had a fire or other cause for insurance to intervene and they found un/non UL listed installations you would be up the creek.

I know someone with 60s low voltage wiring (for switching only) and when you hit the switch you'd hear the solenoid click up somewhere away in the ceiling before the lights came on (and if I recall correctly - gently).