Rather than removing all of those switch plates the next time you paint or wallpaper, why not just roll right over them? While visiting a neighbor's farm house in rural New Hampshire this weekend we noticed these delightful details that really makes the beautiful wall colors (and wallpapers!) sing...
Each room's original plaster walls are coated in a rich, historic hue or beautiful, traditional wallpaper. So, rather than interrupting the aesthetic with a white, plastic plate, they chose to simply make these eye sores disappear.
- Wes & Kayla
Copyright © 2008 Apartment Therapy
You can also buy clear switchplates, like here:
http://www.myknobs.com/creatwalplat191.html
Where you don't have to cover the switchplate itself, the wallpaper piece just slips in between the clear cover and backplate.
Here too, scroll down to wallpaper switchplate:
http://www.decorativehardwarestore.com/switchplates.html
view TRUE BLUE's profile
nice lightswitch camoflauge
view little flower's profile
Painted over switchplates are nasty and implies lazyness. I have never seen a painted over switchplate that looked any good closer than 50 feet.
Wallpapered switchplates, as pictured, do work well.
view plain jane's profile
I think the paint over method only works if it isn't literally simply painted over with a standard roller/brush. It needs to be removed and painted separately and a small brush used to get all the tiny areas to make it really look seamless.
view Enamorada's profile
oh, and don't forget to paint the screws too!
view Enamorada's profile
Enamorada, very true. Obviously I've been in some cruddy places where they've been rolled over hastily. Plates removed and painted with care could be nice.
view plain jane's profile
Wow, I love those clear covers. I've never seen those before.
Such a great alternative to the standard white, which always seems to end up (sloppily) painted 642 different layers of colour. Can you tell I've rented?
view jackie_22's profile
I'm painting this weekend and was thinking about this. I'll probably back-paint a clear cover and leave the outlet/switch... i think it would be really hard to make this look right.
Funny i accidentally smashed my coverplate a week ago and was going to replace it anyways.
view DahliaCactus's profile
Painted outlets and switches reek of landlord cheap, and are just plain tacky... I could see a back painted clear outlet/switch cover, but please don't encourage outright painting them.
view Devyn's profile
"Painted outlets and switches reek of landlord cheap, and are just plain tacky" <- Would you rather have your boring white ones?
view Clap's profile
ew i really dont like the look of that. it is so much more noticeable knowing its there in some odd way
view sarahjam's profile
i should clarify- the painted ones are fine in my opinion, but the wallpapered one is wierd!
view sarahjam's profile