No, not all the plates in my house match thru out the house but they do match in the individual rooms. I have button switches in most of my rooms or pull chains. Very few of the modern plastic ones.
I do think it looks odd to have the switches not match the switch plates.

I'm a fiend about switchplates, and I like them to match the walls. I usually try to get the switches to match too. But anything is better than white on a colored wall. I always say they look like pimples. I've colored switches with a permanent Sharpie, but you have to be patient.

I like them to match the switches/outlets, unless you have an artsy switchplate cover of some kind, or a metal one, so matching isn't possible.

I have the off-white covers on our off-white walls, and brown ones on the panelled walls (with a few leftover brass ones ca. 1978). But in the kitchen for the backsplash I went with stainless (outlets and switches are white).

How do you get them to match the walls? DH thinks ours are ugly. For some reason it does not bother me at all!

This topic is a thorn in my side! In our house, almost nothing matches. It's as though they bought all of the switches and plates off a clearance rack, put them all in a bucket, and just pulled one out and installed it. Knowing the PO's like I do, that's probably exactly what they did!

Switches and outlets within a room don't match, and the plates don't necessarily match THOSE. I started to go through the house, and at least swap all of the plates out, so that at least that looked cohesive, but got bored and frustrated by room #4. I have one room with a multi-switch light, and even the THOSE switches don't match each other! This is one of those details that I think either bothers people a LOT, or they just don't notice. *sigh*

Anyway, no, I wouldn't put a dark plate over a beige switch. I'd just leave it as-is until you can replace the switch, then do the whole thing.

It's not that difficult to replace the switches, but you do need to know what you're doing, you have to shut off the electricity, etc., or hire an electrician ($$$$) to do it for you. I'm saving up for it, and one day, will have someone redo the whole mess.

I have replaced most of our light switch plates with wood ones that match our trim work. For the outlet covers, I like them to fade in to the walls so I just use the cheapy ones, prime them, put a few coats of matching paint on them and then cover them with a matte poly coat or two to keep the paint from chipping.

Our match each other in the particular room... as they are painted the color of the walls.

For our house, I prefer they blend into the wall. We have the basic plastic white ones and I painted all the back plates.

I don't see the point in replacing all my outlet covers but I am going to change the ones along the painted kitchen backsplash. Home depot has them cheaper ($2 something a piece).

Here is a link that might be useful: Masque paintable plate

I have tried to paint all the outlet covers the same as the wall color. At least the ones that show. (Old house, not a lot of outlets, so easy to hide most of them behind furniture!) For light switch plates, I have a variety through the house. For example, the dining room has a copper chandelier, so the switch plates are copper. In bathrooms, I match the fixtures (so, brushed nickel faucet = brushed nickel switch plate). In the living room, I have one artsy one and one plain one, but they are both the same finish. Kitchen/family room (one open space) has ORB to match the light fixtures in that space.

Unfortunately we have keypads in a couple of places for our stereo system, and they're white. Can't paint them and it makes me a little bit crazy.

I don't see the point in replacing all my outlet covers...

(smiling) I know you like painted switch plates and was a little surprised to see white outlet covers in your latest entertainment center thread.

Personally, I think it's a silly thing to fuss over, but we're all different.

OK so if you paint the covers, then the switches inside them are still the stock color, no?

I don't know,. I guess if I can find something that the switch itself matches the plate I would change them to make DH happy. :)

I must say though, when I go to my dad's house he has wall paper in his family room. He has done such a good job of covering the light switch with the wallpaper that I can never find the dang thing. Drives me nuts. I think there might even be two in the room, but I have no idea. I am lucky if I keep running my hands along the walls if I find one of them.

Yep, painted the whole thing and not just painted, in the paneled room I stained the regular outlets and switches with the same stain I used for the panels. Surprisingly it worked out great.

I think switches in standard white or ivory are kind of like wearing a gold wedding ring with silver jewelry... it goes with everything because you always wear it. Switches are what they are, so they go with everything. The ones in my living room are ivory and have dark brushed nickel plates because I thought they looked great with my dark blue wall. All of the plates in that room are the same.

I do like to customize my switchplates and sometimes the outlet covers if they're obvious. I use decorative paper or fabric and modge podge. Here are a couple that I have done -- the top two are decorative scrapbooking paper, the bottom left is mulberry paper (also from scrapbooking), and the bottom right one is green paper underneath a sheer mulberry paper.

Just trace the outlet cover onto the paper and cut it out. Paint the plate with modge podge, position the paper and let it dry. Then paint over it with one or two coats to make it hard.

I have boopadaboo's question also: Painting them leaves the switches or the center part of the outlets the standard color, doesn't it, or can you paint those parts also?

I did see the 7.99 ones you linked, sheesharee, from Amazon, but that's probably too steep for me given all the outlets we have.

Sheesh, I love those! They didn't have them when we built or I'd have had them since I like the outlet plates to match the wall color.
Susanka, Sheesh said you can get them at Ho De for around two dollars if I understood her correctly.

Here is the regular, original light switch and electrical outlet stained with minwax wood stain:)

I always thought faceplates for light and electrical outlets that were painted the same color of the room were a little odd and sometimes tacky.

I much prefer the look of just a straight up matching plate to go with the outlet, whether it be creme or white. It's cleaner.

IMHO, of course.

Thanks to all who responded! Seems I'm not the only one with outlet cover issues. :)

Ideefixe (really like your username, btw): LOL about them
looking like pimples!

Franksmom: my very capable DH also says replacing switches
isn't that big of a deal. It'll happen someday, but not
yet.

Sheesharee: Thanks for the link.

Boopadaboo: I've had the same experience with switch
covers camouflaged by wall paper. Kind of disconcerting,
isn't it?! Reminds me of one of the bathrooms where I
work--the door is cut into the wood paneled wall around
it. You tell people "it's over there" and point right
at it, and they still don't see it.

Sashamommy: Love those paper coverings; I may play around
with that idea, with a neutral-color paper, to
pretty up plain replacement covers.

Natal - Hmmm.. off the top of my head, the only one I can think of is the one to the left of the stand along with the tv jack. I first painted the backs when the stand was split up and the center part was in the corner, covering that. Once we put it back together on the main wall..tada. Oh, I'll get around to it one of these days. It didn't bother me enough to dig out the paint can just for that.

It's not something I fuss over but the time I painted the wall vents and backplates and looked at the before and after picture, it made huge and better difference to my eye. It has the most impact when there's a bunch all together.

Boop - "OK so if you paint the covers, then the switches inside them are still the stock color, no?"
Mine are. It still eliminates a lot of the white. I know some people do paint the whole thing but I was hesitant about the actual outlet center and the switches.

Susanka - They have those outlets at Home Depot for $2 something each! That's where I'm going to buy mine. I don't think they're the same "name" but they look the same.

I have the basic white or stainless (kitchen).

Check out the clear ones on this site I stumbled on...love the clear ones!! Not a cheap option, but would be great idea esp. when on wallpaper and you want the plate to disappear!

Forbesandlomax.com

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.forbesandlomax.com

I don't like the look of the plastic covers, especially on tile, stone or wood. On our backsplash I used resin covers that are meant to look like stone; they blend in better than the plastic ones do:

{{gwi:1546341}}

I switched all of the other switchplates and outlet covers on the 1st and 2nd floors to ones with an ORB finish (except the ones in DS' bathroom are brushed stainless to match his fixtures.) I like this look much better than plastic. I gave all the plastic ones back to the electrician who worked on our reno and told him he could use that plastic stuff in someone else's house but not mine. (OK, I'll be honest, I said 'crap' not 'stuff'.) He laughed at me alittle but admitted he liked the replacements much better. When we repaint the (finished) basement, I'll replace those covers, too.

Since I needed so many I bought them at Target - they're less expensive there. And I had to buy in stages because I would buy all the ones of a particular style that they had in stock at the time. I left all the outlets and switches themselves in the standard/original white.

The only thing I couldn't replace was the iPod docking station. It only came in glaring white and stands out more than I'd like it to. I'll get over it...

{{gwi:1546342}}

I think your basic switch plate without adornment is practical and easy to clean. I don't care for painted or wallpaper switch plates because to me they just collect grime, wear easily and are hard to locate. IMO function trumps form with switch plates.

I think folks should take a good look at their switch plates, and, if they are grimy, get some rubbing alcohol and a rag, and clean them up a bit. Turn off the electrical if you're worried about getting zapped. Every house I ever bought had that disgusting sticky grime from years of use or paint slathered on the edges because someone couldn't take the time to remove the covers to paint the room.

IMHO of course.

Just want to make note, I recommend removing the outlet covers to paint the wall and also for painting the covers, which is what we did so you don't get a funky edge of paint.

Also, if paint is the direction you go, be sure to prime first.

These are phenomenal! Thanks for sharing!

I'm doing either complementary or matching switchplates in rooms. All the living/dining and hallway switchplates (and outlet plates) will match. The bedrooms will be different, but will follow themes. I'm doing Impressionist artists in my bedroom; birds in the guest bedroom, and undecided in the office. I have this really neat pewter castle I bought at a Ren Faire 20+ years ago, and still need to find a good place to put it in my new home! It HAS to go somewhere! (Outlets in bedrooms will be generic... if they are at ground level...) I found a great 3-way toggle for the guest bath -- dragonflies, which are rather emblematic for me, here.

Bethpen -- I LOVE those toggle switches! I may have to find one as one of those would go with that presumably-nearby pewter castle toggle switch I have! Office would be set!!!

Ooops, edit: Hmmmm, I just bought one! Sweet dreams double toggle switch... Yeah... (thanks...)