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phiwwy

kitchen switch/outlet color question

phiwwy
11 years ago

Hi - all the outlets/switches throughout our home are almond, which blend in nicely with everything EXCEPT the kitchen color scheme. White truly will look best on the backsplash, almond, just terrible. Is it going to be OK to do white switches in those areas, and then continue with almond on the plain walls like the rest of the house?

same question sort of applies to the bathrooms. both baths we are redoing have white tile, so almond again would not look great, white will look best. OK inside those rooms to use white throughout then transition to the almond outside the baths?

Comments (15)

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    Can't help it. I'm shaking my head here.

    Ok.

    If you want your switch and outlet covers to blend in and the rest of the room be the interest, then use what looks best and does not stand out. You've indicated this would be changing to white.

    If you want your covers to be a focal point, make them stand out. This would be the almond.

    Do you know there are other colors available than white and almond? I hate to throw a monkey wrench into the engine.

    Anyway, there is no rule anyone, ever, in the history of electricity, had the nerve to even intimate, that states the switch and outlet covers in an entire house have to match. Nor the metals, the wood types, ceiling colors, (stop me) moldings, even, believe it or not, furniture/decor styles.

    If you're really feeling frisky, pick up Mulberry's "wrinkled" outlets that are paintable. Imagine if they actually matched your wall colors! All hell would break loose in the decorating world! And your home would continue to look cohesive and lovely, just like it sounds.

  • p.ball2
    11 years ago

    I have nice brass (at least I think they are nice) outlet and switch cover plates in my more formal rooms (living, dining, entry and den) and then white cover plates in the rest of the house. I often see people buy the paintable cover plates to put on their islands or other rooms so that they can color match and have them blend in. I am guessing I may try to do hidden plugs in the kitchen backsplash area and then for the island I will match to my island color.

    If I were you I would choose what blends in as CEFreeman said above. I think almond on white looks like a mismatch for sure. No one will look to see what if they match the other cover plates in the house.

  • Cloud Swift
    11 years ago

    I agree - do what works best for the room. We did Lutron matte black outlets and switches in our backsplash and island cabinets with stone or wood wall plates to match the backsplash or cabinets. We have ivory on the wall to blend with the wall color.

  • ginny20
    11 years ago

    Despite being told it would look dated, I used stainless switch plates with gray lutron switches in the kitchen. I don't have anything like that anywhere else. As others have pointed out, there are lots more colors than you realize until you actually look it up on line or at an electrical supply place. If white works best, by all means, use white!

  • sqp1015
    11 years ago

    This brings to mind a question I often have when reading posts about outlets/switches: do you mean the actual outlet receptacles &/or switches, or are you talking about the (usually rectangular) plates that are screwed on to cover the electrical guts and meet the surrounding wall? In any event, I would think that choosing what looks best in a particular room would be preferable to maintaining a single color throughout a home, but there have been time when people have posted about all sorts of eclectic "outlets & switches", and I've thought (admittedly w/out following up on links) that they probably mean the cover plates.

  • annac54
    11 years ago

    We actually had the exact opposite problem. All our covers/switches are white. We put almond outlets/covers into our backsplash because that's what blended best with the marble tile.

    As others have said, put in whatever color/material you think gives you the effect you are looking for in your kitchen.

  • phiwwy
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    funny you mention the receptacles vs the cover plates. i have looked at the decorative cover plates but steered away, because i didn't want the receptacles to stand out. So, in this application I was taking about getting the receptacles and cover plates in the same color, white or almond. We use RF devices in our home so the decorative/paintable are not an option. The colors are limited but the almond color looks really nice throughout the home, and white shall look great in the kitchen and baths. thanks.

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    See! You knew all the time. :)

    Don't forget pictures.
    And I won't be looking at your covers!

  • EATREALFOOD
    11 years ago

    CE FREEMAN-ROFLMAO :)

    I was going to get a fun color for the kitchen(Lutron-"plum") until I priced them!! $14 for a switch plate? I found nice inexpensive screwless white(comes in almond,black & gray)plates & rocker switches(leviton). So all my outlets are white but I have different style switches, "rocker" in the kitchen and standard elsewhere--so RADICAL.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    I primed all of our outlet covers, painted them with the same wall paint used in the room, and then sprayed them with a clear gloss finish to resist finger prints. Looks great, sophisticated, simple, custom.

  • Shades_of_idaho
    11 years ago

    CE FREEMAN-ROFLMAO :) Me TOO!!

    And mine are gasp Purple in the kitchen. The electrical part is still kind of off white. Shrug. Krylon to the rescue some day if I ever feel like undoing all of them just to paint.

    OH OH Just remembered the bathroom cover that still needs grout. Sigh.Pick a color . Any color will do.

  • CEFreeman
    11 years ago

    I have purchased all the Mulberry ones, because I want to paint them. I also plan a coat of sealer!

    In the 60s, my mom had the kitchen wall papered. The wall paper man wrapped every single outlet and switch cover with wall paper, matching the pattern. Never seen anything like it then and since.

    I like that mosaic! What a SHOUT!

  • Shades_of_idaho
    11 years ago

    I did the paper switch plates in a bathroom once. Was actually kind of fun and not as hard to do as I thought it would be.

    The mosaic plate had to be done to keep in line with the rest of the wall pattern. Now it is hard to find it. LOL

  • desertsteph
    11 years ago

    CE FREEMAN-ROFLMAO :) Me 3!

    I have the fat flipper switches. off white walls. some switches/plates are white and I plan to spray paint them and spray a coat or 2 of satin clear over that.

    If the 'flipper' part doesn't match, I'll work on that later. too much else to do now. I'll probably make a template to cover around them and give 'em a quick spray of paint. with the main switch on OFF!

    for now they really aren't that noticeable.

    if you notice anyone zooming their eyeballs in on your switches/plates, show'em the door!

  • EATREALFOOD
    11 years ago

    desertsteph-"if you notice anyone zooming their eyeballs in on your switches/plates, show'em the door!"
    you are correct.
    My friends are usually too busy eating and drinking and yapping to notice anything like the switch color.
    Shades glad to see you & desert here, love the mosaic. I didn't even notice the switch until I went back to look again !!! that shows you the power of the colors/mosaic !!!