The Market for Plugs and Switches Has Finally Brightened Up

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I don’t usually think much about light switches, but I’m always impressed when I see a particularly beautiful one. I’m talking brass toggles, a flush outlet set seamlessly into stone, and perfectly color matched switch plates. 

Much like cabinet pulls and plumbing fixtures, electrical hardware may not be the first thing you notice in a room, but it can be one of the details that makes a space feel finished. Last month, I got to play with a few of these more elevated switches and outlets in person at Afternoon Light, a design fair that takes place during NYCxDesign. I later went down an electrical hardware rabbit hole and discovered a world beyond the builder-grade white (or often yellowed) plastic rectangles we see every day.

"Consider how many times a day you interact with a light switch, power outlet or charging point for your device," says Garth Elliott, founder of ZETR, an Australian hardware company that debuted in the U.S. this year. "It’s often one of the first things that you connect with when you arrive home and possibly one of the last touchpoints in the evening. There’s so much attention given to materials in the home you rarely ever touch, and I believe these smaller details are just as important as the larger surfaces and finishes."

Joanna Bean Martin founded Dimwit, an electrical hardware company, after her own renovation project. "Electrical hardware is going through a second wave of modernization, driven by ‘make it smart and disappear,’ which I believe is rooted in the fact designers and architects have had no real alternative and often consider these details a necessary evil disrupting their beautiful work—hence why they’re always Photoshopped out," she says.

Interior designers are trained to think about all the little details but to everyone else, switches and outlets are often afterthoughts. In a carefully designed room, that afterthought can stand out. For instance, a standard white outlet on a stone backsplash breaks the continuity of the veining on the slab. Standard switches aren’t inherently bad, they just often don’t belong to the design language of the room. Elevated or custom electrical hardware can blend in seamlessly or become a deliberate design detail. Here are some ways to accomplish this.

Flush or trimless installation 

This is one of the cleanest ways to elevate electrical hardware. A flush or trimless outlet can be integrated into a wall, backsplash or millwork so it doesn’t physically stick out in the same way a standard plate does. This is especially effective in spaces like kitchens or bathrooms, where a visible outlet can disrupt an otherwise seamless surface like a stone slab. ZETR does this really well. The brand’s outlets and light switches, which start at $300, are barely perceivable until you need them. Elliot said their minimal designs require an even higher attention to detail. "Designing highly minimal products can be difficult [because there’s] limited room for error due to the small working space for the components," he says. "Imbalances are easily noticed if you make errors."

Tactile hardware

Aesthetics and function are key, obviously, but the tactile feel of your electrical hardware is just as important. Dimwit’s dimmer switch stopped me in my tracks when I first felt it. I spent an embarrassingly long time switching the lights at their booth on and off. They just feel good!  

Martin started the company with the intention of creating something different in the electrical hardware space. While working on her home’s renovation, she found a lack of variety in the market. "Previously available were beautiful products, imported from Europe, and commodity products, but nothing in between," says Martin. "You could get a cheap, forgettable switch plate or a luxury metal, but nothing that married material, form, and color." Dimwit’s switches definitely stand out, and they’re priced accordingly. They range from $330 to $485 depending on the number of dimmers.

Buster + Punch also nails the satisfying, tactile feel but in a very different style. The brand’s toggle switches and dimmers start at $139 for a one-gang switch and might make you feel like you’re in an airplane cockpit.

What to watch out for

There are a few things to keep in mind as you explore adding non-standard electrical hardware to your home. The main thing to know is that the cleaner the detail, the earlier it usually needs to be planned for. If you’re doing a renovation project, flush and trimless pieces often need to be planned before walls, stone or tile are finished. They may also require coordination between anyone working on your project, like your builder, electrician, etc.

Consistency, both in a room and across your home, really matters. You don’t want competing metals, plate styles, and control types. Think in systems and choose switches, outlets and dimmers that feel like they’re in the same family. You don’t want chunky knobs in one room, slider dimmers in another, and mismatched outlets throughout.

That said, this isn’t only for full renovation projects. Renters and design-minded homeowners can still upgrade the look of their electrical hardware with simpler changes that don’t require an electrician like paintable faceplates and screwless covers. You can even explore 3D-printed covers on Etsy.

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Related Reading:

Glass-Like Dimmer Knobs I Had to Touch and More Engaging Objects at the Afternoon Light Design Fair

How to Put Together a Freaky Little Dining Tablescape