Tag Archive 'light switch plates'

Nov 21 2009

Switch Plates – A Small Fixture That Can Make Or Break The Look Of Any Room

Published by L.A. Remodeler under Lighting

As your eyes travel through your friend’s new living room, you become pretty impressed by what you see, until you come to the switch plates on the wall. As beautiful as everything else is in the room, these fixtures just are not getting the job done. Really, even though they are a small detail, it is usually the small details that make or break a project.

So, to help your friend out, all you need to do is just drop a hint and let her know that with all the switch plates selections out there, she can easily fix the problem and bring the look of her room together. For example, maybe your friend has a traditional looking living room, filled with antique furniture, a paint job to match, and fabulous woodwork. The ones that she currently has on the walls just clash because they are made from plastic and have that ugly cream color to them. Well, those are just not going to work with her motif and ones that will are some that are crafted from copper that have a vintage finish and intricate detailing pounded right into them. Or, another nice option for a room that has an antique feel are ones crafted out of porcelain or ceramic that have lovely hand painted designs all over them.

When it comes down to it, there are a lot of switch plates to choose from and those just mentioned are only a few of the choices. You can get ones made out of wood, like maple or ash, that come in a wide variety of finishes, including plain or cherry. Others that are available include ones made from different types of metal like steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and chrome or silver that can have a brushed, even oil dipped finish. There are some that are even made out of decorative stone and many others crafted from plastic, but instead of just being a cream color, are available in all types of colors and a slew of fabulous looking patterns. You can even get ones crafted out of brass that are hand crafted, featuring eloquent scrollwork and patterns. Really, there are just so many options to choose from and for an easy way to check them all out, just hit the Internet and do some online shopping. You, and especially your friend, do not have to leave the comfort of your home to see what you could get and in no time you can find the perfect one to match the motif of any room in your home.

If you want to bring the look and feel of any room together, you need to make sure that you have everything in place, particularly the little things. You saw how not having them in place ruined the look of your friend’s living room, so do not let the same thing happen to you. Switch plates so happen to be one of these small details, and with all the available options, you can easily find ones that will cap off the look of any room in your, or your friend’s, home.

As an owner of many indoor and outdoor home furnishing and design sites, Jennifer Akre, discusses valuable product information and comments on switch plates and switchplate covers. Learn how to decorate your home or garden with style. Click today – Shop for: light switch plate.

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Sep 14 2009

Light Switch Plates – An Easy Way To Live Green

Published by L.A. Remodeler under Electrical

Light switch plates, it seems, are becoming one of the first lines of defense in being environmentally friendly and conserving power.

In Manatee County, Florida, the school district is hoping light switches will help them save about a million dollars in power bills. Faced with dropping funding from the state, and skyrocketing power bills, the district was looking for a way to cut back their expenses. They found their answer in the light switch plates. The district estimated that a large part of the solution to their high power bill problem was making sure that people took the simple step of turning the light off as they passed them when leaving the classroom.

This may seem like common sense to people who have spent a lot of time working on conserving for their own family budgets, but it’s a new one for the school district. In many of the classrooms they are even putting stickers on the light switch plates to remind everyone that they need to be turned off before they leave.

Meanwhile, on the home front, a little attention to these can offer a way to know where power is escaping. While most of the new homes on the market today have a number of energy-wise items in place, older homes on the market often have been overlooked in this area.

Many people love the idea of having an old home, with a lot of character and history, but they don’t love the idea of high electric bills. Those restoring old homes often find themselves adding more insulation in the attic, hoping that will bring the costs down, but it still seems there is a lot of energy seeping out. Sometimes the culprit is the light switch plates. Most people don’t remember to make sure those are properly insulated. They may have little gaps between the wall and the plate, where air is escaping. While they may seem small, a number of light switch plates that are leaking that cooled or warmed air can add up to a lot more work for your air conditioner or heating system, and a higher power bill.

Finally if you want to wrap both these ideas together, saving power and saving the environment, while you are checking on whether or not yours are leaking, you could change them out with recycled light switch plates. These are not old plastic plates that have been repainted, but instead the ingenious idea of a student in Washington State. He collected old road signs, that were no longer being used, and cut and formed the pieces of them into switch plates. He wanted to create something new out of something old.

Not only is it a good idea, but it can also be a good reminder. If you were to find ones made out of a stop sign, they could be your constant reminder to stop and turn off the lights when it comes time to leave the room.

Jennifer Akre, owner of numerous online specialty shops, shares her insight on how to create more inviting space in your home by using decorative and artistic switchplate covers, sleek and modern switch plates and the often overlooked light switch plate.

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