Do you want to know what the latest trend is to hit the home interior market? I’ll give you a few hints. This item is used every day by each member of your family, in every room in your home. The majority of your houseguests usually won’t even notice it, unless of course, it’s something out of the ordinary. You can purchase new ones with prices starting at about $.25, but they can cost much more than that. They can be square in shape, oval, round, or can mimic just about anything. They can be shaped like a dog, flower, UFO, or just about anything else. Give up? It’s a switch plate!



Long gone are the days of plain white rectangles and brass American Eagles in your grandmother’s living room, as switch plates are gaining some serious ground in the realm of home decorating. Not only are these creative doo-dads adding a splash of spice and color to a drab room, but also quickly becoming the focal point and/or muse for the room’s décor. In other words, instead of adding the finishing touch to your newly redecorated to renovated room with a fancy, new switch plate, it can actually be your starting point- and you build the rest of the room around it!

After you’ve chosen your switch plate, you can easily match the colors and/or patterns to the wall paint and trim, window treatments and area rugs, creating a room that flows from corner to corner, beginning and ending with your new switch plate. Anyone who has ever attempted to match accent pieces to paint on a wall is fully aware that it’s nearly an impossible task. Your paint color of choice needs to come from one of your accent pieces in the room, whether it be a pillow, wall border, stencil or switch plate. Keep in mind that an entire switch plate can fit nicely into a purse to easily carry from store to store in search of perfectly matching accents!

Finally, the right switch plate can easily double as a central “work of art" or “masterpiece" on your wall. For generations, switch plates were “hidden" on a wall and weren’t supposed to be seen. Plain white walls are now being seen adorned with a single Fleur de Lis design on a switch plate, with matching candle sconces and wrought iron lamps and chandeliers to create a theme within the light aspects of a room. Solid, antique brass switch plates on the burgundy painted walls of a dining room, with eggshell white crown molding and chair rails, with complimenting table centerpiece and light fixtures pull your room together and complete the look. It’s time to finish your beginning touches…with switch plates!