There are more and more options to replace plastic light switches.

When it comes to brutalist features, it's hard to beat the white plastic "rocker" switch. This is the incarnation of a cheap, ubiquitous 21st century switch dreamed by electrical engineer John Henry Holmes in 1884. The switch uses "quick disconnect technology" to instantly turn lights on and off.

Thirty years later, William J. Newton replaced the button with an elegant brass toggle switch, pushing things forward again.

Interior designer Serena Herbert tried to solve the creeping function of light switches when they launched Forbes & Lomax more than 30 years ago. Its first "invisible light switch": a simple, transparent plexiglass panel that can expose the wallpaper or paint below, and only a metal switch is visible. This is an instant blow.

"The type of light switch you choose boils down to budget issues," Mrs. Herbert believed. "A white plastic light switch costs a few pounds, and our starting price is 40 pounds. However, we believe that this effect can be very transformative.

"For relatively small expenditures, changing these details can immediately—albeit almost unconsciously—make a space smarter."

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Light switches are not always practical. Mrs. Herbert pointed out that she remembered that the light switches in her school were made of cast brass and shaped like a monk’s head.

"You will move his nose up and down." The Forbes & Lomax series includes a series of rotary dimmers and momentary switches in the form of toggles, rockers or buttons. "I think the whole idea of ​​conversion is not to notice them," she added.

Interior designer Irene Gunter has a more direct view of the white plastic light switch problem. 'We never use them, except in functional spaces such as garages. I don't even use them in the utility room.

She turned to Forbes & Lomax or Focus SB for a more elegant solution.

Forbes and Lomax's "invisible switch"

"Antique brass and bronze finishes are still popular, but it depends on the scheme: the bronze socket looks like a black spot on a cream wall," Mrs. Gunter explained. 'The ideal situation is to make them so subtle that you hardly notice them. If the budget allows, we will try our best to use powder-coated switches and sockets that are the same color as the walls.

Ms. Gunter said that customers usually don't know what effect the correct switch and socket will have until it is pointed out. She also added that our conversion method is different from Europe. "In Belgium, they take it very seriously. There are a range of brands that we don't have in the UK."

The arrival of Corston Architectural Detail in Wiltshire heralds this transformation. Founder Giles Redman (Giles Redman) explained that the online company was born out of a need for a series of coherent accessories.

He saw another reason why white plastic light switches fell out of favor: customers needed more sustainable materials. "All our switches and sockets are made of solid brass, which is a recyclable natural material."

He added: "We also firmly believe that the tactile part of your home that you touch every day is very important, so it should be a pleasure to use."

A generation or two ago, kitchens were often redecorated in bright colors-even in colorful kitchen designs there was something