Fix Outlet Eyesores With An Easy To Install (And Affordable!) Solution

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You spent weeks choosing the best paint color for your bedroom's accent wall. You carefully applied paint to the walls, around the window trim, and into every nook and cranny. You finally finish only to step back and notice a bright, clinical-white plastic outlet staring back at you from the center of your accent wall. Ugh! These dime-a-dozen plates completely interrupt the flow of the sophisticated color palette you just worked so hard on. Most builders just install contractor-grade white plates that rarely match the thoughtful decor of a modern home. This garish contrast creates a ton of visual noise that pulls the eye away from elements like a painted wall or furniture, making a high-end renovation feel unfinished or cheap. But there's actually an easy way to fix this problem: use paintable wall plates.

Some homeowners opt to just ignore their builder-grade plates, not wanting to bother swapping out the default white for colored ones. Others want a simpler way to hide an unsightly outlet, such as finding one with a color similar to their wall's paint and finish, but the task is nearly impossible. A dark navy wall paired with a slightly different-looking blue usually ends up looking more distracting than the original white. So, to get that truly high-end, color-drenched look where your walls appear seamless, you'll need a paintable wall plate to help it blend in. The goal, after all, is to make the functional elements of your home disappear into your architecture. By taking care of small details like this, you make it much easier for your home to look professionally designed.

Unlike standard plastic plates, paintable wall plates feature a more textured surface that'll better bond with the types of paint used on interior walls. The standard plastic plates are glossy, which makes them super difficult for paint to hold onto. In fact, if you do paint those, you'll likely see damage like chipping pretty quickly, and then you'll be back to square one. Investing in paintable plates over the standard plastic plates will make your outlets truly disappear (and stay that way) even if you decide to paint them again. For just a few dollars per plate, you can transform a distracting bit of hardware into hidden functionality that blends in with your home's unique paint color.

And fortunately, this whole process is remarkably easy and doesn't require any electrical expertise. Paintable plates are already textured, so you don't need to rough them up with sandpaper or anything. All you need to do is paint them. We recommend doing two coats to make it look nice and even, just like you would for your walls. And feel free to use a small foam roller to match the texture of the surrounding area, if needed. Then just let it air dry. Once it's dried, all you need to do from there is screw the plate back into place for an instant upgrade that looks custom-built. So if you've ever wondered if you can paint electrical outlets, know that paintable wall plates make the task easy and safe. With these clever plates and a few minutes of effort on your part, your beautiful walls stay the star of the show.

There are plenty of paintable outlet plates to choose from. Many of them, though,still leave the center (where appliances plug in) exposed. If you want to cover the entire outlet, a plate like the 1-Gang Textured Plastic Duplex Outlet Wall Plate from Home Depot will achieve that look.