Natural Wood Switch Plates
With the environment and sustainability on everyone's minds, we are seeing a return to traditional, natural materials in interior design. Wood switch plates compliment this theme perfectly.
Perhaps one of the more unusual and less common types of plate you can buy are wood switch plates. These are made from a solid piece of real wood - you'll find no flimsy veneers or wood-effect coatings with these types of wall switch plate.
Wood switch plates are the perfect addition to your interior decor if you have a lot of wood or wood-effect furniture. They are also extremely popular in cabins, for example if you use one as a holiday home. Rather than using standard white plastic switches, you can adorn your walls with a fantastic range of wood plates.
They are available to suit every type of wall. The most common design is much like a standard plate, and sits perfectly on a flat wall.
However, many people found that these did not fit their needs, and so more recently, a range of shaped wood switch plates has become available. These are designed to fit on round log walls or log siding walls, and will fit the contours perfectly. This makes them as simple to fit as they are attractive.
Wood switch plates tend to be designed to have a vertically running grain. This is more pleasing to the eye and looks more natural than a horizontal grain. However, if you have special requirements, be sure to talk to your manufacturer. Most switches are custom-made, so they will be more than happy to accommodate your needs.
There is a huge range of woods to choose from, including Alder, Birch, Mahogany, Maple, Teak, and Walnut. If the more common woods don't suit your needs, many manufacturers also supply more exotic woods like Heart Pine, Western Cedar and Zebrawood. So whatever you're looking for, you can be sure you'll find a wood to match your room.
As well as the wide choice of woods, you can also customize your plates with a choice of finishes, including colored stains, varnishes and oils. If you'd prefer a more 'natural' look, why not leave yours unfinished, so they look like they've just come off the tree!
Finally you have a choice of edge shapes. Most manufacturers offer rounded, beaded, chamfered and square edges. This makes them more versatile than other types of wall switch plate.
When it comes to sizes, wood switch plates are available to suit all needs. One thing to bear in mind though is that they are generally slightly larger than your standard plates, so be sure to allow an extra 3/8" in height and width. Generally, wood switch plates are around 1/4" thick but they can be ordered with a larger 'rise' to ensure they fully cover electrical boxes that protrude further than normal.
As a finishing touch, many manufacturers also offer a range of matching wood switches, so that your entire plate unit fits the same style.
As well as standard switch units, you can also buy plates for phone jacks, internet connections and other cable outlets, so you can ensure that your entire room is fitted out in exactly the same way.