A custom finish: our paintable and clear products
Using paint or wallpaper, you can bring a tailored look to your switches, sockets and lighting.
A custom finish: our paintable and clear products
Whether you prefer a subtle, integrated look or want to make a bold design statement, our paintable and clear ranges offer unparalleled flexibility.
Here’s how we’d suggest going about customising our Kew switches and sockets and some of our lighting designs.
In short
Our Brompton, Durham and Pembroke spotlights, our Buxton downlights and Camden wall lights are primed and ready to paint in your chosen colour. The same goes for our Kew paintable switches and sockets.
The primer itself has been developed by us. It’s etch primer, which means paint will adhere to it really well, and it’s easy to get an even coverage.
Then there are our Kew clear switches and sockets. The ultra-slim plates are made from transparent polycarbonate and come with a paper template that you can either paint over or use as a guide to cut out wallpaper.
In detail, starting with switches & sockets
We’ve written all about our clear collection here (there’s a helpful installation video included too). It covers how to use wallpaper or paint to achieve a discreet, near-invisible look on your walls.
There is, however, another way to approach the range. One that makes a feature out of the transparent plate instead.If you’ve used (or you’re planning to use) wallpaper on your walls, you can pick out an accent colour in the wallpaper’s design. Then, simply select a matching paint and use it to cover the paper template that’ll sit behind the clear plate.
This will work just as effectively with our primed, paintable plates too – although there’s no paper template needed in this instance; just grab a roller and apply the paint straight onto the front of the plate.
Instead of a high-sheen, almost glass-like appearance (characteristic of our clear style), the painted finish on your switches and sockets will be more or less completely matt, depending on the type of paint you’ve used.
As with our clear plates, you can, of course, also pair our paintable plates with painted walls. For the subtlest, most seamless look possible, use the exact same paint on both surfaces.
Otherwise, why not ring the changes and choose one standout colour for both your woodwork (think skirting, architraves, even the door itself) and switch and socket plates?
And now, for lighting
If you want your home’s electrics to be as inconspicuous as possible, you can customise more than just our Kew switches and sockets.
Our paintable range of spotlights is finished in the same primer as our Kew front plates, so you can paint them the same colour as your ceiling before installation.
Likewise, our Buxton downlights feature a paintable bulb housing and, in the case of the style that you don’t need to plaster into the ceiling, a paintable bezel.
As for our Camden range, the light casing is made from easy-to-paint plaster that’ll blend seamlessly with your walls once coated the same colour.
Alternatively, if you’ve opted to paint your switches and sockets in a contrasting shade (whether or not that extends to your woodwork too), you could take it one step further by bringing your lights into the mix.
The same goes for the wallpaper approach. Pick out an accent colour from the design and take this onto your paintable lights and paintable or clear switches and sockets to create a harmonising look that’s unique to your home.
Published on 13th May 2024
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