Most switches, sockets, dimmers, and other wiring devices come with a solid plate, which can be either white plastic or metal, and in metal you can have a wide range from screwless to flat plate, raised plate, and stepped plate, plus the low profile.
The point is that, when you look at the wall, you can clearly see where the switch is, and the socket is clearly visible sitting on the wall - where you expect them to be.
However, there is another range of switches and sockets on our website, which Forbes and Lomax calls "invisible lightswitch" and Hamilton Litestat calls "Clear Plastic Plate" (part of the Perception CFX range - no longer available at Sparks).
These are made of plastic, but they are transparent, allowing you to showcase the wallpaper or wall design through the plate.
Are the Invisible Plates from Forbes and Lomax really Transparent?
The invisible lightswitch range from Forbes and Lomax was inspired by the glass switches in the 1930s and include the advantages of the modern technology.
Each plate is a bevelled transparent acrylic plate, which are secured to the device without any fixing screws.
The plates sit flush to the wall, and there's a wide range of switches, sockets, dimmers, and button dimmers in finishes like brass, nickel silver, stainless steel, white plastic, and antique bronze.
With each device there's a 0.5mm underplate which can be either painted (in the desired finish to match the wall design) or used as a template (where the wallpaper is used).
Forbes and Lomax offer a wide range of dolly switches, rotary dimmers, home automation and dimming control, button dimmers, rocker switches, sockets, combination range, european sockets, and USB charger sockets in the "invisible" plate. Enjoy some of the most popular Forbes & Lomax invisible plate switches and sockets below.
Is the Hamilton Perception CFX Clear Plate Range really Transparent?
The Hamilton Perception CFX range of concealed fixing switches and sockets (no visible screws on the plate) are cleverly designed to insert your own wallpaper (or, alternatively, the supplied template which can be painted as needed) in order to discreetly blend the wiring device into the decor of the room.
These plates are clear - transparent - and are "snap-on", with no visible screws, to accommodate your own choice of wall covering.
How does it work? In the pack you will get a cutting template, which can be painted or overlaid with the wallpaper, and on top of it you can snap the plate. In four simple steps, here's how it works:
- Step 1. Having applied the desired wall covering and cut away from the wall box aperture, insert and fix the accessory using the two screws supplied.
- Step 2. Using a spare piece of wall covering that matches the pattern exactly, carefully cut out the shape of the front plate using the template supplied.
- Step 3. Place the cut out piece of wallpaper into the back of the clear front plate.
- Step 4. Position and snap the front plate onto the accessory back plate using the integral clips to conceal the accessory and fixing screws.
So this is how it is with these invisible plate / clear plate / transparent plate switches and sockets.
What is your experience like when installing these: are they as versatile as they are introduced? Do you have any picture of how these were installed or how they look when fitted?
