These days nail polish is better than ever. The color spectrum is wider than any wall paints out there, finishes range from flat matte to enameled gloss, and many are formaldehyde- and toluene-free. (I also have a secret desire to be a nail polish color namer on the side.) All are some of the reasons I chose to borrow from the beauty cabinet to recreate a set of colored switch plate covers I had seen before. Here's the low cost and almost effortless way to turn on the brights:
Materials
- Simple white switch plate covers, like Leviton's Decora Wallplate ($0.65 each) and Device Switch Wallplate ($0.53 each) from Amazon.
- A base polish for priming the switch cover: I used RGB's Base, a Formaldehyde-, Toluene-, and DBP-free polish for $18 at RGB.
- Colored nail polish in a high gloss or matte finish, plus a nail polish base: I used Illamasqua Nail Varnish ($17) and Marc Jacobs High-Shine Nail Lacquer ($18), both from Sephora.
- A 1/2 Inch Paintbrush ($3.14 for a set of three brushes at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff) or 1 Inch Foam Paintbrush ($0.88 each at MSC Direct)—or ,if you're a skilled manicurist, use the nail polish brush.
Above: If you're painting more than a few covers, be prepared with a backup bottle of polish: each cover requires about four to five coats.
Above: As you might do when painting your nails, apply a primer of nail polish base to get an even surface. Then paint the cover in a light coat of color, allowing it to dry fully between each coat.
Finished Project
Above: The pink switch plate cover is finished in a thick, but rather matte, finish of Illamasqua's Monogomous.
Above: The yellow switch plate—set against a full gloss white wall in the bath—is Marc Jacob's Lux, a chartreuse yellow in the glossiest finish I've seen.
Shopping for colorless switch plates? Shop our previous post, 10 Easy Pieces: Switch Plate Covers. Also have a look at The World's Most Beautiful Light Switches, by way of France and Sensor Light Switches with an automatic on and off function.