Switch Plates and Vents

It may not be close to my hardware obsession, but I do spend time thinking about things like floor vents, switch plates and outlet covers. Or maybe I should say I spend time thinking about how these things bother me because they are mostly so unattractive.


In my powder room.

Switch plates: I try to gang plate switches whenever possible. Not only does it look better, it keeps you from running around the room trying to remember which switch turns on which light source. Generally, I go with plain white unless the room is wallpapered, then I have the plates covered and love how they disappear.

Gang plate that controls all the family room lights. I prefer the screws to all be vertical.
Men don't seem to notice such details. Guess I'll be the one to fix it!



The  switch plates of my dreams! Clear with a toggle switch, made by a British company.
The perfect solution for both painted and papered surfaces as well as panelled walls.

I am usually not a fan of decorative or painted switch plates. Here's why: painted plates always scratch and end up looking dirty and covered in fingerprints. Try scrubbing them and the paint will come off over time. Decorative plates just become a big distraction on the wall. Something that is necessary and utilitarian becomes a feature instead of blending into the background. Especially avoid decorative plates if the walls have paneled molding or wainscoting. Nothing worse than having a beautiful architectural element ruined with a  blemish that your eye will automatically rest on!  And, decorative plates (specifically outlets) are really not a good idea for kids rooms. Putting something colorful, that may also look like a toy, on the wall provides an invitation for a toddler to play with the object or at least investigate it. Scary, considering it has the potential to harm. Same with kitchy night lights, better just to avoid them, especially in kids rooms.

I have two friends that have faux finished switch plates in their kitchens. One space does present "the look" better since the walls are rich tan and the room has a nod towards Tuscan design. However, in my other friends kitchen, they just look dirty on her light colored walls. Don't worry, I am smart enough to keep such observations to myself! But, if either were to ask my opinion, I'd be honest and suggest plain ol' white.

Outlet covers: No question they are ugly. All I can say is that if you have the opportunity during construction to select  locations that are as convenient and unobtrusive as possible, do it! And, consider yourself very, very lucky to have had a say! I prefer to have them low. I would love to have them all close to the floor, because it cuts down on dangling cords. Electricians hate doing this because it's a pain and depending on where you live, not to code. I recently learned the codes in my state for new construction are changing for switch plate heights to conform to handicap standards. And, that the outlet which is controlled by the wall switch will now be installed upside down. In other words, it won't smile!

Floor Vents & Wall Vents: If your lucky enough to live in an old or historic house, chances are your vents are beautiful.  I just love the artistry and design that once went into creating them and will be forever sad that home builders don't see the value in incorporating such details into newer construction. I for one would pay extra for a beautiful option. A lot extra! I've collected a few vents from salvage yards and one in particular may one day be the template to have my wall vents re-designed.


Your basic white vent wallpapered.



My favorite pattern from the vintage vents I have collected. I would love to have this copied for all my wall vents. Growing up, my grandmother had a big old house in upstate NY. During summer visits, I would sneak out of bed
and lay on the cool wood floor of the guest bedroom peering through an open vent much like this...
 listening to the conversations in the kitchen below and spying on the grown-ups! 

 One of things that was at the top of my list when we refinished the hardwood floors was incorporating flush mount vents.  Most floor vents in the US are drop in and have a raised edge whether they are metal or wood. In Europe you see generally see flush mount applications.

A room from an estate on the Dutch border. The original farmhouse was circa 1876. Veranda-March 2011
This is a very large floor vent.  If it were a raised vent, the sofa and floor lamp would need to come forward
and the curtains would not hang evenly. The flush mount vent solves all these issues. 

In my house, most of the floor vents are between windows or just under windows. It's absolutely maddening as it restricts furniture placement greatly.  I was determined to finally cross this item off the list of house "parts" that irk me! I had a total of 6 vents cut to fit flush on the first floor. They were costly, but not a budget buster, since it was only one floor. I received a few emails inquiring about them from this post, so hopefully this will answer your questions about the process.

Here's how it works:


Before: vent sits on top of the floor with a raised edge.



Next: floors are stipped of old stain and wood is cut to receive the frame and new vent.



After: The frame and vent are stained to match and are now flush with the floor. What a difference!



The Process Of Refinishing Hardwood Floors: Before and After

When we purchased our home in the fall of 1993 we had hardwood floors installed in the foyer, dining room and library. The stain was called Gunstock and it resembled cherry. In 2001 we removed tile and linoleum in the kitchen and laundry room and had the same flooring installed. We moved away for 4 years and when we returned in 2005 had the family room and living room completed. As soon as the floors were laid...I hated them. Except for the micro bevel, which felt so much better under foot. This version of Gunstock pre-finished wood flooring didn't seem all that similar. They were lighter and in the afternoon sun,  looked orange. The floor vents that were stained the same color practically glowed in some rooms! I was told they would darken over time like my other floors, but 6 years later that hasn't happened.  We finally got sick of waiting for ugly to fix itself! Even if we had been tolerate the color, the kitchen and laundry/mud room needed to be refinished. 

Before



After
Now the two different profiles aren't nearly as visible and the transition board bothers me far less. It was impossible
 to blend these two spaces without laying new floors in one whole room. Given the savings, we can live with it!
It was dark and raining when I took this picture it and doesn't quite reflect the actual color.

So after nearly 6 years of looking at orange floors, damaged wood in the kitchen (where renters had let the dishwasher leak for days before calling the property manager) fading from the sun and 2 different profiles (standard bevel and micro bevel) I was so excited to finally get this project done!

Before
 When the light comes in through the french doors, the floors look so awful.
The broken vent is such an awesome designer touch, don't you think?
 Without a doubt the most hideous and shameful part of our house! 



Before close up of damage hidden under the mat.



After close up!



After!
 This was a truly remarkable transformation in this area. About 8 boards were replaced. In addition, the threshold for the french doors (installed last spring) was finally stained and the black plastic protector removed at last.
 The doors are by Pella with UV protection and have an Energy Star rating. 

The preparations:  Move everything! Furniture, artwork, accessories and rugs. As well as the washer, dryer and mud sink. I left the books in the bookcases and the horse prints hanging in the dining room. The crew covered them in plastic. We did all the moving ourselves (getting help only with the dining room buffet which is mahogany and a large capacity front loading washing machine) and though it was a lot of work, we saved approximately $800! Stuff went into the garage, upstairs in my office, the master bedroom and the rest went in the basement. For those of you who have a ton of accessorises...now is the time to seriously edit yourself. Otherwise, schedule a therapy session and have plenty of your favorite elixir handy! Plan on at least two days for this part.

Day One:  Floors are sanded on the entire main level of the house.  Removal of carpet and pad in upstairs hallway and wood cut and installed for a new floor there. Carpet and pad removed from existing stairs and new wood steps and risers installed. Each one had to be cut because I have an enclosed staircase and surprise....the walls weren't straight. The crew vacuumed the floors. At this point, I have brief moment where I want to keep the floors just like this and wish I had a beach house or cottage to try it out!!!


The range of colors in red oak is so apparent when in their natural state. The stain I chose is dark, but still shows all the colors from red to ebony and as well as the many beautiful brown tones. It also highlighted all the grain variations that were barely visible before. Some of the boards remind me of a tiger's stripes and I just love that detail!

Day 2:  Sand everything again. Getting down to the bare wood in the kitchen was difficult. My guess is the result of a combination of the water damage and the build-up from various cleaning products used over the years. Vacuum again. Replace damaged floor boards in kitchen. This should have been completed on day one, but they brought the wrong profile to blend properly.


A small sander is used for the perimeter. Goodbye orange!

 Day 3: Apply the stain in the morning. I thought I was going to have to go with a custom blend (which costs more as do darker stain colors), but the red oak has so many natural color variations, it wasn't necessary. The stain is called Spice Brown. Think coffee, chocolate and just a hint of cinnamon! Let dry for hours and come back later to apply the sealant.


After the stain, sealant and first top coat of satin finish. When it's wet it looks like high gloss.


Day 4: Apply the thresholds upstairs and shoe molding downstairs. Vacuum, buff and apply first coat of satin finish. Discover later that night, the crew took a little shortcut in the laundry/mud room and "forgot" to mention it to me or the owner of the company!

The difference in floor color is really apparent here. Guess they thought since it was under the bench we wouldn't
notice???  I love a striped wood floor, but two-toned? Uh....no thanks!



All Fixed!? Hardly, now it looks like water damage!!! The solution: start over and sand the whole room.
This is one of those times when contractors are so perplexing. Why would they do great work everywhere else, then take a shortcut at the end and cause delays and more work for everyone.  Not to mention get everyone really irritated.

After, That's more like it!

Day 5: Remove one threshold and 3 sections of shoe molding I don't like. Stain and re-install. Sand and apply second coat of finish in the morning. Apply third coat later in the day. Discuss laundry/mud room issues and after hearing excuses, such as they don't have a machine that fits under the bench, I suggest they do it by hand or find a tool that will fit. They look at me like I'm nuts, but say they will fix it. Find out later, they made it worse as shown above.

My husband and daughter(who was on spring break) return home from a little vacation. Right away he notices the problem in the mud room. I place a call to the owner and explain that it has not been remotely fixed. We schedule a meeting with the owner to come and look at the room Saturday morning. Naturally he doesn't like to hear there are problems. Problems equal delays. Delay of work equals delay of payment.

I am so happy that my husband and daughter are home, but the dog's vacation has to be extended due to the screw up. I have been living in the basement and note that my efforts to make it a really comfortable and functional space have paid off.  But, after being in "lockdown" for days I decide a small refridgerator and microwave would be good additions. I am seriously sick of Chipotle's Carnitas Salad. It seems there really can be too much of a good thing.

Here we go!  The week before, the new wood is delivered for the upstairs hallway.

Day 6: We meet with the owner of the flooring company in the morning. He agrees the work under the mud room bench is unacceptable and says they will need to re-do the entire room. UGH!  I am not surprised and feel good about a referral arrangement for the future. Remember in my previous post I said when final payments are pending and there is a problem, resources and a resolution will happen sooner rather than later? In this case they had to purchase two new types of sanders, including one used for radiators. The crew worked all day Saturday! 


New floor in the upstairs hallway. Smooth as silk, but I am going to add a gorgeous runner
that my husband brought home from his travels.

Day 7:  Apply second coat to laundry room. Come back later sand, vaccum, buff and apply final coat.

Day 8: The crew returned today to put the washer and dryer back in the room. Officially done!!!!!!!!!! The floors are 100% better and I am so happy with the outcome. Time to make that final payment and get busy tackling all that laundry...sigh.


Before



After
I wish my camera could truly capture the depth and richness the floors now have after this process. 

 What I Learned: I was reminded that you can still work with a seemingly good contractor and experience  bumps along the way. For those of you like me that have endured renovations before, know that only in rare situations do things go off without a hitch. This flooring company has been in business for more than 20 years and also does retail spaces. Even so, they learned there are still situations yet to be tested and short-cuts are never the solution! We all learned something on this job and I consider that a bonus.

Regarding the dust.... I knew there would be a mess, but it was still worse than I anticipated. Even with the dust containment system, which looked like a hot water tank on wheels, it took hours to wipe down the walls, doors and moldings. I also knew there would be paint touch ups, but far more stain got on the door jambs and staircase wall than I had imagined. Significant painting was not something I had figured into my budget.

What I Would Do Differently: I would have made the installation of the new steps (a post for another time) and hallway a separate project to be completed at another time. It would have made things far easier logistically and I wouldn't have been as confined to the basement. For those of you without a finished basement, you are probably going to want/need to find acccomodations for at least part of this process.

I had plenty of reading material, and certainly watched way too much television. Chatting on the phone with friends also helped pass the time.  However, I stupidly told my husband he could take the laptop. Imagine being unplugged for days and you're not on vacation or busy...super annoying. On the morning of day two I was greeted with a dead car battery and was freaking out that I couldn't escape to Starbucks!  I quickly regretted that I didn't think to put my coffee maker downstairs. I had to wait till the middle of the day to retrieve it!  Between no java and the smell of the varnish, I had one big ass headache. Even with low voc products, there is a smell. And on the days it rained...worse! Fortunately, I always have Advil and Imitrex in my purse.  Bottled water, Laughing Cow cheese and crackers were the other mainstays of my meals.  Sad, I know, but a small price to pay for gorgeous floors!

Combining Classic and Modern

This photo is from the October 2006 issue of Traditional Home. Sadly, I was so enthralled with the image that I ripped it out without so much as a tiny notation.  I go back to it often.  I think it is a beautiful example of what can happen when we combine modern & classic pieces together for everyday living.  The three classic elements: the secretary, the floors and the wall color are balanced by the three modern elements: the artwork, pendant light with it's oversized shade, and the sculptural chair.

I would  have never thought to put this chair(wish I knew more about it...so sexy!) in this space.  I may have considered a Louis Ghost chair, but that's likely as far as I would have dared.  I think I would have prefered to see maybe orange tulips on the desk instead of the roses and far less collectables behind the fretwork of the secretary.  But maybe these elements are part of what makes it all work.  Love it or hate it?