6 minute read

Every home has light switches, yet hardly anyone replaces them. Why? We look at light switches as part of our homes; they feel ingrained in the structure of the building, which almost makes us forget about them. We forget that they can be removed and replaced with something far nicer and better. 

It turns out that upgrading your light switches is one of the most unknown interior design hacks in existence. More importantly, it’s also one of the smartest. Light switch upgrades will bring so much to your home, so let’s explore a few ways to upgrade them, followed by the benefits of doing so. 

Swap Plastic Switches For Metal Ones

Go around any home in, probably the world, and it will have plastic light switches. Plastic is extremely cheap, and builders use it because it’s easy to get their hands on. The problem with plastic is that…well…it’s cheap! Nobody has ever looked at a classic white, plastic light switch and thought “Ooo, that looks nice.” It doesn’t happen – which is why swapping plastic switches for metal ones is the perfect upgrade. 

You’ll find all sorts of metal colors to choose from, as well as some of the best solid brass switches & outlets you’ll ever see. It is truly remarkable how big an upgrade this is, considering how easy you can make the change. It’s normally a case of undoing a couple of screws, removing some wiring, and then redoing the process with your new light switch. Simple, yet the visual upgrade is enough to turn heads and earn some comments from guests. 

Opt For Dimmer Switches

Changing a normal on/off light switch to a dimmer switch is an easy and immediate upgrade. Dimmer switches give you full control of a light, allowing you to adjust the brightness level to your desires. You must ensure you pair these switches with dimmable bulbs, or they won’t work. 

Controlling the brightness is super beneficial when you consider the role of lighting in interior design. Bright lights help you concentrate on tasks and illuminate rooms when they are needed for certain purposes. E.g. You want a bright bathroom when showering to avoid any accidents, and you need a bright kitchen to see what you’re doing when cooking. 

On the other side of the spectrum, dimming your lights helps you create better mood lighting for relaxation. It’s also stupid to sit in a living room with a bright light on in the evening – not to mention a waste of electricity. Dimming the lights means you can have a warmer glow that suits the time of day, while also reducing your energy bills. 

Install Smart Light Switches

Dimmer switches are great, though you can go a step beyond them with smart light switches. These switches replace your old ones yet add more connectivity and features. Find ones that link up with Alexa or Apple HomeKit so you can control the switches from your phone.

You’ll also be able to program different functions on certain smart switches. For instance, Philips Hue sells a smart switch with multiple buttons. You can set it so tapping one button turns a set of lights on, then holding a button turns them off. You can also choose to cycle between different lighting scenes by tapping buttons – or setting up one button to control a ceiling light, then another to control your accent lighting. 

Practicality goes through the roof with smart light switches, turning a mundane fixture into something genuinely powerful. The only downside to this is that you will need to spend a lot of money on the switches themselves, then the smart bulbs, and possibly other tech to make it all work well together. 

Upgrade To Switches With Different Physical Features

Upgrading your light switches is so underrated because all you need to do is swap them for slightly different ones to make a big change. Go from boring light switches with the normal on/off switch to one with a cooler physical feature. Perhaps the switch is now points out more like some of the period paddle light switches of the past – or maybe it uses touch sensitivity?

You’ll find all manner of light switch designs that let you play around with the physical switch feature. It brings something funky and new to your home, which is hard for people not to notice. 

Why Light Switch Upgrades Are So Smart?

You’ve seen the ideas, but why should you go ahead with this concept? Apart from being so simple for you to do, upgrading light switches yields some substantial benefits: 

  • Improve Aesthetics: A new and improved light switch for all the lights in your home will bring a better aesthetic to your interior. They may be small, but people notice them right away because everyone’s always drawn to the light switch for turning on lights. It’s a tiny tweak that’ll turn the tide for any room and make it more visually appealing. 
  • Improve Practicality: Different light switches will also improve a room’s practicality. We spoke about being able to dim or brighten lights with a dimmer/smart switch, and this makes certain rooms more usable than ever before. 
  • Save Energy: As noted earlier, swapping out your light switches for ones that allow more control over your lights will help you save energy. You can cut your electricity bill by using dimmer switches to turn the brightness down. In turn, this can increase the value of your home because it has lower energy demands, which appeals to prospective buyers. 

So, as you can see, upgrading the light switches throughout your property makes perfect sense. We know it’s an unknown interior design hack, but it just might be one of the smartest you can make. Focusing on your lighting, in general, is always beneficial – yet this is something you can normally do on a budget. It’s also a DIY upgrade that doesn’t require outside help, so it can be a nice project if you’re looking for something to do over the weekend.