Legrand and Hubbardton unveil Decorative Wall Plates and Light Switches in 6 Hand Forged Steel Finishes

Last February, I flew out to New York to attend a party unveiling Legrand and Hubbardton Forge‘s  collaboration of decorative wall plates.  Legrand’s adorne line of decorative wall plates has already itself as a finishing touch for every designer and now the new collection of hand forged steel wall plates brings a hand-crafted, artisan’s touch to the line.  Six rich, textured finishes were taken from Hubbardton Forge’s line of hand forged steel lighting and made into wall plates to complement the already existing line of adorne light switches.  These wall plates can be coordinated with Hubbardton Forge’s lighting fixtures in the same coordinating finish or can also be installed independently.

After the event, Legrand and Hubbardton Forge provided me with light switches, wall plates and lighting to incorporate into a project or into my own home.  I decided to do both!

Incorporating the Wall Plates and Light Switches into a Traditional Home

Because I live in a 1938 traditional ranch style home, I decided to go with the Erlenmeyer outdoor sconce in a bronze finish.  What appeals to me about this fixture is that it is modern yet it’s classic lines blend in with the traditional aesthetic of the home and doesn’t look the slightest bit out of place on my covered front porch with paned windows, shutters, and all. In addition, the thick, blown glass speaks to the artisanal movement which is highly regarded in Pasadena.  I without a doubt have the best outdoor lighting on the street!

Once you walk into my front door, you are greeted with a dramatic high gloss entry foyer in aubergine.  So as not to disrupt the drama, I chose an adorne by Legrand wall plate in a dark smoke Hubbardton finish, which also picks up the dark, smoky finish of the sconce that resides on the other side of the front door. The dark finish has a rich but subtle texture and blends in seamlessly with the dark walls.  The actual light switches are offered in either white or magnesium, but I chose magnesium (a matte silver) for everything included on this post, as it has a more sophisticated feel and blends in best with the age- worn appearance of Hubbardton Forge’s hand forged steel finishes. I am not a person who is attracted to new, shiny, and ostentatious.  Things that are bit more subtle and have a warm, hand-crafted, time-worn quality is more of my M.O., and the things I put in my own home reflect that. Again, the Legrand-Hubbardton Forge light switch and wall plate looks like it has been there for years, yet it is still very much current.

Incorporating the Wall Plates and Light Switches into a Contemporary Home

For a recent client project, I chose a triple gang wall plate in Hubbardton Forge’s burnished steel finish.  Again, the hand forged texture (no two are alike) provide the perfect finishing accent to the front door entry.  The last thing I ever want to see in a meticulously designed and decorated space is a plastic wall plate with exposed screws – the easiest way to ruin all the hard work put into a project.  First impressions do count, which is why I almost always make a point of outfitting the switches and wall plates in the entry hall with adorne.

This particular client has a love of art – paintings, ceramics, sculpture, you name it.  Texture plays an important role, which is why adorne’s Hubbardton Forge finishes were the perfect complement to the wallpaper, and the two sculptures in the room- especially the lost wax cast bronze sculpture that resides right below  the light switch.

I only chose two finishes to use on the projects above- burnished steel and dark smoke but there are   four other hand forged steel finishes in the line including: black, bronze, natural iron, and mahogany.

Below are the wall plates and switches as shown when I visited the Hubbardton Forge booth at the AD Show which was held in New York last March. Here you can see some of the other light switch options that Legrand offers such as the touchless “wave” switch, the soft touch dimmer switch, and the USB outlets to charge your electronic devices.  As mentioned earlier, I used the magnesium finish on all the switches, and below all but one utilize the same and you can see the difference – it is much less of a subtle appearance.

The collaboration of Legrand and Hubbardton Forge is every designer’s dream.  It provides the perfect  subtle pop and finishing touch to any room and surprisingly can be incorporated into almost any style home.  The physical weight of the light switch speaks to the quality and craftsmanship (it is solid hand forged steel) and as mentioned earlier, there are no two alike. I am going to have a nice selection of Legrand installed in my new store once it opens so you’ll be able to see it installed and in action.  But for the time being, visit the Legrand website to see the complete line.  Have fun – it’s like being a kid in a candy store!!!

For photos of the product launch, please see my previous post-launch party blog post.

Disclosure: Product and transportation to/from New York to attend the event were received in exchange for writing this post, but all opinions expressed are my own.