Pegging my Style & Testing out New Outlets


[Disclaimer: Legrandย sponsored this post, however allย opinions and photography are our own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.]

When I “refreshed” my bathroom last year, I chattedย a lot about how I’m using my current house as a place to experiment with home decor and design. Even though we’ve only been here for four years, I have learned SO much about my style. And I’ve really done that by bringing an item into my home and figuring out whether I like it or don’t like it.ย Bridget's refreshed bathroom

Figuring it OutBridget's bathroom and hallway update

We are all guilty of seeing things on Pinterest or the blogosphere and thinking that you should try that exact look in your own home. I’ve certainly done it before and most of the time I would end up with serious design regret.

I’ve gotten better over the past few years, but I certainly experience design regret every now and then. I’ve learned to accept it as a learning opportunity and a part of the journey of finding my own style.Bridget's living and dining room

It is my ultimate goal that when we find our next house (presumably our “forever house”), I will have my style pegged. I want to know what I love and don’t love without the influence of the overwhelming (yet amazing!) inspiration around me.

Taking ChancesBridget's dining and kitchen

To do that, I have made a promise to myself that I will use this house as a chance to try different things in order to determine what I love and what I don’t. I see our house almost like a sampler platter. Or for my fellow ice cream lovers, it’s like whenย the ice cream shop gives you those tiny tastes of whatever ice cream you want before finally committing to the flavor that will fill up your cone. That’s me right now. Taking those tiny plastic spoons and dipping them into all kinds of different flavors so that when we find our forever house, I know EXACTLY what flavor I want to order.

So what does ice cream or pegging my design style have to do with outlets? Great question.

Trying New ThingsUpdated touchless faucet

Along with honing my design style, I also want to try new household products so I know what I love and what I don’t. For example, my current touch sensor kitchen faucet. I LOVE it and would have never been exposed to this technology without testing it out. But even though I love it, I don’t know if it’s a must-have in my next house. It’s very convenient and cool but it’s not significantly different from how I used to use a regular faucet (probably since I don’t do much cooking…). And when people come over and try to use the faucet, it becomes a bit inconvenient since others have a hard time working it. But I would have never gotten this information without living with itย over the past year.Removing the old faucet

This is the exact type of experimenting I want to do while we live in this “sample platter” of a home. And here’s where the new outlets come in. When Legrand invited us to test out their products, I was excited to give them a try to see if what sounded like AMAZING technology would be worth the investment to install in an entire house someday.

New OutletsNew LeGrand smart outlets

Legrand offers tons of smart technology for homes, from home automation systems, sensor lights, USB ports, security cameras… they have it all. Checking out their site had me excited to test these waters because I’mย very new to just about any smart home technology but I’m really interested in learning more about it.

LeGrand smart outlet coversI looked at the radiant collection and decided to start small by ordering new outlets with no-screw cover plates, a USB port inside an outlet (!!), and a sleek light switch with another no-screw cover plate. Outside of the smart home components, I was alsoย excited to see how their no-screw cover plates worked. All of our outlets have the traditional screw(s) on the front of them and imagining an entire house with sleek cover plates had me intrigued.

Once I ordered them, I used this tutorial to switch out all of the outlets and the light switch in our office.

Outlets with USB ports

Even the outlet with the USB port was easy to install, which was a VERY pleasant surprise!

LeGrand outlet with USB portsI chose to install all of the outlets in the office. I figured the USB technology would get the most use back there, especially for charging our devices (Matt’s FitBit seems to always be hanging off of my computer stealing a charge at all the wrong times). Matt really loves the USB addition and his mind was officially blown when I showed him our new outlet!output_imAdEQ

No Screw Cover PlatesNo screw cover plates

Outside of the USB feature and the sleek look of these outlets and light switch, I am pretty obsessed with the no-screw switch plates. I couldn’t imagine how these no-screw plates would connect until I actually installed them.

Each plate comes with this black cover that attaches to the wall before the cover plate is attached. Once that is attached, all you have to do is snap on the cover plate. I was concerned how the plate would come off if I ever had to open up the outlet again and I was again pleasantly surprised to find that is was very easy to snap it off. All you have to do is squeeze both sides of the outlet and it snaps right off — genius!

So Far, So GoodLoving these little changes so far

So far we’re loving the new look of cover plates and REALLY love the new technology Legrand has brought into our office. Now I can charge my computer, camera battery AND phone all at the same time without one of those chunky adapters on the outlet. The first bite of this sampler was very delicious but I’ll keep you updated on how much it changes our lives for the better!

Bridget

 


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.