You touch a light switch more often than any handle in the house. Most homes still have the white plastic rocker the builder put in. Designers have started to treat switches and outlets as part of the hardware, chosen in the same finish as the door levers and cabinet pulls around them.
KLAS is our range of brass switches, dimmers and outlets. Every toggle and dimmer knob is cross-knurled, cut with a fine diamond grip that matches our cross-knurled cabinet hardware. This guide covers how to choose the right pieces, in order.
1. Start with your wall box
The box behind the plate decides which range you need.
- North America (US and Canada): KLAS is built to the North American standard and fits standard US electrical boxes. Switches and dimmers are UL certified for use in the US and Canada. Back boxes are sold separately.
- UK, UAE and Saudi Arabia: our European and UK light switches, with Type G outlets.
- Continental Europe: the same light switches, with Type F and E outlets.
Then count the controls you need in one spot. Each control is a "gang": a plate with two switches side by side is a 2-gang plate.
2. Toggle, dimmer, or both
Toggle switches turn a light on and off. KLAS toggles come in 1-gang, 2-gang, 3-gang and 4-gang.
Rotary dimmers turn a light on and let you set its level with a knurled brass knob. They come in 1-gang to 6-gang plates, from the 1-gang to the 6-gang.
Mixed plates put different controls on one plate:
- The 2-gang mixed plate pairs a switch and dimmer, a dimmer and outlet, or a switch and outlet.
- The 3-gang mixed plate comes in seven combinations of switches, dimmers and outlets.
Mixed plates suit kitchen islands and bedsides, where you want light control and power in one place.
Lights switched from more than one place. A light on a staircase or a long hall is often controlled from two or three points. Standard KLAS rotary dimmers control a light from one place only, so these runs need different pieces:
- Two places: fit the 3-way dimmer at one end and a KLAS toggle, which is a 3-way switch, at the other. Only one dimmer can go on a 3-way circuit.
- Three or more places: add a 4-way switch at each point in between.
Your electrician will confirm the wiring.
Two specialist controls:
- The low-voltage dimmer is for LED fixtures with a 0–10V or 1–10V dimmable driver, common in architectural and recessed linear lighting. It dims smoothly from 5% to 100% with no flicker or hum. It connects to the driver's low-voltage control wires, never to mains power.
- The fan speed switch controls one ceiling paddle fan, in the same knurled knob as the dimmers. It isn't for smart fans, and the wall box needs separate wiring for the fan and its light.
3. Dimming LEDs without flicker
Most flicker comes from a mismatch between the bulb and the dimmer, not from a fault.
- Use TRIAC-dimmable bulbs. KLAS rotary dimmers are TRIAC (leading-edge) dimmers, so choose LEDs sold as TRIAC-dimmable.
- Stay inside the load range. The 1-gang dimmer handles TRIAC-dimmable LEDs from 3 W to 150 W, and halogen or incandescent bulbs from 40 W to 250 W. Ranges differ on other plates, so check the product page.
- Fixtures with their own driver need the low-voltage dimmer if the driver is 0–10V or 1–10V.
4. Outlets that match
The 1-gang KLAS outlet comes in six versions:
- 15A or 20A standard
- 15A or 20A GFCI, for kitchens, bathrooms and anywhere your local code calls for ground-fault protection
- 15A with USB-A and USB-C ports
- 20A with USB-C
There are also 2-gang and 3-gang outlet plates. The outlet insert comes in black, white, or black with silver screws.
Data points can match too. There is a Cat 6 plate and an RJ11 telephone plate, so a desk wall doesn't end with one white plastic plate.
5. Choosing a finish
The plate comes in Satin Brass, Antique Brass, Bronze, Brushed Nickel, Matte Black, White, and a two-tone Satin Gold & Matte Black. You choose the toggle or dimmer knob separately, so a black plate can carry a satin gold toggle.
Three rules of thumb:
- Match the nearest metal. A switch beside a door should match that door's lever, not the tap across the room.
- Keep the sheen consistent in one zone. Two slightly different golds sit together better than a satin finish next to a polished one.
- Decide whether it should show. Brass on a dark wall becomes a feature. To make a switch recede, pick the plate closest to the wall colour: White on white walls, Matte Black on dark ones.
Not sure? Order finish sample discs, one finish at a time or the complete set of six, and hold them against your paint and hardware.
6. A room-by-room starting point
| Room | What usually goes there | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Hall and porch lights at the front door | 2-gang or 3-gang switch |
| Living and dining | A dimmer for each lighting circuit | 2-gang rotary dimmer |
| Kitchen | GFCI outlets at the counter, light and power at the island | GFCI outlet and a 2-gang mixed plate |
| Bedroom | A dimmer at the door, charging by the bed | 1-gang dimmer and a USB outlet |
| Stairs and long halls | One light, switched from both ends | 3-way dimmer and a KLAS toggle |
| Study | Network and power at the desk | Cat 6 plate |
7. Installation
Switches, dimmers and outlets should be installed by a licensed electrician. Back boxes are sold separately. If you are replacing existing plates, count the gangs in each box first and match them like for like.
Our installation guides cover switch plates, dimmers and outlets. The KLAS spec sheets list every model: toggle switches, dimmers, the 0–10V dimmer, the fan speed switch, outlets, and data and phone plates.
For designers and trade
Specifying KLAS across a whole house or development? Apply for a trade account for trade pricing and help building a switch schedule room by room. Questions about a specific circuit? Message us.
