Forbes & Lomax began in London in 1987, when the elegant glass, nickel and brass switches of the 1930s were no longer being made and the modern alternatives simply would not do. The answer was the Invisible Lightswitch: a clear acrylic plate designed to let paint or wallpaper continue uninterrupted behind a tactile metal toggle.
Today, the collection extends to switches, dimmers and outlets in metal, acrylic and painted finishes. Designed and made in Britain to North American electrical standards, each piece balances precise engineering with traditional materials and a distinctly tactile quality.
The result is electrical hardware that feels considered rather than incidental, small architectural details designed to be seen, touched and enjoyed every day.
Outlets
Duplex, GFCI and USB
Five insert colours, chosen separately from the plate finish. Phone, data and cable TV available to order. Rated for 20 amp circuits taking standard 15 amp plugs.
Rotary Dimmers
Push to switch, rotate to dim
Five modules accommodate LED, incandescent, magnetic low voltage, 0–10 V and non-dimming applications. Select the module by load type rather than wattage. Combination plates allow dimmers and toggles to share a single plate.
Toggle Switches
3-way and 4-way
A 3-way switch works as either single pole or 3-way, suitable for a variety of installations. Low voltage dry contact toggles are available for home automation systems, quoted by Forbes & Lomax.
Combination
Dimmers and toggles on one plate
Six fixed layouts. Dimmers and toggles can be repositioned on the plate during installation, and larger plates are made to order.
Each device on the plate is its own circuit, so a 4 gang plate needs four circuits behind it.
Shop Combination PlatesThree Plates, One Mechanism
The switch, dimmer and outlet are identical across the range. Only the plate changes.
Which one you choose is a decision about the wall, not the hardware.
Solid Metal
Metal
A solid plate finished by hand, with the toggle, knob or outlet in the same finish. The plate is the detail.
Clear Acrylic
Invisible
A 3 mm acrylic top plate with no visible fixing screws, over a 1 mm primed inner plate you paper or paint to match the wall.
Etch-Primed
Painted
An etch-primed plate painted before it is fitted, so it matches the wall exactly. Two to three coats with a small roller, dry, then install.
Specifying
Plate material, fittings finish, gang sizes and what each one suits.
See Comparison ▾Cut sheets, electrician instructions, junction box diagrams and finish references.
Browse Documents ▾| Metal | Invisible | Painted | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plate material | Solid metal, finished by hand | 3 mm clear acrylic top plate over a 1 mm primed aluminium inner plate, no visible fixing screws | Etch-primed metal, painted on site before fitting |
| Fittings finish | Plate and fittings share the same finish. Seven finishes | Fittings in your chosen finish. Four finishes | Fittings in your chosen finish. Six on switches and dimmers; outlet fittings painted to match |
| How it meets the wall | The plate is the detail | Paper or paint the inner plate and the wall finish appears to run unbroken behind the switch | The plate is painted to match the wall and reads as part of it |
| Gang sizes | 1 to 4 online, 5 to 8 made to order | 1 to 4 online, 5 to 8 made to order | 1 to 4 online, 5 to 8 made to order |
| Switches and dimmers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outlets | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Combination plates | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Rooms where the plate is meant to be seen | Wallpaper, lime wash, plaster and paint you do not want interrupted. Over stone or tile the inner plate can be faux painted | Walls where the switch should disappear into the colour entirely |
Rotary Dimmer Cut Sheet
Toggle Switch Cut Sheet
Outlet Cut Sheet
Painted Switch Range Cut Sheet
Painted Outlet Range Cut Sheet
120 W LED / 300 W Incandescent — Wiring Instructions
120 W LED — Optimization Instructions
120 W LED — Compatibility & Troubleshooting
500 W Incandescent / Halogen — Installation
600 VA Magnetic Low Voltage — Installation
0-10 V — Installation Instructions
Junction Box Assembly Diagram (Rotary Dimmer)
Toggle Switch Installation Instructions
Junction Box Assembly Diagram (Toggle Switch)
General Instructions for Electricians (Outlets)
Junction Box Assembly Diagram (Outlet)
Outlet Insert Colours
Integrating Switches with Home Automation Systems
Momentary Push Button Instructions
Momentary 2-Position Toggle Switch
Momentary 3-Position Toggle Switch
Latching 3-Position Toggle Switch
Junction Box Assembly Diagram (Push Button)
720 W Rotary Style Push On/Off Switch
General Instructions for Electricians (Switches & Dimmers)
Circuitry Visual Aid
Plate Dimensions
Finish Swatches
Custom Engraving
Plate Cleaning Guidelines
Forbes & Lomax Brochure
Sustainability Statement
Specifying a multi-gang plate, a custom engraving, or a combination of switches, dimmers and outlets on one plate? Send us your drawings and we will quote it.
