You’ve installed the new gear, but the wrong smart switch faceplate can ruin the whole look. Let’s fix that.

You’ve spent hours researching, finally picked the perfect smart switches, and even managed to wire everything up without blowing a fuse. You stand back to admire your work, ready to bask in the glow of your newly automated home, and then you see it. The faceplate. It’s the last 5% of the project, and suddenly, it’s a total roadblock. If you’ve ever been stuck trying to find the right smart switch faceplate, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s a surprisingly common frustration that can make a sleek, modern upgrade feel clunky and unfinished.

It often starts when you consolidate. Maybe you replaced two old switches—one for the light, one for a fan—with a single, two-button smart switch like one from Aqara or Lutron. The new switch fits neatly into one slot, but now you have an empty, gaping hole next to it. No problem, you think. I’ll just grab a faceplate with one switch opening and one blank.

Easy, right? Not so fast.

The Great Smart Switch Faceplate Mismatch

The core of the problem is a clash of eras. Most modern smart switches use the rectangular “Decora” or “rocker” style. They’re clean, minimalist, and often come with a screwless cover that snaps on for an ultra-clean look.

But when you search for a combo plate with one Decora opening and one blank, the options you find often look like they’re from a different decade. They’re typically the old-fashioned style with visible screws, a slightly different color white, and a beveled edge that just doesn’t line up with the sharp, modern aesthetic of your new tech. It’s a small detail, but it’s the kind of thing you’ll notice every single time you walk into the room.

Why Your Old Faceplate Probably Won’t Work

So, why can’t you just reuse what you had? Or find a simple solution at the local hardware store?

• Style Conflict: Most homes still have a mix of old toggle switches and newer Decora-style ones. The combo plates available off-the-shelf often cater to older, more common configurations, not the niche needs of smart home upgraders.
• The Screwless Standard: The screwless faceplate has become the hallmark of a modern installation. It’s a subtle but significant aesthetic upgrade. Unfortunately, finding a screwless two-gang plate with a blank insert is surprisingly difficult. The mechanisms that hold the plate to the wall are part of a system, and mixing and matching brands rarely works.
• Brand Ecosystems: Brands like Lutron have perfected their own systems, with specific backplates and snap-on covers. While fantastic, they’re designed to work with their own switches, not necessarily a blank space.

So what do you do? You don’t have to settle for those ugly dummy screw holes or, worse, leave an inoperable switch in the wall just to fill the gap.

Solutions for a Clean and Professional Finish

After hitting this wall myself a few times, I’ve found a couple of ways to solve the smart switch faceplate puzzle and get that polished look.

Option 1: The “Dummy” Switch Method

This is my favorite workaround because it almost always guarantees a perfect match.

1. Buy a cheap Decora switch or outlet. You don’t need it to be functional. You just need the plastic part that fills the rectangular hole. A basic, inexpensive rocker switch from a brand like Leviton is perfect.
2. Install it in the empty slot. You don’t need to wire it to anything. Just screw it into the gang box so it sits flush.
3. Use a standard screwless faceplate. Now that you have two Decora-style devices in the box (your smart switch and your dummy switch), you can use a standard 2-gang screwless Decora faceplate. It will snap on perfectly, and the look will be completely uniform.

The result is a clean, intentional finish. No one will know one of the switches does absolutely nothing.

Option 2: Hunt for the Perfect Combo Plate

They are out there, but they can be hard to find. If the dummy switch method feels like a cheat, you can try to hunt down a true “1-Gang Decora / 1-Gang Blank” screwless wall plate.

You may have more luck looking at specialty electrical supply websites or even exploring options on sites like Etsy, where makers sometimes create custom 3D-printed solutions for these exact smart home problems. It might take some digging, but finding that one perfect plate can be incredibly satisfying.

Ultimately, don’t let a small piece of plastic derail your smart home victory. The finishing touches are what separate a DIY project from a professional-looking installation. A little extra thought on the smart switch faceplate ensures your cool new tech looks as good as it works.