1 Gang Telephone Socket - Charcoal

Charcoal gives this plate a depth that plain grey never manages, and the screwless front sits flat and unbroken with no screw heads on show. It is a single telephone point on the familiar 88mm square plate, so it lines up with the other accessories in a room without pulling the eye towards it. The moulded polycarbonate face is smooth and holds its colour, and the socket is set neatly into the plate so a cord hangs square rather than kinking across the face. It works on a low voltage circuit and belongs in indoor rooms.

We use these wherever a landline or a broadband line needs to arrive tidily: a hall table, the corner of a home office, a bedside where the handset lives, or behind a desk where a cable would otherwise trail along the skirting board. Charcoal is the choice when white would sit too bright against deeper paint or a darker panelled wall, and it is one we reach for in studies and snugs for exactly that reason. It suits anyone building up a set of matching dark accessories rather than accepting the default white.

The plate is moulded through in polycarbonate, so the colour goes right through the material instead of sitting on top as a coating that can wear back to a pale core. Cleaning is a wipe with a dry or barely damp cloth; keep sprays, solvents and kitchen degreasers off the face, as they will dull the surface over time. It carries a ten year warranty. Grouped with other dark accessories along the same wall it reads as part of the room rather than something stuck on afterwards, which is usually the point of choosing charcoal in the first place.

What size is the plate?

It is a standard single plate, 88mm square, so it matches the footprint of most other accessories on the same wall.

What is it made from?

Moulded polycarbonate in charcoal, with the colour running through the material rather than applied as a surface finish.

Can it go in a bathroom or outside?

No. It is rated IP20 and made for dry indoor rooms only.

How should I clean it?

A dry or lightly damp cloth is all it needs. Avoid solvents, polishes and household sprays, which can leave the charcoal looking patchy.

What is it used for?

Telephone and data circuits. It is a Class 3 low voltage accessory, not a power point.

Is there a warranty?

Yes, it carries a ten year manufacturer's warranty.