CONTACT:
Elana Murray/(718)281-6522, emurray@leviton.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LEVITON LAUNCHES ITS ACENTI
TM
COLLECTION
The first all-new design platform for residential wiring devices and lighting controls in more than 30 years
LITTLE NECK, N.Y. -- Leviton Manufacturing Company today unveiled its groundbreaking new line of
electrical devices: the Acenti
™
Collection. It is the industry’s first completely new design platform for
®
residential devices and lighting controls since the introduction of Leviton’s Decora line in 1973, the
company said.
“There is simply no other suite of residential electrical devices that offers this level of aesthetics,
build quality and functionality,” said James Sherman, Leviton’s marketing director for residential
products. “Acenti represents the first in a new category of premium-class controls for design-conscious
homeowners.”
Leviton teamed with renowned innovation and design firm IDEO -- designers of the original
mouse for Apple Computer, the Palm™ V handheld computer, the Leap® office chair and the interior of
the Acela™ high-speed commuter train -- to reinvent the most ubiquitous products in the home:
electrical switches, lighting controls and receptacles.
The new Acenti line offers significant advances in design technology, said Sherman, reflecting
the increasingly sophisticated tastes of the American homeowner. “Significant demand has evolved in
the home market for luxury appliances, fixtures, furnishings, and window and wall treatments. We
developed the Acenti Collection to meet that demand. It represents a major advance in aesthetics for
residential electrical devices.”
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LEVITON LAUNCHES ITS ACENTI COLLECTION/page 2
Rather than adapting existing designs, Leviton tasked IDEO to consider the modern luxury
home, and to create a completely new design platform for it.
The design process was among the most ambitious product-development efforts in Leviton’s
98-year history, involving extensive consultations with interior designers, architects, homeowners, home
builders and electricians; field observations; and creation of more than 30 prototype designs. IDEO
developed the overall design language of the Acenti platform; the design firm FishEye Design (based in
Woodside, N.Y.) executed the design for the dimmer.
The Acenti design platform is based on a clean, uncluttered control surface, set into a new
complex contoured wallplate that creates an elegant transition to the wall surface. Precision
components ensure perfect alignment and smooth, quiet operation.
The Acenti footprint is more substantial than that of a conventional switch or receptacle, yet the
devices are 100 percent compatible with standard electrical boxes and require no special tools for
installation.
An industry first
The new Acenti geometry allowed Leviton to create an industry first: the Triplex* receptacle,
which can accommodate three plugs simultaneously, eliminating the need for a power strip or adapter.
Top and bottom outlets are reversed so that low-voltage transformers can be plugged in without
blocking the other outlet. The three outlets are integrated using innovative internal buss designs, and
the triplex receptacle requires only one hot, neutral and ground connection.
The Acenti dimmer uses a simple, intuitive control scheme with a signature blue LED locator
light. The push pad is easy to operate, and features a unique “return-to-neutral-position” design. A
single gentle push turns power on or off.
-more-
LEVITON LAUNCHES ITS ACENTI COLLECTION/page 3
The return-to-neutral-position design is also featured on Acenti on/off, nondimming switches,
creating a clean, uniform look, especially when multiple switches are installed in multiganged
applications. In addition, Acenti’s unique wallplate design eliminates the dividers (web) between each
device, creating a sleek and minimalist look.
“Designers told us that details like these make all the difference. Our goal was to create a
collection of devices that designers and architects would see as a design asset -- a perfect complement
to today’s luxury homes,” said Sherman.
Acenti is available throughout the United States and Canada through Leviton’s authorized
electrical distributors. Additional product details can be found on the Acenti website at
www.leviton.com/acenti. Qualified architects and designers may request samples by contacting a
Leviton sales representative or customer service at 1-888-4-ACENTI (1-888-422-3684).
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*U.S. and foreign patents pending. All rights, including trade dress rights, reserved.
Palm™ is a trademark of palmOne, Inc.
Leap® is a registered trademark of Steelcase, Inc.
Acela® is a registered trademark of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak).
Acenti™ is a trademark and Decora® is a registered trademark of Leviton Manufacturing Co., Inc.