When faced with a new kitchen remodeling project, most homeowners will carefully choose their cabinetry, countertops, and lighting fixtures. However, many spend less time planning where their electrical outlets will be. Many kitchen appliances need to be plugged in, so planning where your electrical outlets will be is very important! Here are a few tips for including good electrical outlet placement in your remodeling plans.
Work Stations
When you are creating your new kitchen design, you will have work stations in the kitchen that are good areas for food preparation, cooking, etc. Think about where these work stations will be and what appliances you may need to use at each station. Will you need to plug in your stand mixer in your food prep area? Make sure you plan for an outlet nearby. Can you not think of anything you’ll need to have plugged in near the range? Then don’t worry about having an electrical outlet nearby.
Smart Kitchen
Many modern homeowners are incorporating elements into their kitchen design to support having electrical devices in the kitchen. It makes sense that families would want charging stations for laptops and smartphones when so much time is spent in the kitchen. Some homeowners prefer to have a drawer with charging stations built into their cabinetry to house laptops, tablets, and smartphones while they are not in use. Others prefer to build outlets into the countertops for charging electronic devices while they are in use, such as a tablet that is being used to read a recipe. Incorporating smart design into your kitchen is a great way to make life easier.
Hidden Outlets
Outlets that are embedded into the back of countertops are accessible and more easily hidden from view than outlets that are mounted on the walls. Hidden outlets have caught on as a way to create seamless kitchen design. You could also choose to install a strip of outlets underneath the ledge of your kitchen island, hide an outlet behind a movable wooden panel, or install decorative outlets that add to the design elements of your kitchen. Talk to your designer to learn more about the opportunities for outlet placement in your kitchen!