Where to Locate Electrical Outlets, Kitchen Edition: Remodeling 101 - Remodelista
Appliances, faucets, countertops, and cabinetry. Here’s what you need to ensure plentiful power in the kitchen. Photograph by Matthew Williams. Black outlets are mounted horizontally on either side of the sink in Remodelista editor in chief Julie’s kitchen, designed by architect Jerome Buttrick, a member of the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory. Buttrick is a storage wizard; see his Great Advice for Kitchen Design. Step 1: Educate yourself about the requirements and restrictions defined by the International Residential Code, National Electrical Code (NEC), and any local codes. 1. Know electrical code rules and restrictions. The good news is that the rules primarily focus on the minimum requirements for outlet placement (by number of feet between outlets and from corners, etc.). GCFI outlets don’t have to come in white, or with standard red and blue “test” and “reset” buttons. For more seamless options, see Remodeling 101: The Surprising Appeal of Flush Electrical Outlets. 2. Assess your kitchen’s electrical power needs. Kitchens are power hungry and the placement of outlets is key for usability– form needs to follow function. Here are key questions to ask when considering placement. These are the big-ticket items (refrigerators, cooktops, range hoods) that are not likely to migrate. Where are your fixed appliances located? This may require more forethought than your fixed appliances. Are there some that will live on your countertop? What portable appliances will you use and where? Photograph by Nicole Franzen for Remodelista. Certain appliances, like a shiny KitchenAid mixer, look great displayed on a countertop. For new builds and gut renovations, here’s where play acting comes in. Where do you stand and work at your kitchen counters? What are your lighting sources? While freestanding lamps are not common in a kitchen, don’t forget to consider lighting and switch placement. Do you like to play music or hang holiday lights in your kitchen? Not all of us have wireless sound systems. And do you like to put up string lights or any other electric-powered decor in your kitchen for festivities? Do you plan to charge personal electronics in the kitchen? Kitchens are popular as charging stations, especially for families with kids. This TriBeCa kitchen by Melissa Baker and Jon Handley of Pulltab Design appears to be void of outlets. Photograph by Mikiko Kikuyama. 3. Plan with aesthetics in mind. So you’ve figured out the functionality of your kitchen outlets. It’s also essential to think about what they’re going to look like–and to select outlets that harmonize with your kitchen. Hiding outlets doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does require advance planning. Some helpful options include installing under-cabinet power strips, outlet garages, in-cabinet outlets, and recessed outlets placed behind appliances. A concealed outlet garage in a Henrybuilt design. Photograph by Lucas Fladzinski, courtesy of Jennifer Weiss Architecture. Outlets are cleverly concealed in this kitchen by architect Jennifer Weiss. High or low placement pulls outlets out of the center of a backsplash and better integrates them into the design. Outlets are placed on the horizontal, to run with the tiled backsplash and minimize visual disruption, in architect Elizabeth Roberts‘s compact guest kitchen. See chapter one of the Remodelista book and House Call: Elizabeth Roberts in Brooklyn for more. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista. White outlets are in practical locations–and without visual blight–in Dagmar Daley and Zak Conway’s remodeled San Francisco Victorian. Photograph by Matthew Williams for Remodelista. Embracing the utility of modern electricity can be done in a way that works with and even enhances the design. Nickel outlet covers are a nice finishing detail in Michelle McKenna’s London kitchen. For a tour of the whole house, see The Power of Pastels: A London House Reimagined, and learn more about McKenna’s multifaceted work at her site Space and Grace.