Your kitchen is the heart of your home, it’s a place where everyone comes together to enjoy meals, treats and holiday delights from the oven to your table. Being that the kitchen is such an important place, it’s important to pay attention to the design and layout to ensure that the whole room is inviting and aesthetically pleasing. One such way to upgrade the look of your kitchen when doing a Toronto Home Renovation is by hiding your electrical outlets to help streamline the look and design of your kitchen.
Concealing Your Electrical Outlets
It may seem easier to just forgo placing outlets in your kitchen, but building codes in every state require that they are placed in specific areas, and those near water sources also need to be GFCI certified. GFCI outlets are important in kitchens since there is a higher chance of a person coming in contact with them while also being in contact with water. These outlets are made to automatically disable themselves when excessive currents are detected. While much safer, these outlets are also much bulkier and harder to conceal.
Horizontal & Low Outlet Strips
If you are lacking in upper cabinets, you can install outlet strips near the start of your backsplash tile, but a little lower than their usual placement. When you match your strips to your tile and cover plates, the end look will be of concealed outlets.
Upper Cabinet Outlet Strips
One popular option for concealing outlets is by installing a strip of outlets on the top edge of your cabinets. These power strips can be found in various colors and finishes and mesh well with your cabinet lighting for the perfect concealment. The cords run behind any countertop appliance you may have, so there is little chance of them becoming tangled or dirty during use.
Charging Stations
Sometimes, it’s not the outlets that make a kitchen look cluttered but rather all the random items plugged into them. If you have an extra drawer in your kitchen, think about turning it into a charging station for all of the gadgets and small items that you tend to charge along the counters. This will reduce the clutter and keep your kitchen looking sleek and welcoming.
Pop- Up Outlets
One way to conceal your kitchen outlets completely when not in use is by installing pop-up outlets. These can be placed on an island or even at the bottom of your cabinets. You can select these when your home is being built, or during a kitchen renovation project.
Breakfast Nook Outlets
For kitchens that have a breakfast nook or even one with a dedicated coffee bar, you can add a couple outlets as a great way to hide them as opposed to placing them in other areas of your kitchen. Since these tend to be placed at the end of your counter you can reduce clutter and hide your outlets at the same time.
Overhang Outlets
Even if you have an island in your kitchen it will still have to adhere to those tricky outlet rules listed in the building code. If your island is equipped with an overhang, you can add a bank of outlet strips to the underside where they are out of sight, or if your island is lacking an overhang, consider adding an outlet strip to the under edge that faces your stove but away from the entryway.
How We Can Help
iRemodel Home Renovations has a range of sleek design ideas to help you make your home sleek, stylish and welcoming. Feel free to get in touch with us at (416) 825-2542 to find out how we can help.