Plate-less outlets, who knew?
bpath
6 years ago
I find two things intriguing in this kitchen: the wood handles, wondering if they will patina where hands grasp them; and the plate-less outlets, especially the single one behind the radio. This kitchen is in BC, where codes may be different than the ones in my area that mandate quantity and placement.
I like their clean look in this contemporary kitchen, but i think they'd be right at home in a period kitchen.
How do you like them? (Note: I'm not remodeling my kitchen, just wanted to share.)
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (20)
Bunny
6 years agobpath
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Things you wish you knew BEFORE you built....
Comments (20)We have lived in the John Tee "Abberley Lane" for nine years. Here are a few things to consider: 1) Upstairs bedrooms have small closets. 2) There is very little storage in the plan unless you utilize some from the bonus square footage. Note that the pantry in the kitchen is small. Note the lack of coat closets. Ask yourself where you will store Christmas decorations, cleaning supplies, winter coats and the vacuum. 3) The kitchen island is narrow and long. The placement of the sink and the cooktop opposite of each other on one side creates what is essentially a galley kitchen. Two people CANNOT work on that side of the island...not enough room. And please do not try to pass me on that side of the island while I am cooking and you are trying to get to the back stairs!! The kitchen needs to be wider. 4) The family room is not huge. The dining room is not huge. Use a tape measure to lay out the room measurements and allow for walkways, etc. We find that when we have our dining table fully extended it leaves barely enough room for chairs at the ends. 5) The linen closet in the upstairs hallway in not enough storage for a house this size. There were some modifications to the plan before it was built. A laundry room was carved out of the bonus area, as well as another bedroom and bath. The room over the garage is a large office/TV room for my husband. (man cave). The 2nd downstairs bed and bath was removed. The entrance to the master bedroom was moved next to the backstairs. The family room is not two stories tall. We have a playroom above it. Although this a a very popular floor plan I can't say I have enjoyed living in it. The kitchen noise(running water, dishwasher unloading, cooking) is very annoying when you re in the family room trying to watch TV, read or visit with guests. The living room by the front door, which we use for an office, is underutilized. The kitchen is not well planned out. The master bath is poorly planned, with a huge amount of space around the tub?? Why? The plan has one window on the wall where the master bed is placed. Strange. Add another window to balance that out. I wish we had. Also, the lack of windows on the sides of the house make it surprisingly dim....See MoreOne thing you wish you knew before you got married?
Comments (14)Thanks! Good words of advice. halfdecaf - I love that you repeat your vows on your anniversary. That sounds like a very worthwhile tradition and one I might copy for us. I know the "good cop/bad cop" role is pretty tricky. It's not really how we intended it, but it's how I feel usually. My BF's own father abandoned the family when BF was at a very young age and his mother essentially detached from the family as a result of her husband leaving. As such, BF had no healthy parenting images to look up to so he leans toward parenting out of guilt or giving in too much to his own son. I come from a fairly strict, but caring, family so I've tried to share my own parenting examples with them. The result is that BF's son now has a normal bedtime (when we met he would let his son stay up until midnight! And he was 5!), he cleans up his own plate after dinner, he's not allowed to throw things or act physically in anger, he's not allowed to hit his dad or be disrespectful to us without consequences, etc. So I feel like the "bad cop" because I implement/encourage a lot of the discipline and a lot of the rules about what's acceptable and what's not. The only reason it's working is b/c BF currently backs me up on the decisions and is actually a little grateful that I know a little more than he does about general parenting, while he knows more than I do about his son's specific needs. So I think we make a good team. Of course, if either one of us ever stops supporting the other, I can see how that might cause some mutiny... We are also considering premarital couseling. One of my biggest challenges is learning to bite my tongue and not constantly tell him what to do. I was single for too long and have lots of rules in my own head about the way things "should" be done. On the flip side, he was single too long with a young son - essentially living the bachelor life with a kid tagging along (have you seen the Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy - something along those lines, but not as extreme). So figuring out when my comments cross over into "nagging" seems to be a fine line. I never want to be the "nagging" wife....See MoreSubway tile outlet covers?
Comments (5)Amyinaustin, thanks for the link to Subway Ceramics. I've emailed them to see if their switchplates and outlet covers are the same size as their subway tiles. That would be ideal. The other tile companies I've seen that make switchplate covers don't make them 3" X 6". They all still seem to use the 2 3/4" X 4 1/2" standard size. Strayer, I hadn't thought about the possibility of breakage after installation; I was too fixated on how many I would break trying to carve them myself! We thought about the plug strips but heard a rumour from my son who is training to be an electrician that they aren't to code here. That seems odd but we don't like the dangling cords anyway so decided it wasn't the look we wanted in our sort of retro/vintage kitchen. I read some of the threads you mentioned and my poor husband is right now doing those math calculations to place the electrical boxes for the outlets at just the right height for a row of tiles. The problem comes in trying to line up studs to attach the boxes with where the tiles start and stop in a row. This may be more a job for a master electrician and a master tilesetter to work on together instead of my very capable but self taught husband. This may be one of those ideas that looks so nice when someone else does it, but is totally impractical in my life....See More'If I Knew Then What I Know Now...'
Comments (30)This is an important thread. I'm going to add my 2 cents and bump it back up for people making choices now.. I would have made the uppers where I store my glasses and plates 13 or 13.5" deep instead of the standard 12". One inch would not make a real difference visually or in the usable counter space below, but it would provide better storage. I would have put the wall outlet for the coffee maker horizontally and very close to the counter so the cord wouldn't go up the wall. I would have put more embedded outlets in the bottoms of the cabs. I wasn't thinking about the possibility of a permanent appliance plugged into the outlet, but my DH very thoughtfully got me a CD player/radio, and now the cord goes up the middle of my BS. I would have checked that the paint was actually the exact same color as the sample before they painted the walls and installed the granite. I would have made my GC give me 24 hours to make all decisions so I could check in with GW. (I actually did this part way through.) I would have purchased everything myself so that I had receipts. I'd have watched what he was doing more carefully to avoid the mistakes he made. I would have put everything in very detailed writing. (He was kind of absent-minded.) I would have insisted that he finish the floor before the cabs went in so I wouldn't now have grout on the toe kicks. Or else made sure the grout was removed from the toe kicks. I would have bought the fiber optic switch online instead of from my appliance store, where it was more than twice as much. Also, I wouldn't have wasted money ordering the adaptor (with expedited shipping)that Waste King told me I needed to make it fit the granite but couldn't use because it didn't fit through the granite. If you get one, just drill a 3/4" hole in the granite and silicone the thing on. None of those is earth-shattering, though. Thanks to GW, it turned out pretty well....See More
zmith
6 years ago
suzanne_sl
6 years agoWe replaced all our outlets when we reno'd. After enough years they just get wobbly and your plugs droop out. So, yes, sooner or later that outlet will need attention.
I found this outlet on the Home Depot Canada site that seems like what is in that photo. (?)
The part where the screws go must be under the tile; therefore, it would be good to update the outlet when you update the backsplash. What we can't figure out is how they got the box the outlet goes in to fit under the windowsill. Generally windowsills have (2) 2 x 4s under the window.
bpath
6 years ago
User
6 years ago
eam44
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoWe knew. This is an image from one of my idea books from 2015. There is a brief discussion of the outlets [here[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mid-century-ranch-transitional-kitchen-nashville-phvw-vp~20963542).
The outlet is above the oranges.
My all time favorite outlet cover, however, belongs to oldbat2be.
User
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobpath
6 years agopalimpsest
6 years ago
cawaps
6 years agoeam44
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobpath
6 years ago
Rita / Bring Back Sophie 4 Real
6 years ago
oldbat2be
6 years agoteehee - Thank you for the shout-out eam :) Yes, it's a plain outlet cover with a photocopied tile decoupaged on top. Much cheaper, just some work in getting the color right.
Toronto Veterinarian
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agopalimpsest
6 years agowritersblock (9b/10a)
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoAvatarWalt
6 years ago
Related Stories
DECORATING GUIDESTricks to Hide Light Switches, Outlets and Toilet Roll Holders
Embrace camouflage and other design moves to make these eyesores virtually disappear
Full Story
HOLIDAYSLuxurious Holiday Table Settings for Less
Pair colorful glasses, gorgeous garden finds and hand-stamped napkins for a holiday table that looks positively rich
Full Story
DECLUTTERINGLiving With Less: Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
To help her clients pare back, a professional organizer asks them 3 questions about the things they own
Full Story
FEEL-GOOD HOME21 Ways to Waste Less at Home
Whether it's herbs rotting in the fridge or clothes that never get worn, most of us waste too much. Here are ways to make a change
Full Story
COASTAL STYLEHouzz Tour: Stressing Less in a Beachy California Cottage
A family trades their larger, traditional digs for a smaller house and a more relaxing lifestyle
Full Story
ORGANIZING10 Decluttering Projects You Can Do in 30 Minutes or Less
Don’t stress about the mess — just take one countertop or bookcase at a time
Full Story
BEFORE AND AFTERSA ‘Brady Bunch’ Kitchen Overhaul for Less Than $25,000
Homeowners say goodbye to avocado-colored appliances and orange-brown cabinets and hello to a bright new way of cooking
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNHow to Waste Less Food
Here are 9 relatively painless ways to throw away less food and stretch your grocery dollars
Full Story
GREAT HOME PROJECTSPower to the People: Outlets Right Where You Want Them
No more crawling and craning. With outlets in furniture, drawers and cabinets, access to power has never been easier
Full Story
FEEL-GOOD HOMESimple Pleasures: 10 Ideas for a Buy-Less Month
Save money without feeling pinched by taking advantage of free resources and your own ingenuity
Full Story
palimpsest