Call me crazy, but so far the most exciting part of the home building process has been drafting the electrical plan. Is it weird that I was giddy about having the opportunity to choose outlet and light switch placement?! 😉 Because giddy is the best way to describe my feelings. We did the electrical walkthrough yesterday, and I may have scared the electrician with my note sheet. Ha! The scribblings of a crazy design lady. 😉
As soon as we received our final plans I started thinking and researching…….and pinning like a mad fool. Because this feels like one of the most important steps of the whole process. Once the drywall is up adding outlets and/or lights is really tough. So I wanted to be thoughtful about each space in the house and thoroughly think through every last electrical detail.
Ideas We’re Incorporating
Horizontal Kitchen Outlets
It’s such a simple thing to do when you’re starting from scratch. And if you’re going to have a tile backsplash, it’s a much cleaner look as the outlets are less visible and easier to disguise.
Middle of the Wall Outlet for Built-in Ironing Board
This is one of those house ideas that I’d probably never bother adding after the fact. But being able to say exactly where to place the outlet from the beginning makes this kind of a no-brainer.
Adding an Outlet up High for Patio Lights
And we’re putting that outlet on a switch. It’s going to be so nice to not have to run an extension cord!
Floor Outlets
Both the living room and den will have a floor outlet to make lamp lighting possible in the middle of the room. I’m pretty excited about this one!
Stairwell Outlets
For easy vacuuming. And I’m planning to have them covered with these LED night light wall plates because I still worry about my teenage kids slipping on the stairs at night.
Motion Sensor for Garage and Exterior Side Lights
Speaking of teenagers…..I feel like a lighted garage and driveway is a good idea for teenage drivers. 😉 But I also think this will come in handy a lot when our hands are just too full to flip a switch.
Things We’ve Decided We’re Not Doing
Swiss Cheese Ceilings
My builder is basically shocked that I don’t want a lot of recessed lighting (and by the way this is saving us a great deal of money!), but I’m just personally not a fan. He feels like it’s good for resale. But I’m going with my gut on this. And I’ve pretty much kept the can lighting to the kitchen, a couple of closets, the master bathroom and the hallways.
In Cabinet Outlets
I know a lot of people swear by having these for doing things like charging devices or for housing hair styling tools in a bathroom, but I’ve never had an in-cabinet outlet and I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. I don’t also like the idea of having to keep a drawer or cabinet door open while blow drying or curling my hair. It’s just not an upgrade that has any appeal for me.
USB Outlets
We don’t have them now and it’s another one of those things I just don’t think we really need. That being said, it’s an easy enough change to make down the road if we do want to change a couple of outlets like say in an office area or something. Do you have any USB outlets?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Now that the walkthrough is complete, it’s time to finalize the the light fixture selections! Can’t wait to share the pretty stuff with you all! But please tell me I’m not the only one who nerds out over things like outlet placement and dimmer switches?!
I love the electrical walk through also. I made one mistake on my second build and didn’t specify where I wanted the light switches in the foyer. Of course, the electrician but it in the middle of the foyer wall, making hanging art a huge problem.