Ever since seeing the HGTV Smart Home 2017 I was inspired by the state of the art features and savvy tech details. As our technology evolves, our needs for our electrical devices change and electrical upgrades are inevitable. Over the years we have renovated several houses. Looking back to our first renovation we needed to add internet lines, cable and telephone jacks to several rooms. Today some of these items are virtually useless .
Making The “Switch” with Electrical Upgrades
Our last renovation on our home was 10 years ago. Since then we’ve been looking to make electrical upgrades to accommodate today’s ever changing technology. For Christmas my father had made us a phone and iPad docking station that sat on the counter. We coiled up cords and tried to a slew of methods to keep things streamline and clean. Well that didn’t work out so great. That’s when after a HGTV Smart Home TV commercial we turned to Legrand USA to upgrade our kitchen and great room area.
We cannot believe the difference in the look and and the added USB port charger outlet makes charging our phones a breeze. To the left is the paddle dimmer switch for the chandelier. Such a smooth transition and much less clutter on the counter!
Enlisting The Pros with Electrical Upgrades
Now electrical work is not part of my blogger wheelhouse talents, so I enlisted the help of my favorite electrician Rich. We replaced the entire kitchen with the Adorne collection by Legrand. It included panel dimmer switches, modular tamper-resistant outlets, night lights, whisper switches, USB outlets and my favorite a pop out triple outlet kit all in gloss white to compliment the white subway tiles and blend in.
I love the way the tamper resistant outlets are offset and piggyback each other all within a clean square.
The whisper switch are streamline and are easier to keep clean than an ordinary switch. These were electrical upgrades I could get used to!
Simple Pleasures
As I mentioned before, my favorite is the pop-out triplex outlet. I chose to use this in the corner of my kitchen where we have all the appliances and it tends to be the “baking central.” When closed, it’s camouflaged and totally blends with the backsplash tile. The best part of this is that you pop it open and instead of two ordinary outlets you magically have three! A bonus to this is that the plug is flush with the wall and doesn’t protrude out taking up valuable counter real estate. Out of all the electrical upgrades we did this was my ALL TIME FAVORITE!
These outlets would be great behind furniture avoiding that annoying crimping of the plug as you push the furniture as close as possible to the wall.
Space Saving Solutions
It’s the simple pleasures of having an extra outlet that make the pop-out triplex outlet my favorite. It’s not just my favorite but also my daughters. The other day her friends came over and she said “go ahead press that button there.” They hesitated, then went ahead… They all loved it and thought it was so “cool.”
We made sure to include two USB plug chargers in the kitchen. An ordinary double outlet was easily converted using Legrand “build your own” components. Their website gives easy 1-2-3 directions for converting.
Light The Way
For the overhead island pendant lights and cans we upgraded to the triple toggle switch. It’s the first switch once you come in the kitchen so we added the 3-gang accent nightlight. Perfect for late night snack runs.
Heading into the living room, we added the double switch and another modular nightlight. The nightlight is helpful for the step down into the living room and is added light for the stairs going to the lower level. I plan to add these to all our bathrooms in the near future.
Two Thumbs Up
Our entire family is loving these simple and easy upgrades. If you are considering an remodel, new construction, or just want to keep up with today’s tech savvy lifestyle, look into the Legrand products. They have several different styles and come in an array of color choices and finishes. To learn more about the color choice click here. They even have printable wall plates. The combinations are endless!
Making It Yours
Legrand products come in all configurations. You can build your own and modify existing electrical outlets and switches easily. Choose an outlet and choose a wall plate and you can even mix and match finishes and colors. Making changes and upgrades to our kitchen and great room were never easier. Now we’re off to convert on the rest of the house! Just in time for getting our home ready for the Holiday entertaining!
- I have partnered with Legrand and have received products in exchange for this post. All expressed opinions are 100% mine. -Amie Freling
charlotte
great pictures!! love it all
memehillstudio
Thank you Charlotte for all your photography advice.Love you!
Patricia Presto
Great ideas! I can’t wait to use these tips in my own home, and recommend to clients! Awesome!!
memehillstudio
Thank you so much Patty!