The kitchen is the hub of the home and the most
intensively used workspace, so forward planning
here will really streamline your day-to-day life
and make preparing and cooking meals a pleasure.
With so many appliances on call in this zone,
planning is essential to create a practical space.
Now that open plan design has become the preferred
choice we spend more time in the kitchen than
ever before. Cooking, eating, entertaining, surfing
the net, talking on the phone or doing homework – it all happens here. The Handy Hints below should get you thinking about which electrical
fittings you need to plan for in this pivotal room.
- If you plan to eat in your kitchen
you may want to install dimmers.
The bright light you need over work
surfaces while reparing food can
be too harsh for mealtimes.
- Do you have a coffee machine, kettle,
toaster, blender, rice cooker or cake mixer?
These all need powerpoints at bench
height. Which appliances will be stored
and which will live on the bench top?
- If you like music while you cook consider
a multi-room audio system. With speakers
in the walls or ceiling you can void having
a radio or stereo taking up precious
bench space.
- Exhaust fans are a great aid to natural
ventilation. They keep the air circulating
and remove cooking odours and oisture,
making the air you breathe healthier and
increasing the life of your paint
and fabrics.
- Remember the ‘hidden’ powerpoints
required for rangehoods, microwaves,
disposal units, fridges, freezers
and dishwashers.
The living room has to be the most flexible space
in the house so that it can respond to your family’s
changing needs and cater for a range of diverse
activities. With the help of a plan of the room put
some thought into the best location for your TV,
DVD, stereo and electronic games. Ideally they
should be against a wall and away from windows
and doors.
Think hard about lighting in this room too so that
it becomes a place you can really relax. You’ll need
bright light for tasks such as reading or playing
games but install dimmers and powerpoints for
lamps so you can achieve soft, mood lighting and
create ambience when you’re listening to music,
watching a movie or entertaining.
Aim for maximum flexibility and this room will be
functional and a wonderful retreat.
Handy Hints:
- Plan where you will place your furniture
then make sure your powerpoints will be
accessible without having to move heavy
sofas and cabinets. Make sure you have
enough for lamps and general use.
- Locate your TV outlets where the TV can
be comfortably viewed from your seating.
Do you have a PlayStation or other
gaming device? Pick a spot for it now.
It may need specialised cabling.
- Use surge-protected powerpoints for
your expensive audiovisual equipment
and minimise the risk of damage from
a power surge.
- With the popularity of laptops you may
wish to work in the comfort of your living
room, so think of possible areas to install
a computer outlet.
Bedroom - The Restful Pod:
Your bedroom is the place you go to unwind
and enjoy some peace and privacy. You’ll want
soft lighting but need to be able to adjust the
brightness when you’re dressing, reading,
working or applying make-up. Bedside lamps
or wall lights for either side of the bed are a
good idea so one person can read while the
other sleeps.
Ask yourself how many powerpoints you will
need next to the bed. Would you use a lamp,
clock radio, phone charger, laptop, plug-in air
freshener? What else? Do you want lights to
come on when you open your wardrobe doors?
Do you want the luxury of being able to watch
TV in bed?
Even if your bedroom is the most spartan of
rooms with few modern conveniences, make
sure you have two way switches so you can
switch the lights out from bed, or consider an
Excel Super Dimmer which provides you with
a remote to control the lights.
What you will need:
- SWITCHES
- POWERPOINTS
- DIMMER
- TV, TELEPHONE AND COMPUTER OUTLETS
- AUDIO INTERCOM HANDSET
- CEILING FAN
- MOTION SENSOR
Handy HInts:
- If you want the option of Pay TV, DVD
or music from a source located outside
your bedroom you’ll need home network
cabling. It also allows you to send a
command from your computer to a
printer in another room.
- Consider internet access and phone lines
in all bedrooms. This means a bedroom
can swiftly be converted to an office.
- Install an additional handset for your
intercom system in the bedroom so that
you can let people in without having to go
to the front door.
- Children’s bedrooms need to anticipate
their changing needs as they grow. Make
sure you install enough powerpoints and
phone and data capability to cater for the
teenage years.
- Use a motion sensor if you have a
walk-in-robe so the light automatically
switches on and off when you enter and
leave the room.
Home Office - The Technology Centre:
The Information Age has changed our lives
and the way we use our homes to the degree
that the home office, once an occasional
retreat, is now a critical support to our lifestyle.
This is where you and the kids will go to work
and answer emails, search for information,
download music or play games on the computer.
The home study is a good central spot to locate
your printer, fax and modem and to charge
mobile phones, cameras and other gadgets.
Make allowances for one or two extra phone and
data outlets to give you flexibility to add a phone,
fax or modem later. Likewise you can hardly go
overboard with powerpoints when you consider
the list of items that need plugging in. You may
want to consider HPM’s 5 outlet powerpoints to
fit a number of powerpoints into a limited space
and consolidate electrical cords.
What you will need:
- SWITCHES
- SURGE PROTECTED POWERPOINTS
- CEILING FAN
- MULTI-ROOM AUDIO CONTROLLER
- CEILING SPEAKERS
- TV, TELEPHONE AND COMPUTER OUTLETS
Handy HInts:
- Protect your computer equipment (and
all your precious files) from power surges
with surge-protected powerpoints.
- If you like to listen to music while you
work consider a multi-room audio
system. It can deliver audio from different
sources to different zones in your home at
the same time.
- Ceiling and exhaust fans can help you
control the heat created by hard-drives
and monitors. If you have limited ceiling
space, consider a combined ceiling fan
and light.
- Plan to work from home? Include an
intercom handset in this room so you
can let people in the front door without
leaving your desk.
Bathroom - The Refreshing Haven:
Here’s a room where space is limited and
good planning is paramount. This is where
you start and end the day and you’ll want
everything working in the bathroom as
efficiently as possible.
Ventilation is critical to control mould and
condensation build-up, which attacks paint
and grout. It will also help prevent steamed
up mirrors. Again, go for flexibility with lighting
so that you can see well but have the option to
turn the lights down when you want to soak in
the bath and unwind.
You’ll need powerpoints above bench height
for your hairdryer and shaver, but how about a
powerpoint inside the cupboard to charge your
electric toothbrush where it’s out of the way?
What you will need:
- SWITCHES
- POWERPOINTS
- EXHAUST FANS
- CEILING SPEAKERS
- MULTI-ROOM AUDIO CONTROLLER
- HEAT LAMPS
Handy HInts:
- Ventilation is critical in this room to
control condensation and mould. Make
sure ventilation capacity matches the
size of your room and plan for cross
ventilation to maximise efficiency.
- Run-on timers mean your exhaust fan
will continue to run for a set period after
you’ve turned it off, improving
its performance.
- Heat lamps are fantastic for cold winter
days and make it a lot easier to get out
of bed and into the bathroom.
- Consider a combined light/heater /
exhaust fan – a compact single unit
that provides instant heat, light
and ventilation.
- How many powerpoints do you need for
your hairdryer, straightening iron, electric
toothbrush? These have to be placed
a certain distance from water sources.
Check with your designer or electrician
regarding regulations.
Laundry - The Maintenance Room:
A well designed laundry will perform a raft
of duties, from streamlining the management
of clothes as they go through the washing,
drying, ironing cycle to providing organised
storage for the equipment necessary for
cleaning your home.
When planning your laundry it’s important
to know the size and model of your washing
machine and dryer, and whether they will sit
side by side or be stacked, so that you can get
your powerpoints in the correct positions.
What you will need:
- WEATHERPROOF SWITCHES
- POWERPOINTS
- FANLIGHT
- EXHAUST FAN
Handy HInts:
- Exhaust fans are a must in the laundry
to dispel odours and remove moisture
in the air from the clothes dryer. Match
the capacity of your fan with the size of
the room and plan for cross ventilation
to maximise efficiency.
- If you’re short on ceiling space a fanlight
could be the answer. One switch will
operate both the light and the exhaust fan.
- Excel weatherproof switches will
keep you safe and meet regulatory
requirements if your light switches
are positioned near a water source.
- Fan time delay switches are useful
because they allow exhaust fans to run
for a set period after you leave the room,
improving ventilation.
Outdoor Living - The Alfresco Playground:
The notion of the ‘outdoor room’ has gained
status in Australia as we design houses that
embrace our great climate. There are numerous
ways you can make your outdoor playground
more functional, more fun and more secure
with some forward planning.
Creating ambience outside at night is
straightforward with our impressive range of
LED and halogen garden lighting. Your home
and garden can be just as stunning after dark
by using light to highlight architectural features,
trees and garden pathways. Outdoor lighting
enhances your safety and creates a warm
ambience for your family and guests.
What you will need:
- MOTION SENSOR SWITCHES
- TIMERS
- OUTDOOR SWITCHES AND POWERPOINTS
- MULTI-ROOM AUDIO CONTROLLER
- OUTDOOR SPEAKERS
- SECURITY CAMERA
- GARDEN LIGHTING
- AUDIO INTERCOM HANDSET
- CEILING FAN
Handy Hints:
- Have your multi-room audio system
networked for outdoors too so you can
work or entertain with music.
- Do you have a pool or trampoline you
can’t see well from the house?
Security cameras can help you keep
an eye on the kids while you’re inside.
- Sensors that switch a light on when
they detect movement are great for
your safety, security and peace of mind.
Obvious places include the front and
back doors and pathways, steps or
parking areas.
- Install a sensor to automatically switch
on the garage light as the door is opened.
- Install external weatherproof powerpoints
in several locations for portable appliances
such as edge trimmers, or garden lighting
transformers.
Catalogue:
Visit the HPM 'HOME: A Homeowner's Guide to all things Electrical' Catalogue
Reference:
HPM Legrand Australia. (2009). Home, A Homeowners Guide to all Things Electrical. HPM. Retrieved 12 May 2009 from http://www.hpm.com.au/Uploads/21059_HPM_Brochure_FA_3_LR.pdf
