Plug Socket in kitchen island

FaceHead

Hi. I'm having a new kitchen fitted shortly, which includes an island and breakfast bar. Here is something quite like what I have in mind:

I plan to extend the ground floor sockets ring to provide a socket in the island. There is only one socket on the main run of kitchen, so to me having a socket in the island is critical. The island will be made from two 800 wide units, each with two deep drawers. How can I get a socket in this?

I could put it in the side of the unit, but I am worried the backbox would then obstruct the drawers. I could put it in the upstand, but the bakcbox would then be visible when viewing from this angle under the breakfast bar.

Thoughts? A really shallow backbox that doesn't obstruct the drawers? In the countertop - not preferred, and the drawers moving could still be a problem? Some sort of false back on the island so you don't actually see the back of the upstand? 

Doozergirl

There is a service void at the back of units (unless they're from Ikea).  If you put your plug socket on whatever is hiding the backs of the units (an end panel, for example), there will be space for a backbone.   So the plug socket would sit somewhere above your knees if you're sat at the island.

travis-powers

Wow!
average carcass is 18mm plus a 18mm panel 36mm, if you can run your cable above / below runners should be fine!

Doozergirl

Autocorrect is insistent on a backbone rather than a box.  CBA to try changing it again.  

Oh, and deep pan drawers are no deeper at the back than a 'regular' drawer, so you won't have a problem there anyway.

NSG666

If the breakfast bar will be bespoke....

Let's assume the one in your photo is 350mm deep and made from planks that are 30mm thick and you want to maintain the kneehole depth of 350mm.

Increase the depth of the bar to 350+30=380mm. Then recess by 30mm the bottom four horizontal planks.
Put the top horizontal plank flush with the edge of the top and sides with the bottom of the plank being to the height of the worktop.
When slid into place the top plank will just clear the worktop and the whole bar will overlap the worktop by 30mm.
The socket can be fitted into the top plank but the plank will need routing to accommodate the cables.
Now from the knee side insert another top plank to hide the cables and make it look flush like it does in your photo. The socket box will screw to this.

This all makes sense in my head but may sound complete gobbledygook to anyone else but your joiner will be able to make it work for you.

sew_what

NSG666 said:

If the breakfast bar will be bespoke....

Let's assume the one in your photo is 350mm deep and made from planks that are 30mm thick and you want to maintain the kneehole depth of 350mm.

Increase the depth of the bar to 350+30=380mm. Then recess by 30mm the bottom four horizontal planks.
Put the top horizontal plank flush with the edge of the top and sides with the bottom of the plank being to the height of the worktop.
When slid into place the top plank will just clear the worktop and the whole bar will overlap the worktop by 30mm.
The socket can be fitted into the top plank but the plank will need routing to accommodate the cables.
Now from the knee side insert another top plank to hide the cables and make it look flush like it does in your photo. The socket box will screw to this.

This all makes sense in my head but may sound complete gobbledygook to anyone else but your joiner will be able to make it work for you.

I'd do this and have (lots of) sockets both on the kitchen side and the barstool side - perfect for charging 'phones, laptops etc

Ectophile

Don't forget to plan how the electrics are going to get to the island unit before you start building it.  Unless you want to come down from the ceiling, you're going to be going under the floor.

I would be thinking of putting an angled surface back box (or several) where the worktop meets the breakfast bar.  But that might be a bit too industrial for you.

FaceHead

Thanks all. Very helpful to have people to think it through with.

Agree the carcus is something like 18mm MDF, plus another 18mm of the side panel or back panel so there's a roughly 36mm thickness for the 35mm backbox. Almost like they designed it that way. 

Only now to decide if having a socket in the side of the island and also the back (i.e. around your knees when sitting at the bar) would be overkill. 

coffeehound

Is it just for powering/charging devices?  If so, perhaps dedicated USB sockets might be more compact.  Just a thought

naf123

Are pop up sockets an option ?

Rosa_Damascena

@NSG666 and Doozer - diagram? I'm struggling to visualise