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cefreeman_gw

Ok. I give. Plum golds.

CEFreeman
10 years ago

So I've been reading Plumgolds for years. Never bothered to look because I couldn't figure out why some of these kitchen would want to add plum and gold accents.

Recently, I connected my dyslexia (usually just with numbers) to Plug molds and thought, "ohhhoooohhhh. Ahhh HA!"

One of the benefits of having no money and taking things slowly is the ability to change my mind. I have an electrically useful kitchen. i.e. I have quad outlets everywhere vs. singles. I incorporated switches and outlets into one box, so I didn't have a zillion things on my back wall. But electrically my kitchen is in this millennium.

I think it needs to take the next step. Ok, that would be finishing my cabinets, but a girl can dream, right!?!

Now... for the rest of the outlets, I want plugmolds. Gotta have them.

I'm going to look into how much my electrician will charge me to convert the outlets to plug molds (I keep wanting to type plumgolds) instead. He put them in in the first place, so a little change (insert belly laugh, "Little! HAHAHAH") won't be a big deal. I can only afford him to come every couple years, so may as well add this to the list.

I have broken my cardinal rule and posted before searching. Now I'm off to look at every single thread involving Plug. Molds. Not plumgolds.

Off I go.
Here's a probably ridiculously stupid question: Anyone wish they had big ol' outlets in the middle of their back splashes!
Didn't think so.

Comments (19)

  • Lisa
    10 years ago

    Hahaha, that is funny!! Those darn plugmolds caused me more stress in my remodel than most other things! My contractor wasn't familiar w/using them and the electricians didn't feel like taking the time to figure out how to use them without me having to make sacrifices on the way they were installed. Anyway, I have them now and love them. However, they are NOT cheap, which I wasn't aware of before I insisted on having them. The actual plugmolds themselves are pricey and the electricians charged me a small fortune. I kept one regular outlet where I keep my coffee maker so I wouldn't see a cord hanging down. But other than that I don't keep anything on my counter that plugs in, something to think about.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    CEF
    I have angled plumgolds aka plugmolds - I do think it is impossible to type this word correctly. My fat finger syndrome has trouble typing certain words.

    I started out with all PM(easier to type) and got cold feet, so added a few outlets where switches were needed.

    If I had realized that there was such a thing as the laser disposal switch on the sink - I would have nuked that one.

    I also would have nuked the one in my baking area and done without a second UCL switch.

    The only helpful wall one is in the corner and my DH keeps his coffee pot and grinder plugged in.

    These are standard plug mold mounted on an angled piece of wood. I also wish I had gone with white but at the time, I though black would be more hidden (and didn't realize the underside of the cabs would be lighter than the cabinets.

    If you plug in items all of the time and know where you use these items - then a wall mount would work so no "pigtails"

    Another view

    Look Ma - no plugs!

    I would love to nuke this one!

    Close up of the plug mold

    By code - I would have needed 3 outlets along this wall - and as I said above - I would nuke the one if I could have done it over

    There is a wall outlet and switch hiding behind the mixer - again, I would have nuked this one as well.

  • schicksal
    10 years ago

    From the title I thought this would be a thread about using the colors plum and gold in someone's kitchen, maybe some kind of Crown Royal bottle or LA Lakers theme.

  • northcarolina
    10 years ago

    I have outlets in the middle of my backsplash by choice. I am not tall, but I'd still have to duck down to see a plug that was mounted right under the upper cabinet, and that would annoy me to no end. (Not quite brave enough to plug something into an electrical outlet by feel...) There are also undercab lights up there. We leave only one appliance (coffeemaker) out on the counter, so trailing cords wouldn't be a problem for us; but some people don't like seeing them.

    My backsplash is white tile and my outlets and covers are white, so it all blends in. But I would have put outlets in the middle of the backsplash regardless of color, just for the ease of use. (I plug and unplug things every day.)

  • Bunny
    10 years ago

    I won't apologize for small appliances on my counters, four of which are plugged in at all times (toaster, coffee maker, coffee grinder, Nespresso). Outlets mid-backsplash are mostly hidden by the appliances themselves. I would not care for cords hanging down.

    Now if only you could choose the color of the cord.

  • CEFreeman
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I read about people keeping appliances on their countertops. It's a novel idea for me, given I choose to store (ready?) Piles and PILES of crap instead. Building materials, stain & paint, cabinets to be hung, stuff that should BE in the cabinets I've already hung, etc.

    I have an espresso machine plugged in on my one and only workspace. Even when my counters are actually clean, I still seem to use only the 24" counter between my fridge and sink. The espresso machine takes up its space.

    I don't like cords. When die and go to hell, it will be those, the smoking section, acid rock or mariachi bands, freezing cold, refried beans and guacamole with mushrooms, and someone telling me over and over, the same story about their brilliant kid and repeatedly telling me how the school system is against him because she knows her kid and her kid wouldn't..... Ok. I'll stop. I'll be tangled in cords and won't be able to get away.

    However, I also don't like cords on the counter getting icky and having to wipe them down when I actually clean.

    I like the idea of a smooth backsplash rather than the outlets. The idea of lower outlets is good.

    I'm kind of wondering if there isn't a really nice plug mold that would go along the bottom of the back splash for the best of both worlds.

    As far as color? I've become a believer in priming and chalk paint with a poly acrylic on it. Amazing stuff! I've been testing switch plates and outlets and so far, I can't scratch the paint. Given I don't plug/unplug a lot of things, somewhere this treatment might come in handy. That also means I wouldn't be shy about painting a cord I'm never going to touch, such as my espresso machine cord.

    Ok, I'm wandering in my head. It's a lonely place.
    I'm off to work on my cabinet doors. I've moved back into the kitchen after 6 weeks of MBR cabinets. yeah!

  • gretela
    10 years ago

    Outlet alternative- my sister photographed backsplash tile and pattern, printed in the same scale/sized, and glued the print onto outlet cover. It just disappears into the rest of the backsplash

  • deedles
    10 years ago

    Hahaha.... ahhhh. Plum golds.

    Well, not only DON'T I have plum golds but I also didn't think to tell DH to keep the outlets low so I'll have stinkin' outlets right in the middle of the whole shebang.

    I asked him if there was anyway to change it at this late date and he just kinda gazed into the distance so I dropped it.

    But, you go for it, girl!

  • romy718
    10 years ago

    Christine, taking things slowly is a good thing. I've become a firm believer in a 6-12 month GW kitchen forum education before even starting a new kitchen. Either that or stay off the forum once your kitchen is done.
    I have the outlets in my backsplash even though all my walls were open & I could have done plug molds or placed them low & horizontal.
    Just looked in my corner cabinet this morning & realized I have a lazy susan, not a super susan. It is a big improvement over my old lazy susan but still...
    How could I have missed that?
    Now, I need to pay to have my Blum soft close runners removed & have heavy duty ones installed.
    I was on GW a good 6 months but I was spending my time obsessing over which white to use, hinges or no hinges, cabinet hardware, inset with or without bead.
    There's more I wish I would have known to do but thankfully, I can't remember.
    Edit: typo

    This post was edited by romy718 on Sun, Feb 23, 14 at 14:37

  • Evan
    10 years ago

    I've been reading it as plumgolds too! I grasped that it was some kind of electrical outlet, and couldn't figure out why they were called that. Thanks for clearing it up!

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    10 years ago

    I suppose that plugmold along the joint between wall and counter would be too vulnerable to water? Otherwise it is a fab idea.

    I would have been quite happy with the receptacles place horizontally and low -- in fact, told my guys that was what I wanted. They clearly didn't grasp the concept because they so didn't do that.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    You could look at Mocket Sockets - they pop up out of the counter.

  • CEFreeman
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Romy, why would you pay someone to do that for you?
    Get the appropriate runners and just swap them out! The hard part is done: the holes where you should screw them in are already there. Check into A H Turf, who has THE lowest prices on these babies. I'm here to tell 'ya!

    Yes, 6-12 months is great. When you're lucky, as I am, you'll get 2-10 years. I'm heading on 8 years now, and no end in site. But that's for my whole house. I know, though. Anyone who whines about several months, or is proud of a 2-month renovation? I just laugh and laugh and laugh and laugh (and the neighbors call the loony bin) and laugh...

    I went through that initially, though. Just looking at the imagined finished picture, vs. the mechanics of all. Again, thanks to poverty, I've had the time to reconsider, change my mind, adjust, discard, and dream a lot.

    I'm familiar with mocket sockets. I used to install them in conference room tables when I was an IT manager. If they weren't plastic (are they anymore?) they'd be a good choice. The thing is, liquid/spills would go right down them.

    Good idea, gratela!

    Raee, I'm thinking that little part of a counter that goes up the wall a little? Do we not use them anymore? (Worrying that I should be looking down my nose at that!?)

    ahh. It's all in the future.
    I start a 2nd job tomorrow to try to catch up on 8 months of zero to no income. It'll be a while!

  • motherof3sons
    10 years ago

    My mother put plugmold in the kitchen when I was a teenager (circa 1975). It was placed about 6" above the lovely gold/brown countertop in a one color fits all tan. Oh and the backsplash, a lovely silver plastic 4x4 is still there along with the counters and plugmold. I put plug mold in my kitchen - almond in color - and placed it under the cabinet. Little did Mom know she was a revolutionary kitchen gal!

  • bpath
    10 years ago

    Plum gold? That's nicer than what I was thinking: how in the world would plugs get moldy?

  • schicksal
    10 years ago

    Plumgolds are a lot like marigolds, only more purple in color.

  • lynn_r_ct
    9 years ago

    gretela, great idea and easier to match tile. The box stores sell the clear switches that are meant to have wallpaper behind them so the wallpaper doesn't get damaged so why can't the pic of the tile work? I never understood why people don't paint their outlets or switches, To me at least they stand out like wall "acne"" - taking the liberty of someone's reference to recessed lights as being "ceiling acne". Once and a while they might need a touch up but well worth the glaring boxes that are screaming "see me" in the midst of what are usually fab backsplashes or gorgeous paint jobs. IMHO

  • williamsem
    9 years ago

    I have one strip to the right of my sink, and we keep the coffee maker and rice cooker plugged in all the time.

    I kept reading about how expensive it was, but I did not find it to be bad at all. I bought a strip at HD, and while it was certainly more than a regular outlet, it wasn't crazy. I got a direct wire strip, and my GC just wired it in with a shallow junction box under the counter and we were set.

    Here is a link that might be useful: PM at HD

  • monicakm_gw
    9 years ago

    I DO have plum-golds in my kitchen but DON'T have plug molds (LOL)
    Monica (who is celebrating the fact that I can now, (after several years) see pictures on this website again! I was hoping to see some beautiful plum golds :)

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