How to Incorporate Charging Stations Throughout Your Custom Home

May 22, 2018

As technology continues to evolve, so will our devices and the availability of new devices. It seems like there is always another new smart home technology to explore. In addition to your smartphones and tablets, the more devices you add to your home, the more stuff you’ll need to keep charged. Instead of competing for a free outlet or trying to make your battery last until you can finish your task and get to one that is more conveniently placed, why not incorporate charging stations throughout your custom home?

Charging stations, whether they are USB integral outlets or wireless, can be placed throughout your custom home to make charging your devices a breeze. Not only are charging stations useful for you in your everyday life, they can also be helpful when you have guests. Whether you’re having friends over for dinner or a game night or the whole family is staying for the holidays, everyone will have a place to charge their phone. Here’s how you can incorporate charging stations throughout your custom home:

Drop Zone

Every home has a drop zone – a place where things are placed when you come home. Your home may have a few drop zones. Think about when you come home from work, running errands, or an event. Where do you usually drop your keys, purse, phone, and anything else you might be carrying?

This is usually a great place for a charging station, especially if it is where your stuff stays until you need it again. For some homeowners, this is a table, cabinet, or stand in the foyer. For others, it could be dedicated counter space in the kitchen. As you plan out your custom home design, you can include space for drop zone areas and also add charging stations there.

Kitchen

The kitchen is a bustling room in the house. In addition to appliances and any smart home technology you want to integrate, you also have personal mobile devices to contend with. Designing your custom home’s kitchen with easy-to-access charging stations, in addition to your normal electrical outlets, can help keep cords out of the way and offer plenty of options for charging devices regardless of what’s going on or who’s over dinner.

If you already have an idea of your kitchen layout, then you already have a good idea where you’re likely to have enough free space to incorporate charging stations that won’t interfere with your use of the kitchen. You don’t want to put your devices in an area where they will compete for space with meal prep or risk cross-contamination. But, there are likely other areas available that won’t cause unnecessary headaches. If you’ve decided to include an island in your kitchen, you have a great opportunity to increase storage and a fantastic place to put a charging station or two that will be useful and mostly out of the way.

Bedroom

Even though it tends not to be a recommended action and we are warned that our phones and devices can interrupt sleep patterns, we all bring them into our bedroom anyway. Even if they’re not actively being used, many people use their phones to set an alarm or charge their devices while they sleep. Whether you use part of your bedroom as a home office or just charge your phone while you sleep, strategically placed charging stations can make life with technology a little easier.

Incorporating charging stations, whether wireless or USB integral outlets, on each side of the bed is an easy first step. From there, you can use bed risers with outlets built-in. If you plan to have a desk or small sitting area in your bedroom, those are also good places for a charging station.

Living Room

The living room is another busy room in your home. In addition to the outlets handling the lamps, TV and entertainment system, and other items, you can also add a couple of charging stations. Some lamps have USB chargers built into their bases, so depending on the decor you choose, you may not need a charging station. If you have children, other family living with you, or often have guests, a charging station on or near the coffee table certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Outside

You will likely have a few electrical outlets outside, which could be used to charge a phone in a pinch. Do your custom home plans include a patio or a deck, especially one with something like an outdoor kitchen, where people will be hanging out for a while? If so, a protected outdoor charging station could be a good idea.

When you are designing your custom home, the opportunities are almost endless! As you imagine your dream home, think of your day-to-day life in it as well. This will help you identify important aspects you can share with your custom home builder that will help them design and build the home you’ve always wanted.

Contact Custom Home Group at 717-284-4090 to get started on the journey to your dream custom home!