Reno Therapy: Electrical Upgrades with Leviton
“This post is in partnership with Leviton because I love em & know you’ll love em too!”
If you've been following along with my reno therapy series here on the blog then you know that so far we've covered the "big three" when it comes to the kitchen renovation — the cabinets, countertops, and backsplash.
Installing the aforementioned elements are definitely where the kitchen's transformation began, but not where it ended. The "supporting cast" of the design is where everything really starts to come together, and for this renovation, the supporting cast included all of our Leviton switch & receptacle upgrades.
Who is Leviton?
Leviton is a one stop destination for electrical wiring and lighting control resources, i.e outlets and light switches.
We were familiar with the Leviton brand prior to the renovation. When we moved into the house, we went around — slowly but surely — upgrading all of the older receptacles with newer ones that better reflected our design inclinations. I knew for the renovation, I didn't just want "updated" switches... I wanted switches that intentionally matched the design.
Once I settled on our backsplash — a 4x12 matte black subway tile from The Tile Shop — I knew Leviton's robust assortment would be perfect for creating a seamless look across our walls, in addition to supporting our time in the kitchen — from cooking to working.
For the kitchen, I focused on Leviton's Decora Smart® Wi-Fi Product Family, in addition to a few of their other products that would make the kitchen simpler, smarter, safer, and more stylish.
Smart: Decora Smart® with Wi-Fi Technology
It's no secret that I'm a huge proponent for smart home solutions. I wanted the kitchen to be as smart as the rest of our home, especially for our daily routines (i.e. a schedule for turning the cafe appliances on and off). Switching to these smart solutions was a simple DIY installation that didn't require an electrician or a hub.
With the Decora Smart® Dimmer Switch & the Decora Smart® Duplex Outlet, we can control the kitchen lighting & power with our voice through Google Home devices and/or our smart phones via the My Leviton app.
Safe: SmartlockPro GFCI Receptacles® & Dual USB Type-A/Type-C In-Wall Charger Outlet
This being an older home, the outlets were very, very dated, including not having any GFCI receptacles. The Self Test SmartlockPro Duplex with Guide Light will allow us to have safer electrical measures in the kitchen, with the added benefit of a nightlight... no additional plug in required. On the other side of the kitchen, where GFCI outlets aren't required, I opted for Leviton's Dual USB Outlets — one Type A/A Outlet for the majority of our devices, and one Type A/C Outlet to have an option for newer devices including the latest smartphones and tablets.
Making these updates across our outlets meant we could safely power appliances & devices to optimal charging power.
Stylish: Decora Smart® Color Change Kits & Decora Plus Screwless Wall Plates
Typically when you entire a home — especially one as old as mine — you see either white or almond switches & outlets. Our home had predominantly almond plates, which we slowly began transitioning to white through Leviton products. In the kitchen, however, this wasn't gonna fly. With nearly all of the plates landing on the backsplash, I wanted black plates that would blend in — not stand out — with the backdrop. Leviton's Decora Smart® Color Change Kits allowed us to switch to black plates without having to install a whole new device — just remove the current face and snap on the new color.
The Decora Plus Screwless Wall Plate with its snap on feature gave me the clean & seamless design I envisioned with our backsplash.
Throughout this renovation I've always maintained that I never wanted to sacrifice style for function, or vice versa. In order to truly improve our quality of life it had to be an equal balance and Leviton's products allowed me to achieve that.
In comparison to many of the other upgrades we made, these were minimal changes... minimal with maximum impact that makes every routines easier. It's always been said that good design is in the details, and taking the time to be intentional about these details paid off.
