So you've finished your kitchen but now you've found our website and wished you'd found it sooner?
Don't panic! It might not be too late!
There are some options to add music to a finished kitchen. Some are more feasible than others, it really depends on your kitchen.
Read on for some ideas...!
1. Bring Your "A Game" Retrofit Skills
I'm sure the thought of cutting holes in your freshly plastered ceiling fills you with dread but stick with me here!
Back when I was a full time screwdriver wielding electrician we were regularly asked to fit lights, speakers, sockets and much more into completed rooms.
99% of the time the job got completed without any customer breakdowns!
How?
It's pretty safe to say that "most" rooms will be constructed in a similar fashion.
Plasterboard ceiling over wooden joists.
The joists will either run in a direction that's in your favour, or they'll cause you some carefully located holes in the ceiling.
The audio weapon of choice for this situation is usually going to be a Lithe Audio bluetooth ceiling speaker as you only need a power supply!
This means if you can pick up a power supply from the lighting circuit, or by some other means then you'll be able to add the speaker. No panels to wire up or walls to chase out.
If you have access above the ceiling by way of lifting floorboards then you're laughing! Adding wires etc. should be a breeze!
Things to look for when planning a retrofit:
- which way do the joists run? Can you fish cables down to to a wall where you can cut a hole and get the cable down to a kitchen cupboard?
- is there a power supply in the ceiling? - be careful with lights, sometimes the power will be at the switch, you need a permanent live and neutral for the Lithe Audio speakers.
- how many holes are you willing to cut? joists can be crossed by drilling a 76mm or larger hole in the ceiling on the centre of a joist, this allows access to both sides of the joists to fish and notch a small space for the cable. The cut out circular piece of plasterboard can then be screwed back into the cut hole, filled and painted.
- is there access above? If so then a retrofit should be pretty easy! Lift some floorboards, alter the cabling, plug in the ceiling speaker then put the floorboards back down!
Adding systems with a wall panel such as the Systemline E50 and the Q Acoustics E120 is a bit harder, but not impossible.
Stud walls and dot/dabbed plasterboard walls can usually be fished from panel position into the ceiling with a small amount of damage to repair.
The Systemline E100 is going to be a bit harder to retrofit as the DAB/FM radio tuner will need a decent aerial connection which could cause complications with additional wiring.
Tools you'll definitely want use of when retro-fitting ceiling speaker systems!
- Cable pull rods
- Electrical tape
- Holesaw
2. Make Use Of Your Cabinets
On, under or in! All is not lost!
You can often make use of the kitchen cabinets to route cables, access power sockets and even mount speakers. Some options literally make use of the cabinets, with recessed sound-bar style speakers.
Here's a few ideas:
- Under Cabinet Radio - Easy to retro-fit and ideal for smaller kitchens, an under cabinet radio simply screws underneath one of your kitchen cupboards, plug it in and start enjoying your music!
- Sound Bar - There are now a couple of kitchen sound bar options on the market! Featuring bluetooth music streaming and a line input for connection to a TV or other audio device, the bluetooth soundbar can simply be installed in a kitchen cabinet or kick board. Requiring just a standard plug in power supply to bring it to life, they are quick and easy to install!
- Satellite Speaker Systems - This option is a bit of a mix up between an installed audio system and an all-in-one system. Usually featuring a pair of wall mounted, or cabinet mounted (on top of cupboards or underneath) these are discreet systems with hidden cabling and give you high quality music without the need for ceiling speakers. These systems are also ideal if you have concrete or otherwise inaccessible ceilings.
3. There's Always The All-In-One
I know, I know! The whole aim of our website is to help you with neat and tidy installed audio systems.
No cables and no batteries to charge etc. etc.
But if you really do have a finished kitchen with no ability to install a system by the two former options then maybe the all-in-one is the one for you.
With options including FM Radio, DAB Radio, Internet Radio & Bluetooth you won't be sacrificing on features.
Likewise with the installed audio solutions, it's a case of you get what you pay for!
There are some high quality options from Denon Heos & Sonos which also feature multi room audio abilities and they come in various sizes from a small portable to a room-filling line-topping beast.
You could use a simple free standing HiFi system such as the Sonoro Radio or CD2 which also features a CD player. Bose Sound Docks are also quite popular!
We'd say avoid a portable bluetooth speaker, they're great when you're out and about but they aren't always going to produce the best result in a mid to large kitchen.
Need Some Help?
As always we are here to help! If you want some advice on how to add music to your finished kitchen but you're not sure where to start then get in touch with us on 02393 190955 and we'll be happy to help!
