Remodeling 101: DIY Flush Electrical Outlets, Courtesy of a Budget-Minded Young NYC Architect

Thirty-two-year-old NYC architect Kory Worl refers to intrusive electrical outlets as “wall acne.” Do you share his pain? Worl has a remedy in mind for you.

The entrepreneurial architect began his career at Leroy Street Studio working on luxe residential projects, which is when he zeroed in on the appeal of flush power outlets that disappear into the wall. We, too, are longtime fans—see Remodeling 101: The Surprising Appeal of Flush Electrical Outlets. “During my work at LSS, I often recommended luxury outlets for their minimal, unobtrusive design, but was taken aback by the expense to purchase and install them,” says Worl.

Wanting these details for his own home and personal clients’ places, he saw an opportunity. Worl devised Flushtek, a system that uses hardware store parts and basic tools in tandem with his template to create flush outlets that won’t break the budget.

Flushtek outlets are admittedly not as elegant as Bocci’s plate-free, circular little insets. But they’re a lot easier to install—builders and DIYers, take note—and more affordable. Come see.

Photographs courtesy of Flushtek.

Above: “The National Electric Code requires one (or more) outlets on every wall,” writes Worl. “For the design-minded homeowner, this is a serious aesthetic problem.” The Flushtek solution makes use of Lutron Claro 1-gang screwless Wallplates, which are available in a range of colors and in bronze or stainless steel. Instead of protruding from the wall, these plates, installed using Flushtek, sit flat, “quietly fading into the background,” as Worl puts it.

“By using an off-the-shelf outlet and streamlining the installation process, I saw an opportunity to create savings on both materials and labor while still achieving baseboard outlets with a flush and modern look,” explains Worl. “I designed Flushtek to be fast and foolproof, with a traceable template that elevates outlets available at the local hardware store.”

Above: The Flushtek system is most commonly used on baseboards to conceal outlets and data jacks: “users clamp our template to a piece of material [such as the wood for a baseboard] and trace the outline with a router to create a cutout that perfectly fits an outlet.”

Above: A creative builder used scrap plywood and the Flushtek system to integrate an outlet in an interior brick wall.  Flushtek currently only works on wood, composites, and plastics, but Worl is at work on a new line that allows flush installations in drywall, tile, and stone.

Above: Flushtek electrical outlet components. A Flushtek System Pack is $149.99, and includes reusable templates that are manufactured in Vermont and a router bit made by Whiteside Machine in North Carolina. Go to Flushtek’s How It Works section for the full details.

For more on outlets, see:

• Remodeling 101: Where to Locate Electrical Outlets, Kitchen Edition
• Remodeling 101: Where to Locate Electrical Outlets, Bathroom Edition
• 10 Easy Pieces: Floor Outlets
• Beautiful Basics: The Brass Light Switch and More by Meljac