Luxury interiors fall apart when cables show and sockets are an afterthought. This India-first guide shows where to place power for consoles, sideboards, dining tables, lamps and art—so your rooms stay elegant, functional, and clutter-free.
Why power planning is a luxury essential
Great rooms look effortless because the infrastructure is invisible. The lamp glows, the sideboard stages a buffet with warming plates, the pendant dims perfectly—and yet you never see a cable. That happens only when power, data, switching, and cable routes are planned before furniture arrives.
“Design is what you see; luxury is what you don’t.”
India-first realities—230 V mains, stone/marble floors, dust, festivals—mean we must design for safety, service access, and discretion. Below is the TAS Living playbook.
1) Map the loads, then hide the sources
Start with a room use-list and mark every item that needs power:
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Entry & living: console lamps, art lights, scent diffusers, robot vacuum dock, router/mesh node.
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Dining: pendant/linear light with dimmer, sideboard (lamps, warming tray, wine fridge), floor outlets for laptop/telepresence during calls, festive string lights.
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Media wall: TV, soundbar, sub, streamer, set-top box.
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Work nooks: task lamp, laptop/charger.
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Bedrooms: bedside lamps, motorised beds/shades, chargers.
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Bathrooms/vanity: mirror lights, hair appliances (when relevant).
Now decide where power will enter without being visible: in-wall (concealed box), in-skirting, in-furniture, or in-floor. Choose the cleanest option the architecture allows.
2) Consoles & entryways: beautiful hand-offs, no cords
Goal: One immaculate picture—lamp, mirror, tray—no cable sightlines.
What works:
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Concealed wall box centered behind the console, 150–250 mm above finished floor (AFF), with a brush plate or recessed socket so plugs don’t push the furniture away.
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In-skirting channels with discrete cover caps if the wall can’t be chased.
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Cord drop behind a leg: use a matte cable sleeve tone-matched to the wall or console finish.
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Top switching: place the switch/dimmer at standard switchboard height (~1050–1200 mm AFF) near the entry so you never reach behind decor.
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Festivals: add one spare socket near the console (on the same circuit) for diyas/strings—always use trays on stone.
Styling discipline: If the mirror has a picture light, feed it from inside the wall; do not drape a cable down the frame.
3) Dining rooms: pendants, sideboards & the “service lane”
Pendant / linear light
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Hang height: ~75–90 cm above tabletop for intimacy; center to the table, not the room, if the table is offset.
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Dimmer is mandatory for evening hosting; spec neutral-tone LEDs that dim smoothly.
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Ceiling feed: route in-ceiling; keep canopy minimal to avoid visual bulk.
Sideboards (the hospitality hub)
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Sockets: hide two to four outlets directly behind the sideboard at 150–250 mm AFF; use recessed sockets so the unit sits flush.
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Loads you’ll actually use: two lamps, warming/cooling appliance (during parties), rechargeable candle base, sound hub, art light feed.
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Clearance: preserve ~91–110 cm from pulled-out chair backs to sideboard face for pass-through comfort.
The service lane (on table)
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Keep a clear strip down the table center for platters/stands. Protect stone with heat-safe runners/trivets. Power stays at the sideboard—never snake an extension across the floor on hosting day.
4) Floor outlets: when (and how) to do them right
Floor boxes are your best friend in open plans when you can’t reach a wall without crossing a cable.
Where to place
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Under dining table: offset under the base or dead-center, with a flush brass/bronze cover; route one tail up inside a table leg with a fabric sleeve—invisible to guests.
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Floating seating group: place between sofas under a rug border, never in walk paths; use flush pop-ups with child-safe covers.
How to specify
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Ingress protection (IP) sufficient for mopping; flush, screw-down lids.
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Finish: brass/bronze cover plates read premium on stone.
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Cable plan: elastic slack loops under table with Velcro ties, never tension.
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Label the circuit in the DB so future service is painless.
Safety notes
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Use RCD/RCBO protection and proper earthing; involve a licensed electrician.
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In wet-mop areas, choose gasketed boxes; educate housekeeping on closed-lid mopping.
5) Media walls & work nooks: zero visual noise
Media wall
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Chase a vertical conduit from a floor-level socket cluster to a TV mid-height junction box, so all cables (power + HDMI) vanish inside the wall.
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Provide one spare data point and two spare power points for future devices.
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Soundbar/sub: plan low sockets off-center to hide bricks; leave a vent gap behind a closed credenza.
Work nooks
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In-furniture power rails (under desk) with a single wall feed keep cables off the floor.
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Cable grommets with brush inserts maintain a clean top.
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Surge suppression and USB-C PD ports reduce chargers on display.
6) Bedrooms & bedside: calm, not clutter
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Bedside sockets each side—one switched lamp, one unswitched outlet, one USB-C if possible; place at ~300 mm AFF so chargers tuck into the table neatly.
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Headwall reading lights: concealed feed; individual switching so partners aren’t disturbed.
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Motorised shades/beds: provide dedicated low-level sockets behind the headboard before panelling goes up.
7) Kitchens, bars & bath vanities (when your room overlaps)
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Keep kitchen/bar circuits separate from living/dining; avoid nuisance trips mid-dinner.
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Appliance garage sockets hide toasters/mixers; doors drop to reveal them.
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Vanity lighting: mirror demisters/Shaver outlets need dedicated, safe feeds; avoid visible wires near stone splashback.
8) Cable routes that disappear
Four methods TAS designers rely on:
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In-wall: the cleanest; pre-plan before marble/veneer cladding.
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In-skirting: removeable cover for service; paint/veneer to match.
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Under-rug: flat power cables and floor boxes—mind IP rating and housekeeping.
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In-furniture: consoles/sideboards with rear cavities and vented backs so bricks and hubs vanish.
Finish discipline
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Use matte sleeves tone-matched to wall or leg; avoid glossy black spirals.
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Keep one dominant metal (brass/bronze) for plates and trims; repeat it.
9) India-first reliability: heat, humidity, dust, festivals
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Sealed stone under floor boxes; gasketed lids to resist mopping water.
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Dust: specify snap-in brush plates where cables pass; easier to clean.
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Heat: ensure vent gaps for power bricks inside furniture.
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Festivals: diyas and oils only on protective trays; keep an extra switched socket near sideboards/consoles for temporary lighting.
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Power quality: in fluctuation-prone areas, add surge protection at the board and consider a small UPS for routers/mesh so smart lighting doesn’t drop during brief outages.
10) Typical heights & spacing (TAS quick sheet)
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Switchboard height (general): ~1050–1200 mm AFF
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Socket height (general): 150–300 mm AFF (hide behind furniture)
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Console outlet: 150–250 mm AFF (recessed)
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Sideboard outlets: 150–250 mm AFF (multiple, recessed)
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Pendant over dining: ~75–90 cm above tabletop
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Dining pass-through behind chairs to sideboard: ~91–110 cm
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Router/mesh node: high shelf or inside console with venting; one spare outlet nearby
(Final locations must be validated on site with a licensed electrician and your civil/MEP drawings.)
Mistakes that instantly cheapen a room
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Floor boxes off-center so cords snake out visibly.
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Sockets placed too high behind consoles—furniture floating away from wall.
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Visible extension cords as “permanent” solutions.
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Mixed metal plates (chrome here, black there, brass somewhere) fighting the palette.
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Picture lights with exposed cables instead of concealed feeds.
Summary
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Plan loads first, then pick in-wall / in-skirting / in-furniture / in-floor sources.
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Consoles & sideboards: recessed low sockets; keep cables inside the furniture’s shadow.
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Dining: dimmable pendant centered to table; sideboard sockets for hosting; floor box only when you must—then hide the tail in a leg.
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Routes: sleeves, brush plates, under-rug runs; tone-match and matte.
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India-first: IP-rated floor boxes, surge protection, trays for festivals, dust-smart detailing.
FAQs
Where should sockets go behind a sideboard?
At 150–250 mm above the floor with recessed sockets so the sideboard sits flush; plan 2–4 outlets on that wall.
Is a floor outlet safe under a dining table?
Yes—if flush/gasketed, properly earthed, and routed up inside a leg with a matte sleeve. Keep the lid closed when not in use.
How high should a dining pendant hang?
~75–90 cm above the tabletop (adjust to ceiling height and sightlines), on a dimmer.
How do I hide tv/media cables?
Provide a concealed conduit from a floor cluster to mid-TV height; terminate in a junction box behind the screen so power + HDMI vanish.
Do I need surge protection?
In most Indian cities, yes. Add surge devices at the board and protect routers/mesh with a small UPS.
