If the kitchen has an island and a floor-standing equipped back section, the electric cables can come out along the back section in the 13cm wide empty space below the accessories (in fig. A, the green coloured area).

The centerline of the space that can be used for the electric cables must be calculated by adding 10cm to the depth of the worktop.  

As well as being aesthetically pleasing, a kitchen with an island is particularly practical to use because of the logical arrangement of all its elements. The island has a 20cm deep back section in stainless steel that stands on the floor and is located alongside the sink base unit nd behind the island. The back section allows more freedom to position the electric and plumbing floor outlets because these can run inside it. The fact that the back section is higher than the worktop turns it into a protection from splashing water and makes it possible to fix the special tap designed by Valcucine to its vertical side. For the Valcucine island hood, the fumes outlet must have a diameter of 15cm.

The precise position of the fumes outlet for this hood is determined by adding 10cm to the depth of the top (centerline of the equipped back section) where it intersects the hob centerline.

Due to the fact that it is an island arrangement, the sizes of the various elements and the necessary distances between them must be carefully planned to better exploit all its potential. The island requires a surrounding space of about 120cm which is the optimal distance required to simultaneoulsy open the doors of the base units and of any tower units installed along the wall (at least 100cm are needed).

The plumbing connections must be made in the 13cm wide empty space at the bot- tom of the back section (see fig. A). The centerline of the space that can be used for the water pipes must be calculated by adding 10cm (back section centerline) to the depth of the worktop. From here, the pipes can run through the back section until they reach destination If the room and the type of hood allow for it, it is preferable to install the hood motor outside the kitchen to eliminate any annoying extraction noise. All the Valcucine hoods give you this opportunity (see page 116). The new, single-lever mixer tap designed by Valcucine with a swivel, fold-down neck and rotating, glass spout can be fixed to the back section that is 20cm higher than the worktop.

The electric system can be defined only after the exact position of all the units, of the appliances and of the table have been decided. The plan of the electrical system has the aim of precisely defining all the light points, the sockets, the intercom connections, the thermostats, the telephone and the TV antenna sockets. This is the only way for the electrician to create a rational and aesthetically pleasing system.

Often household appliances are connected to sockets located behind the furniture, at 17.5 cm from the floor, making them difficult to access. To guarantee practical socket inspection it is advisable to collect them all together in a single electric board located behind the sink base unit, the only one without a back panel. It is from here that the various power supply lines for appliances and for the back section are managed. It is a good idea to divide the sockets in the electric board and give each a separate switch to prevent a failure of one appliance jeopardising the use of all the other sockets. It is advisable to provide for a cable outlet concealed behind the wall units for a light or for a midway socket.

If a back section is not fitted, provide for sockets on the back panel of the kitchen to connect small appliances. For safety reasons it is best to keep sockets at a minimum distance of 60 cm from the hob and sink.

Due to the fact that the kitchen can also be illuminated by the hood light and by the lights at the bottom of the wall units it is a good idea to collect their power supply under a single switch located on the back panel of the kitchen.

The cable outlet for the hood must be selected in compliance with the type of hood chosen and is usually located just above the appliance so that it becomes invisible.

Often one finds oneself in the position of planning kitchen furniture after the kitchen has already been built and the walls have been constructed in an irrational way, with drains and electric sockets that do not follow a logical kitchen project.

The inevitable consequence is that the kitchen furniture has to be adapted to the architecture which often calls for costly custom-sized units. The correct method is to plan the kitchen furniture first by defining the position of each element and the exact size of the modules.

For a corner kitchen, first of all the perfect perpendicularity of the two adjacent walls must be checked, and these must be measured at a height of 90 cm, to avoid major problems during assembly. When planning kitchen furniture it is necessary to consider a tolerance of +1cm for possible imperfections in the straightness of the walls, and +1cm thickness for possible wall claddings. If you want to add a free- standing fridge with a water and ice dispenser it is necessary to plan a space sufficient for the convex door to open properly as well as for the socket and the water supply/drain tap to be located near the appliance.

Another very important element to consider is the size of the side panel against a door: it is calculated by adding +2cm to the depth of the kitchen up to the door frame. To install a worktop under the window, it is necessary to calculate the right height of the window sill and the position of the tap. If the hood is wall-hung, it is advisable to make a fumes outlet hole on the same wall; its position will vary depending on the type of hood chosen. On either side of tower units a plasterboard wall creates an alcove-fitted effect. This must be made-to-measure after the tower units have been installed.

The fridge with a water and ice dispenser requires an electric socket located alongside the appliance. It is of fundamental importance o decide the position of the units and of the appliances before planning the plumbing system of a corner kitchen, especially if you want to fit special appliances such as an American-style refrigerator. To install this type of fridge with an automatic water and ice dispenser it is necessary to plan for a water supply/drain tap beside the appliance.

The connection pipe must be made from a foodsafe material. By adding the back section, it will be possible for the water and gas pipes to come out at any point in the wall behind the kitchen. Nevertheless, it is a good idea or the pipes to come out of the wall behind the sink base unit because it is the only readily accessible unit without a back panel. From here and through the back section, the gas pipe can reach the hob. The back section can also contain the gas safety cock. 

For the New Logica System with units along the wall, the electric cables should come out below the sink because this is the only base unit that does not have a back panel. Since the system is provided with 14cm wide supporting brackets fixed to the wall, the free space on the wall is 76cm if the base unit is 90cm wide or 106cm if the base unit is 120cm wide. Nevertheless, the cables are not obliged to come out below the sinks because they can also run through the 30cm deep back section. Sockets must also be provided on the wall to supply electricity to the ovens, fridge, wine cellars, etc. in the sliding door cupboard unit.

In the room shown, the living room area has been organised to divide the space while preserving an open, luminous appearance. This is achieved by using large floor-to-ceiling glass panels that slide in runners fixed to the ceiling, leaving the floor free of unsightly encumbrances. The final impression is that of a large, single, kitchen-living room space. The large sliding doors prevent the cooking odours from reaching the living room area. The sliding, glass Valcucine Living doors are 10mm thick and available transparent or customisable with various decorations (that can even by created by the customer).

In an open plan room such as this one, the special element New Logica System along the wall can rightly be considered as revolutionary. When necessary, it can conceal all the kitchen equipment and dishware. It is provided with a super-light, lift-up door with a counterweight balancing system that shuts with a simple touch of the hand and a vertically-sliding door that disappears behind the base units and slides up by means of a rack mechanism.

The New Logica System also contains a hood, requiring a 15cm diameter fumes outlet hole that must be made in the wall at a height that is calculated by adding 87.9cm to the height of the top and centred on the hob centerline. In an open space it makes sense to install tower units so that they look as if they are alcove-fitted, flush with the wall (the plasterboard false wall will be built to suit the height of the tower units). In this case, it will be necessary to make holes to allow the hot air generated by refrigeration to escape. The aeration holes must have a total minimum surface of 200cm2. There are some refrigerators on the market that do not require these holes because they are designed so that cold air enters half of the plinth while hot air exits the other half.

For the New Logica System with units along the wall, water drains and connections should come out below the sink because this base unit that does not have a back panel. Since the system is provided with 14cm wide supporting brackets hob centerline fixed to the wall, the free space on the wall is 76cm if the base unit is 90cm wide or 106cm if the base unit is 120cm wide. Nevertheless, the water pipes are not obliged to come out below the sinks because they can also run through the 30cm deep back section. The New Logica System hood also requires a 15cm diameter fumes outlet hole that must be made in the wall at a height that is calculated by adding 87.9cm or 99.9cm to the height of the top (depending on whether a 192cm or a 204cm New Logica System is installed). This hole must be centred on the hob centerline. For the alcove-fitted cupboard units it will be necessary to make holes to allow the hot air generated by refrigeration to escape (the plasterboard wall must be built to suit the size of the cupboard unit). The aeration holes must have a total minimum surface of 200cm2. There are some refrigerators on the market that do not require these holes because they are designed so that cold air enters half of the plinth while hot air exits the other half.

The false ceiling used to conceal the hood flue pipe is also useful to hide the electric connections that come out of the wall and that power the hood and the lights above the worktop and above the table. We suggest you choose the position of the table before deciding the position of the able outlet for the ceiling light to avoid having to use unsightly ceiling extension cables for a perfectly centred light. If your table is more than 150cm long, it is advisable to provide for more than one light.

If the oven and fridge are too far from the electric board, that is usually located below the sink, a socket will be required behind the appliance. The electric cable outlet from the false ceiling to power the hood must be located near the fumes outlet.   

Due to the fact that the peninsular unit has an equipped back section, the electric cables must come out of the wall behind the back section. After the exact position of the back section has been decided, the electric cables must fall within the 11cm gap, measured across the centerline of the back section and in an area comprised between Y1 and Y2 (see fig.A) that varies depending on the height of the base unit (see page 88). From here the cables will be directed below the sink where they will become part of an electric board to which the various appliances will be connected.

In an open space, every detail must be carefully planned because the kitchen shares the space with the living room and becomes the heart of the home, the place where you spend most of your time and where you give hospitality to your friends. For a good aesthetic result special attention must be paid to the hood flue that should be concealed or to the tower units that should be fitted inside an alcove. If it isn’t possible to make a fumes outlet in the ceiling but you still want a stylish island hood, it must be connected to the existing outlet that is usually at the top of a wall. At this stage, if you want to conceal the flue pipe, you will be obliged to build a false ceiling. Due to the fact that we are planning a kitchen-living room, we could take advantage of the need to conceal the flue pipe by lowering the ceiling above the entire kitchen area and aligning it with the walls, or with doors or windows to create a logical distinction between the two areas. In an open space it makes sense to install tower units so that they look as if they are alcove-fitted, flush with the wall.

If you want to fit refrigerators inside tower units that are as tall as the ceiling, it will be necessary to make holes to allow the hot air generated by refrigeration to escape. The aeration holes must have a minimum total surface of 200cm2. There are some refrigerators on the market that do not require these holes because they are designed so hat cold air enters half of the plinth while hot air exits the other half. The plasterboard wall must be made-to- measure depending on the height of the tower units. If a tower unit is installed in the corner against a side wall, knobs or vertical handles must be used instead of horizontal handles or enough space must be left to open the door. This space will then be concealed with a filler strip.

Once the exact position of the island has been decided, the coordinates of the hood fumes outlet centerline in the ceiling must be calculated by adding the distance J (J is a variable that depends on the type of hood and is equal to 35cm for the most common types) where it intersects the hob centerline, to the position of the front edge of the worktop.

In this position, a flue pipe will run to the flue outlet in the wall, concealed by the false ceiling. For good hood extraction, the pipe must also be carefully chosen and positioned 

A gas cock can be fitted in a compartment in the back section behind the hob.

The plumbing pipes must also come out of the wall behind the back section. The pipes must fall within the 11cm gap, measured across the centerline of the back section and in an area comprised between Y1 and Y2 (see fig. A) that varies depending on the height of the base unit t is very important to remember that the drain pipe must always be fitted in the lowest position. The pipes will run from the wall to the sink base unit.