We just went through this and opted not to put outlets in the floor. We weren’t confident on the for sure furniture layout so didn’t want to ruin the hardwood. I don’t have a solution yet but am keen to see if there are cordless options.

Are we talking like an alternative to cordless table/floor lamps?

I'd say put some outlets in the floor, then you can plug in whatever conventional lamp suits your fancy and not need special battery powered things for the space. They make floor outlet covers in brass and wood that can blend in with the floor and be safely covered up when not in use.

looking for an alternative to putting an outlet in the floor near our couch for low light near the couch.

Following...

I don't understand what you're looking for. Lights 'under' the couch or above the couch? I would think outlets on the floor could be dangerous if some liquid spilled on them.

I would like to be able to plug in a floor lamp next to my couch. the coach will not have an outlet near it.

Your selection of battery operated floor lamps / table lamps will be amazingly limited. Floor outlets. Usually there's not that many options for furniture placement. And I put mine UNDER the furniture to hide most of the cords.

I just did a search for cordless floor lights and found a ton, all reasonable in price. Seems like a great solution that doesn’t great an outlet in my nice new floor!

I will likely have a nice big rug in that area to which would hide the floor outlet.

Me too Teri but then the cord would also need to magically wrap around and under the rug and I would need to have figured out exactly where the plug would be putting it presumably under the sofa as it will not be flush with a cord in it. For me, knowing we were getting new furniture, I didn’t want to risk if. Obviously many people do and love it. We were asked if we wanted floor outlets and said no.

cords under rugs are a no-no - they create a fire hazard.

You have to plan ahead. B Carey's photo shows a good option. Or get a large box (can be your "sofa") to help you visualize, decide where sofa is going and install outlets towards the back of the sofa, but still underneath. You can reach better if towards the back. This is what we did in our last home. Rugs normally don't go all the way under the sofa, so you aren't creating a fire hazard. If you don't want them under the sofa, put under the sofa table with lamps.

I’m definitely putting in floor outlets but not until I’ve got my furniture plan nailed down and I have no intention of rushing. I also will have floating furniture.

we have a basement with removable ceiling tiles and my electrician has assured me that he can install the floor outlets when I am ready. Hope that’s true.

Sorry...but battery operated lights make no sense at all, IMO. Plan your furnishings and put the floor and wall outlets where needed. Easy-peazy!

You all give confusing advice. Pros often tell people to live in the space, not get new furniture and get a feel for the new space before buying. And yet here people are saying plan ahead know where things will go and put in floor outlets. Obviously they would be hard to put in later so if you want them you need to plan ahead for them with confidence but I suspect, just based on my quick google search, there are options for those of us that didn’t have confidence in our furniture placement before flooring went in so want to get a feel for the space first.

If one is building a new, custom house and also buying completely new furniture...pick out your furnishings first. How else will you know if everything will fit and work the way you visualize it?

Architectural design is as much about the inside as it is the outside. If one doesn't know what's going in the inside, one can't really design the inside.

The advice to not get new furniture until after constructing and living in the new space may be good advice. But, then of course, any new purchases will have to fit in and adjust to the new existing spaces.

One can't place a 15-foot long dining table in an existing 10 X 12 room.

True but there are restraints on rooms size and layout that are lot specific too. I’m glad I wasn’t married to a specific piece of furniture as I would have been disappointed if it didn’t fit. Easier to find furniture that will fit our room than build around something I haven’t bought

Alison...I am so burnt out that I have no intention of buying new furniture until I have recovered. I do not trust myself to make decorating decisions right now. I may hire a pro to help me. So, I am taking the advice to live in the space and make decisions slowly. I am going to live with my old furniture for awhile. Don’t really care if anyone else approves.

I do know one thing that will make everyone cringe. My dh and I will have two matching recliners no matter how ugly they look, lol.

Sophie...I know you know everything and I respect you. But your remark about Robin was mean. For all you know she may be a rocket scientist.

I placed my floor outlet where a couch would end up no matter how you arranged it. I did map it out per different scenarios. This was specifically for a table lamp to be placed on a sofa end table. I can't imagine doing this for multiple outlets to accommodate chairs or/and or loveseats though.

It worked out nicely as we have a console behind the sofa that has our ipads. So the outlet if for charging and for a lamp.

fwiw, I wasn't suggesting you buy furniture before moving/build is finished. But most rooms have a clear vision on where the sofa is going (TV, FP, view, room flow).

fwiw, Robin is a guy.

Gee, it sure was easier when most houses had rooms with 4 walls. Each wall had a plug somewhere. Easy peasy! All this "floating" furniture is a royal pain, but a necessity when there is usually just one wall, plus a wall of sliders/windows.

Teri, have you seen this blog post? She's one of my favorite blogging designers : ) ,

https://laurelberninteriors.com/2017/02/08/solution-table-lamp-cords/

Becky sharp, no, and thank you!

Laurel did a nice article featuring our problem solving cordless lamps. Thanks for sharing Becky.

Modern Lantern for more information on our battery operated and rechargeable designer lamps.

Put in the floor outlet where you THINK you'll need it. It won't cost that much, and IF you decide later you want to use the batter-powered lamps, you can always NOT use the floor outlet ... but you will always have it available.

Modern Lantern for more information on our battery operated and rechargeable designer lamps.

Very attractive, but I do not need a $400 lamp in my life. I'll have to stay corded.

Thanks Mrs Pete, they start at $200, our Made in the USA designer ceramic lamps are $400. Same price as most designer lamps made in the US, and that is without the high powered battery pack, LED bulb, wall charger and shade that come with ours. Typically a bargain compared to installing floor outlets which can be limiting as well as a fire hazard if cords end up running on or under rugs and carpeting if you decide to move your furniture later. Just some additional things to consider when planning.