If there’s one thing that bugs me more than anything in a home, it’s the sight of a lots of wires and cables. I don’t think I’m alone in this because who can possibly like looking at wires!
You can tidy your home all you want, you can declutter and fill it with beautiful stuff but if you have trailing wires and cables, it will look like a hot mess. I’ve gone to great lengths to hide wires in my home and so I thought I’d share what I do in case it helps. I’m actually surprised I haven’t shared this before because it’s such a bug bear of mine.
If you have even a few wires in sight that drive you crazy, read on for some ideas on how to hide them.
6 ways to hide ugly wires and cables for a clutter-free look
1. choose purpose made furniture
Using furniture that’s built to hide tech is always a great idea especially as there is so much choice out there for every taste and budget. This kind of furniture will not only hide your cables but will also hide away the tech pieces themselves. Think TV cabinets and media units for living spaces or office furniture to hide away printers and scanners.
2. use cable concealers
Ideally when you have something wall mounted like a TV or a wall light, you want to sink the wire into a channel in the wall and plaster over it for a completely seamless finish. Unless done as part of a renovation project, this can get pricey as you’ll likely need to call in pros. The next best solution is to hide the wire behind some wire trunking or a cable concealer. But don’t stop there. Paint the concealer to match the wall to make it even less visible.
3. put small beauty appliances away
Many of us have several beauty appliances that we use pretty frequently. I have a hair straightener that I use most often; around once or twice a week. Before I used to keep this on a countertop, plugged in with the wire in full view because it felt convenient. But now I put it away after every use because I realised it doesn’t take more than a minute to do this and my bedroom looks so much tidier.
Whether it’s hair straighteners or hair dryers or any other beauty appliance, keeping it tucked away in an easily accessible drawer or cupboard is the best way to get the cables out of sight. This will make your bedroom or bathroom so much tidier.
4. use a box
For large connections like Wi-Fi which can have several wires and chunky boxes, buy or make an inexpensive wooden box with a door, to hide it all. The idea here is to wall mount the box and have it cover the wires, boxes and the electrical socket so nothing is visible. You can customise any shop bought one or make your own.
You might be wondering why I’ve specifically suggested a wooden box. This is so that you can easily paint it to match your wall, so it almost disappears.
5. hide kitchen appliances
Much like beauty appliances, most kitchen appliances can be stored away too. Most people do put away less frequently used appliances but I’m talking about regular use ones too. If it’s something you use a few times a week like a toaster, don’t even think twice about putting it away as it’s such a tiny inconvenience.
For things you use daily consider placing them inside a cupboard and adding an electrical socket in there if possible (e.g. a tea or coffee station). This is of course easier if you’re renovating your kitchen but sometimes it’s still possible to do fairly easily and inexpensively, especially if you have a nearby socket.
6. get portable lights
Regular lamps like bedside lights, table lamps and floor lamps are often the biggest culprits because they always have long, trailing wires, especially if the sockets are not close to where you want to place them. The answer? Portable lights. I use one on my bedside table precisely because I don’t want to see any wires.
Portable lights have become so popular and with good reason. You can place them practically anywhere and you can move them around as and when needed. The best part is that there is so much choice out there with so many beautiful lights so you really can get any style that speaks to you and no wires in sight!
image credits: all images via nordic standard | alvhem | entrance makleri
Leave a Reply