The issue of exposed wires in the home is one that millions of householders have to deal with every day. As well as being unsightly, wires can attract dust and become a tripping hazard if they’re not organised.
But you never have to stare at exposed wires in your home again, as there are 10 very sneaky ways to hide them from view.
1. Use waste paper baskets
If your wires are by a desk, there’s a good chance they’re hanging down from a printer or router. You can obscure them from view with the careful placement of an attractive waste paper basket — something made with wood or bamboo will look fantastic in most homes.
2. Shower poles
This may sound a little wacky, but it’s actually a very effective way of obscuring wires from a wall-mounted TV. Simply attach the shower pole to the wall underneath the TV, and run your cables through it.
3. Charge phones inside a drawer
Are you tired of seeing the trailing wires of charging phones cluttering up your home? If so, you’re not alone. But you can put an end to this hideous sight by running an electrical outlet extension into a kitchen drawer. This could be your home’s charging station, where all your phones, tablets and computers are left to charge.
4. A chest of drawers
If you’re sick of those wires that trail from desktop computers and TVs, simply hide them with a chest of drawers. Not only will this obscure the ugliness, it will provide a functional storage option for peripherals, TV boxes and general clutter.
5. Wicker baskets
A problem that a lot of people struggle to deal with involves hiding the mass of wires that often hangs from a household desk. When there’s no one sitting there, the cables can create an unsightly and unwanted feature. You can control the mess by running the wires into a wicker basket and tying them all together with Velcro ties.
6. Cable ties and velcro
Another way to hide cables and electrical extension cords is to lift them off the floor and behind the unit or desk they’re hanging from. Simply bind all of the cables together with cables ties, and stick an adhesive Velcro strip along their entire length. You should then be able to stick the cables to the back of the desk or unit — completely hiding them from view.
7. Braided yarn
You can actually turn your household cables into attractive features by wrapping them in coloured yarn. Braid the yarn around the cables, and they’ll look fantastic wherever they lie.
8. Picket fence skirting
So many of us have electrical outlets and aerials that are yards away from the appliances they serve. Instead of leaving ugly extension cords lying around, you can hide them behind a decorative picket fence that runs along your skirting. Not only does this solution hide wires, it’s an attractive feature in its own right.
9. Paintable cord covers
You can now buy paintable cord covers from leading hardware and home improvement stores. Simply wrap your ugly, trailing cables in the covers, and paint them the same colour as the walls.
10. Embrace your cables
There may be cables in your home that are simply beyond hiding. Perhaps you have some attractive pendant lights that have long cables, or maybe you have a shortage of power outlets. Whatever the reason for your wire-related woes, it might be time to simply embrace the issue. Why not mount your cables and wires on the wall, and create an eye-catching mural with them? With a little patience — and a lot of cable grips — you can recreate everything from city skylines to major landmarks.
Wires and cables make homes look messy, and they often make cleaning more difficult. Take control of your household cabling — instead of leaving it to control you!
