Of course we want a minimalistic home. It’s why we splurge on staycations and Marie Kondo the crap out of our houses at every chance we get, and why the Salvation Army can barely catch a break. City life is full of noise and clutter, and our homes should feel like a reset.
Enter cables, wires, cords, what have you. These snaking lines, a necessary evil but also an eyesore; a blemish on the painting that is your top-notch interior design. Surely you can purchase cable protectors and sleeves, but those are far from inconspicuous and still tarnishes the overall look and feel of a new home.
Try these ways instead:
1. Create a TV or wall panel
A television or wall panel is one of the many ways you conceal cables, wires, and cords at the stage of renovation. Marble and fluted panels have been trending in interior design lookbooks, and resourceful homeowners have even taken to ordering these materials from Taobao to assemble wall panels on a budget. On top of hiding the mess between the wall and your television set-up, these panels add dimension and double up as a feature wall. You could even install lighting beneath the panel for a posh look.
2. Level up with power tracks
If you’re planning on a high-tech smart home, chances are, you will run out of power sockets really quickly. Instead of overloading the three-pin plugs and extensions, and risking a fire hazard, why not opt for power tracks instead? These can be mounted above your kitchen countertop or television console to power your appliances, devices, and gadgets. On top of looking sleek and preventing electrical shocks, they also allow you to shift modular furniture around without worrying about sprawling lines.
3. Use desk nooks in the study
With remote and hybrid working arrangements becoming the new norm, homeowners are carving out space from their home offices. But while they’re making a beeline for ergonomic chairs and standing desks, there remains one oft-overlooked aspect - cable management. This is a nightmare especially for folks who use two monitors and wired speakers, and that is why a cable management duct tray will come in handy. Alternatively, you can take a lift from the office and pick a desk with a lift-up cable access flap to stow the unsightly mess in a trough.
4. Buy or DIY router boxes
In most HDB flats and condominiums, television consoles tend to be short in height, leaving cables, wires, and cords exposed in the gaps between their surfaces and the wall-mounted television screens. Router boxes can fix that, with designs that gel seamlessly with the rest of the rest of the living room. That doesn’t mean you can’t get creative with it. On Tiktok and Pinterest, users are fashioning router boxes out of unsuspecting decorative books. And no, your guests don’t need to know that you don’t read the classics or high-profile memories.
5. Fit pull-out drawers into furniture
If you’re looking to fit cable management solutions into furniture pieces, pull-out drawers might be the answer. With some improvisation, spare drawers could very well double up as router boxes or charging stations. Folks who work on their laptops instead of desktop set-ups can also consider incorporating them into study tables to be exposed and stashed away at your whim and fancy. And because these enclosed spaces are unlikely to accumulate dust, your Apple cables get to stay white and pristine.
6. Install a false ceiling
Cable runways, electrical trunking, and cord cover may sound like no-brainer solutions for concealing wires in the most obvious places. Are they functional? Yes. But do they stick out like a sore thumb? Absolutely. Unless you’re a fan of industrial design with exposed wires, you might be better off investing in a false ceiling. On top of cable management, they create the illusion of a separate space in the living area. When constructed with suitable materials, they could also double up as a heat-proofing and sound-proofing fixture.
7. Place a narrow table behind the sofa
Apartments are getting smaller and smaller, and sometimes we find ourselves in the not-so-enviable position of having our power sockets obscured by furniture. Rather than leaving your cables, wires, and cord sprawling between the wall and your brand new sofa set, a narrow table can help conceal them while doubling up as a storage space. But if you don’t have the luxury of space, these nifty plugs can help instead:
What other ingenious ways of concealing wires and cables do you have? Let us know in the comments below.
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