Moving into a new home is exciting. Finally, the time has come for you to exhibit your brand-new luxe furniture and eye-catching decorations. Once you’ve arranged all of those, you can take pictures of your beautiful abode and astound your friends.
But when the practical stuff comes in — the electronic gadgets and appliances — the aesthetics you worked so hard to achieve can get disrupted. Cables would peak from the corners, and the devices’ finish would pose an eyesore in the space. Indeed, imagine a shiny red microwave oven sitting in the middle of a white kitchen. The gadget will stick out like a sore thumb and distract your eye from the room’s beauty.
Thankfully, you don’t have to put up with such unsightly things. You can conceal as many of your tech devices as you can. Many design-savvy homeowners are doing it, the reason their abodes always look staged and clean.
Without further ado, here are the innovative ways to hide technology in your home:
1. Choose Smaller Devices
Obviously, if you want your devices to attract less attention, buy smaller models. But it isn’t that simple.
For a mini device to work, they should have superb technology. In other words, they have to be smart gadgets. They’re the ones commonly used in smart home systems. Examples include discreet security cameras, smart plugs, mini wireless speakers, and tiny wireless thermometers.
Buying such gadgets, or installing a Smart Home system, for that matter, may break the bank. But if you have the budget, then why not? With fewer wires and smaller devices around your home, the fewer eyesores you’d deal with.
To save some bucks, start with a lighting starter kit, then upgrade it with security features later on. If those work for you, you can take more, smaller steps to add more sophisticated features until your home becomes fully smart.
2. Hide Electrical Cords in Drawers
One of the peskiest cords to deal with is the TV’s. They always crowd your walls or console tables, making it hard to do repairs when needed.
If there’s a drawer near those cords, drill a hole at the back of one drawer, and slip the cables into it. Next, insert your power strip into the hole, letting it sit inside the drawer. You can keep the power strip in place by applying double-adhesive tapes. This would ensure that the device won’t fall off the hole and mess up the wires again.
Also, ensure that the remaining exposed cords are long enough to stay loose when you slide the drawer open. You may risk damaging the cables if you pull them taut while opening the drawer.
3. Use Cord Hooks
If the drawer trick isn’t an option for you, buy cord hooks and install them at the back of your TV console. Secure the dangling cords into the hooks, letting them run along the back edges of the console. You can also use this trick on your work or study desks.
4. Disguise Your Router or Modem As a Book
This is a nifty trick but worth it once you see its effect. Using a scrap fabric and an old file folder (with a binder), create a book. The folder, clothed in the fabric, will act as the book’s hardcover. Use a glue gun to secure everything.
Ensure that your router or modem will fit inside the file folder. Once the device is tucked inside, sandwich the “book” with other books, then snake the cords along the back edges of the shelf or table to keep them hidden. Quite the trick, isn’t it?
5. Hide Countertop Appliances in Your Kitchen Cabinets
If there’s still room in your kitchen cabinetry, make them home for your countertop appliances. Coffeemakers, stand mixers, electric kettles, and toasters can fit in there.
A walk-in pantry can serve as a hiding spot for countertop appliances, too. The space can also store your cookware and culinary gadgets.
If you have more budget to spare, consider integrating your fridge into your cabinetry. It’s a common feature in minimalist kitchens to keep everything seamless. The trick may also create an illusion of a bigger kitchen since the eye sees more storage. What’s more, it will work in hiding your dishwasher out of sight as well.
6. Turn Small Appliances into Decor
Not all appliances are clutter. If you display them with attractive decorations, they can pose like one, too. Consider installing open shelving in your kitchen, and place your countertop appliances there beside indoor plants and decorative tableware. That way, you can display them in style instead of stressing yourself on how to hide them.
These tricks teach us that hiding the gadgets around our homes is easier than we thought. If you like practicing your creativity through interior designing and decorating, then try your hands on these clever concealment hacks, too. They’ll also get your creative juices flowing.