Do you dream of a home that looks like it belongs in a magazine? Or maybe you love to watch home improvement shows and you admire how clean, organized, and beautiful every space is after the designer is done with it. Then, you look around your home, and no matter how much you try, your home still looks shabby and lived it.
That’s probably because there are things you need to live safely and comfortably in your home that rarely show up in home remodeling pictures.
Whether you’re tired of looking at cords, you’re dealing with an ugly wireless router, or you wish it wasn’t so obvious that you share your home with a pet, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to hide those eyesores without compromising their functionality.
Smoke Alarm
Every home needs multiple smoke alarms scattered strategically throughout the house. Unfortunately, they are designed for safety and not beauty. It’s normal to feel irritated if you’re tired of staring at a blinking light every time you’re in the kitchen and the bedroom.
You can cover your smoke alarm, but you do have to be careful. In addition to requiring adequate airflow, batteries should also be changed every six months, so you don’t want to completely enclose the alarm. Instead, search for a decorative smoke alarm cover. Some manufacturers make them in many different styles to give them the appearance of a light fixture, which is much more stylish than staring at the alarm itself.
Power Cords and Cables
Many of the things in our lives are going wireless, but we aren’t completely without wires yet. Whether you’re dealing with electronics around the TV or you’ve got a lamp cord dangling behind an end table, there are many ways you can tuck them out of sight.
Just a few cord management solutions include:
- Create an organized power charging station for electronic devices
- Install an outlet behind a wall mounted TV
- Tape cords along the backs of table legs
- Use cable drops to keep desks and table tops organized
Dog Crate
You may be tempted to get rid of your dog’s crate in the name of interior design. Not only can crates look ugly, they can also take up a lot of room. It’s true that you and your dog will survive without one, but there are many benefits of crate training your dog, so you should find a solution to hide it instead of getting rid of it altogether.
Unfortunately, you can’t shove your dog’s crate in the basement or a closet, because he won’t use it. Instead, you should focus on keeping it in a shared space but make it blend into your home’s décor.
Crates can easily be draped with fabric, which is stylish, but it can also keep the inside of your pup’s kennel nice and warm. Consider placing the covered crate between chairs or at the end of a couch to make it look more like an end table.
Litter Box
Dealing with an unsightly dog crate is one thing. Dealing with a smelly, ugly litter box is quite another.
You can’t get rid of it, and you have to be careful where you place it, as some cats won’t use the box at all if they don’t like where it’s located.
Did you know you can purchase end tables with compartments that can hide litter boxes underneath? If you’re handy with a hammer, you can even create a custom box to place over your cat’s litter box. Paint it and decorate the top as if it were a decorative table and no one will know the difference!
Just keep an eye on your cat’s usage of the box. Some felines don’t like enclosed litter boxes, which means you may have to consider tucking it away inside a closet instead.
Wall Panels
Chances are, you’ve got panels on your wall that you can’t really do anything about. Thermostats are a common eyesore, but most homeowners also deal with fuse boxes, buzzers, doorbells, security system boxes, and more. You aren’t stuck staring at them and wishing you could get rid of them. You can hide them instead!
The easiest way to hide wall panels is to cover them with artwork. Canvases and shadow boxes can be installed on the wall using hinges, so they can be swung open easily to reveal what’s instead. Flowing curtains and macramé wall hangings can also hide many wall panels.
Wireless Router
Where you place your wireless router in your home matters. Tucking it away downstairs will provide you with a poor signal, which means you will likely have to place it in a main living area.
That doesn’t mean it has to stick out like a sore thumb! Hollow out an old book and place the wireless router inside. A decorative box is a better choice if your router has multiple antennas. It can also be mounted to the wall behind tables and entertainment centers to keep it out of sight and out of mind.
Vents and Registers
The vents and registers in your home are responsible for keeping you comfortable all year round. You definitely don’t want to get rid of them, but that doesn’t mean you have to wrinkle your nose every time you walk by one in your home.
There are multiple ways to make over an ugly air vent. The easiest way is to simply replace it, but you can also paint it, install architectural details to make it blend into your décor, or frame a wall vent to make it look like a piece of decorative artwork.
There are things in our homes that we can’t live without, but they are also the things that can make your home look ugly. Not anymore! From cords to thermostats, there are many creative and decorative ways you can hide the eyesores in your home so it looks as beautiful as any house featured in the latest decorating show.
