How To Hide Electrical Cords In Living Room (10+ Ways Explained)
Keeping electrical cords hidden and out of sight in the living room can make a big difference in the overall aesthetic and flow of the space. Exposed cords sticking out from TVs, speakers, and other media components can create visual clutter and trip hazards. Fortunately, with some planning and simple solutions, you can conceal cords effectively without breaking the bank.
Common Issues with Exposed Cords
Before jumping into solutions, it’s helpful to understand some of the core issues that arise from electrical cords being visible in living spaces:
Tripping Hazards
Exposed cords on the floor or crisscrossing walkways can cause people to trip, especially children and elderly individuals. This poses a major safety concern.
Visual Clutter
Too many visible wires and cables sticking out from your devices creates a sense of disorder and messiness. This negatively impacts the overall look and feel of the room.
Limited Furniture Placement
The location of outlets in the room may restrict where you can place furniture and electronics if components need to stay plugged in. Long, dangling cords limit flexibility.
Damages
Cords that are out in the open run a greater risk of being stepped on, pinched, or chewed by pets. This can lead to fraying and other cord damage over time.
Tips for Hiding Cords
When preparing to conceal the wiring in your living room, keep these helpful tips in mind:
Map Electrical Needs
Before taking any action, walk through the room and make note of what needs to stay plugged in and how far components are from outlets. This will determine the lengths of cords and extensions needed.
Use Adhesive Clips
Affix cord clips using strong adhesives to the back of furniture and the underside of cabinets. Use these to neatly run cords close to baseboards out of sight.
Utilize Furniture
Strategically place media consoles and shelving in front of outlets to hide wires behind the furniture. The back of bookcases can also conceal wiring routed along the wall.
Try Cable Concealers
Plastic cable concealers that adhere flush to the wall effectively hide cords. They have channels and cutouts for threading multiple cables from components to outlets.
Weave Cords Into Carpet
Use special flat cords that can be tacked down and woven through carpet to be nearly invisible. Just ensure cords lay completely flush with adequate adhesion.
Best Practices for Installing Concealed Cords
When running and installing cords, use these best practices:
Maintain Access
Don’t bundle or overly secure cords in ways that make outlets difficult to access. Leave ports accessible for periodic electronic maintenance and replacements.
Keep Cord Length Short
Don’t use cords much longer than needed between connections. Excessive slack is harder to fully hide and poses risks. Leave only 6″ to 12″ of extra length.
Avoid Cable Overlap
Prevent cables from crossing over one another when possible. Twisted cords don’t lay as flush and have bulkier shadows underneath carpet and rugs.
Secure Properly
When adhering cords against walls or tacking them under flooring, affix them tightly enough that cables don’t slide or become detached. Don’t pull so tightly that cables get damaged.
Test Stability
Walk along routes after installation to confirm cords feel stable and embedded. Identify any bumps, loosening, or uneven sections needing improvement before finalizing.
Solutions by Location
Where and how you hide wiring will depend on the layout and furnishings of your unique living room. Consider these options based on cord origin spot:
Hiding Cords from Wall-Mounted TVs
Use paintable cord covers – For a TV mounted over the fireplace or another area far from an outlet, paintable covers secured along crown molding or baseboards cover cables.
Feed into cabinets – Have cables route straight from the TV into hollow media consoles or built-in cabinets directly below. The wires will be fully concealed inside.
Hide behind wall art – Mount decorative art, mirrors, or a large wall clock strategically over the outlet area with a gap to thread wires behind that blend into the wall.
Concealing Speaker Wires
Interior wall routing – For speakers set into bookshelves or cabinetry, have wiring routed internally through cutouts to keep side views clean.
Under area rug tack strips – Cables headed to surround sound speakers can be tucked under the tack strip framing edges of carpets. Use flat, thin wires that stick flush.
Behind furniture – Tall shelves, entertainment centers with accessible backs placed near outlets provide rear coverage for feeds to rear speakers without draping cords.
Managing an Array of Components
Through outlet opening – For media consoles with back openings that house outlets directly internally, component cords can route through cleanly to entirely interior wires.
With power strips – Mounted blocks or tracks with built-in power strips can consolidate charging of smaller electronics into single extension cords to simplify hiding.
Under cabinet lighting – Affixable LED strip lighting installed under cabinets casts glows that conceal excess extension cords coming from outlets while adding sleek ambient lighting.
Installing Cord Concealers
One of the most effective and convenient living room cord hiding solutions is plastic cable concealers. Here is a step-by-step guide to installing them:
Select Mounting Locations
Find areas cords originate – Determine where cables from devices like TVs and computers will route from so you obtain proper concealers and positioning.
Check for studs – Use a stud finder to identify solid wood frames behind drywall for drilling mounting holes to support concealers when filled with dense wiring.
Confirm outlet clearance – Ensure concealers won’t block outlets or light switches when mounted. Leave ample clearance space around these elements.
Affix Concealers
Mark and drill holes – Use a level to ensure straight mounting, mark screw locations with a pencil, then drill using the proper sized bit for plastic anchors or wood screws.
Clean surface – Wipe away any dust and debris using isopropyl alcohol where concealers will adhere for maximum bonding strength to the wall surface.
Run screws through anchors – Carefully guide screws through pre-installed plastic drywall anchors in drilled holes by hand until screws are slightly recessed.
Press into place – Align concealers over screws, then apply firm pressure across the entire surface so adhesive backing creates a tight seal to the wall around screw heads.
Thread Cables Inside
Pre-check fit and clearance – Test running intended cables through to check adequate capacity and proper outlet clearance before final adhesive bonding.
Affix cables into channels – Being mindful of excess slack needed for component manipulation on installs, press and adhere cords into the internal wiring channels.
Seal edges as needed – For any openings around cables where the internal channel doesn’t fully seal around thick cords, apply clear silicone caulk to prevent light leakage.
Maintain Concealers
To keep your cable concealers optimized for hidden cord management:
Dust regularly – Use microfiber cloths to clear away dust and debris around concealers monthly to keep cords most hidden.
Check adhesive health – Every 6 months, confirm concealers feel completely bonded to surfaces. Reapply adhesive backings that become loose over time.
Upgrade when needed – As your media center evolves and cord capacity needs increase from accumulating devices, install supplemental concealers using the same process.
Creative Cord Cover Solutions
Beyond traditional wire hiding products, also consider these unique living room cord concealment ideas:
Artistic displays – Mount decorated jars, vases, canvas prints or framed photos over outlet areas with rear openings that cables route into discreetly.
Furniture power hubs – Side tables or floor lamps with surge protector bases simplify cable control into singular desk-height extensions disguised as decor pieces.
Recessed wall buckets – Outlined opening “buckets” installed into walls create hidden rear cable reservoirs while only displaying insertable magnetic fronts when not accessing cables.
Hollow table legs – Side tables built or retrofitted with wider hollow legs covered by removable panels offer discreet throughway feeds for floor-level wires to rise to tabletop equipment.
Decorative covers – For particularly difficult to hide cables like those running along baseboards in old homes, affix padded covers designed in materials matching your curtains or area rugs.
Maintaining Hidden Cords
No matter the strategy used for tucking away cords, perform regular maintenance to ensure wires remain fully concealed and protected:
Inspect adhesion – Check that affixed cord clips, raceways, and concealers feel snugly bonded to ensure attachments haven’t loosened over time from cleaning, furniture shifts, or pets.
Ensure flush layout – Run hands along floors underneath rugs pressing down to confirm previously installed flat cords haven’t come loose or popped up creating uneven bumps that could cause tripping.
Check concealment gaps – Survey areas around decorative objects, cabinets, and stands hiding cords to ensure shifting or cleaning hasn’t created new visibility gaps where wires are exposed.
Replace damaged parts – Check along entire lengths of cables for damage from pets, vacuum cleaning, furniture feet, etc. Wrap splits with electrical tape or replace damaged portions.
Address terminology issues – If outlets feel abnormally warm or other electrical concerns arise, immediately contact a licensed electrician to inspect and remedy potential underlying issues.
Improve stability – For any cabling that feels loose or droops unattractively despite attempts to affix closely, use additional clips or alternative adhesive products until satisfied with secure positioning.
Upgrade capacity – Should your equipment uses evolve to the point installed concealers max out on capacity for newer, thicker cordage, set up expandable supplementary panels using the same installation process.
Enhance accessibility – Ensure concealers don’t limit outlet access later needed for charging phones, plugging in vacuums, or other living room uses by shifting concealers or using outlet extenders as required.
Confirm safety – Routinely check areas along baseboards and under rugs for any exposed sections of previously hidden wires that could pose tripping risks, re-securing flat cords as necessary.
When to Hire an Electrician
While many concealment solutions allow DIY installations, more complex or risky scenarios are best handled by qualified electricians:
Major capacity upgrades – If your media center evolves to have 10+ components requiring power, hire an electrician to install additional circuits and structured wiring conduits to simplify behind-the-scenes cable routing.
Drywall modifications – For built-in concealment buckets, new outlets, or running all wiring entirely internally, electrical experts can perform and repair drywall modifications involved more adeptly.
Whole home entertainment networks – Distributed audio and controller equipment wiring routed room-to-room should be professionally executed and integrated for flawless multi-zone functionality.
Inspector sign-offs – Depending on local regulations, certain structural electrical changes may require permits and inspections by qualified personnel to legally clear and activate updated circuits.
Conclusion
Hiding unsightly electrical cords in your living room might seem complicated, but breaking the process down into simpler parts makes solving wire clutter attainable. Follow general best practices for all cord routing. Consider options suited for wires coming from specific devices based on room layout. Whenever in doubt, consult certified electrical experts so that safety and code compliance remain top priorities for any projects impacting electrical systems.
With smart solutions executed properly, you can finally eliminate disorderly wires cramping your living room style and develop a clean, contemporary media room interior you can fully immerse in without unsightly distractions. Just be sure to perform periodic inspections and maintenance to keep cords neatly concealed inside creative hiding spots for years to come.
