How To Hide The Cables & Cords In Your Home Office

If you’re looking for ways to straighten up your home office and make it look more professional, one of the best things you can do is to hide away all of those pesky computer cords &  cables. But how do you go about doing that, especially if you’re on a tight budget? 

There are several ways to hide your cables to ensure excellent wire management. One of the classic methods is bunching up the wires and securing them with bread ties.

However, there are other ways to go about doing it.

But what about power strips & surge protectors?

How do snake a cord across a room without setting up a death trap in your home office?

And what can you do about cord & cable clutter on and around your desk?

In this blog post, we’ll give you some tips and tricks for hiding cables in your home office, no matter what your budget may be.

Real quick, before we get too far into it here, if you want to get more great ideas for your gaming room or home office and want to connect with other home office hackers to make your space the best join my free private Facebook group, Home Office Hacks here.

Start by Identifying What Outlets You’re Going to Use

To start with, you will need to decide which outlets you are going to use for your electronics. This involves determining where you would like to place your electronics and choosing the outlet that will be used for them, usually the closest outlet. Once this is decided, you can move on to thinking about how to go about hiding the cables that you will be using.

Gather and Mount Everything You Can

Once you know which outlets you will be using, the next thing you need to think about is gathering all of the cords that will be used together. This will make the multitude of cords appear more organized than if they were all separated and plugged in wherever they fall. 

After you have gathered all of the cords together, you might want to also think about mounting the power cords and finding a way to conceal them, whether with a box or other cable management tools.

Use a Basket

Another option for hiding power cords is to get a large basket or box.

If you decide to go with this option, you may opt for a more decorative basket or box that will fit in with the current decor in the room. Not only will this be perfect for decor purposes, but it will also pull double duty as your wire management system that will keep wires together instead of looking like an unkempt mess. So it’s a win-win if you want to keep your home office nice and cozy. 

Make sure the basket is large enough so you have plenty of room for your power strip. Not only will you be able to hide the entire power strip, but you will also be able to get rid of the sight of those messy cords. 

A Cable Box Will Do Just Fine

A similar solution includes a cable management box.

This option is designed to provide you with plenty of space for your power strip. It also has openings on each end that will allow for smooth, seamless wire organization. Similarly to the basket option, you can also opt for a fashionable cable box that will not only hide your tangled cords but will also provide extra decor for your space. 

Trust in the Cable Sleeve

An additional option for hiding messy cables is a cable sleeve, also known as cable covers. A cable sleeve just might be one of the more minimalist solutions that you can find. You will be able to wrap up your cables in one sleeve and zip them up. They will all stay in place and reduce your cable clutter. Additionally, this method of a cable management system may prove a bit more reliable than your regular cable ties. 

In fact, you may want to use a cable sleeve if you have a thick power cord and want to bunch it up with others. If you want to prevent messy cords from cluttering your workspace, this just might be your best option. 

Cabinets Are Not Such a Bad Idea

It’s true. Storage cabinets will give you plenty of room for your surge protector as well as plenty of essential cords.

It is the ultimate solution for getting rid of cord clutter whether it is in your home office space or any place inside your house. If you have a desk with drawers and cabinets, this will be the perfect place to store the wires of your desk lamp.

Additionally, storage cabinets can be used for more things than just cable management. For instance, if you have a laptop and want to take it with you, you can pack your laptop cord inside your bag. When you are finished, you can put it back in one of the designated cabinets. 

Invest in a Cord Cover

A cord cover can do an exceptional job at concealing any unsightly cords. You may want to start by measuring out the path that your cables run through. Once you get the measurements, you will want to cut the cord cover down to the size that will provide those cords with enough coverage.

What makes these cord covers a great option is that they can get around corners without any issue. They will come with small accessories such as double-sided adhesives so that they can stick to the floor. These cord covers will come in a variety of colors in case you need indicators for which bit of wires are which.

Use Other Accessories

If you have any extra office supplies lying around, you might want to consider using these to cover any stray wires. This can be something like a storage cabinet, a paper shredder, or anything else that is large enough to cover wires.

You may even want to consider plants or bookshelves to cover your cords. These options will provide a bit more decoration for your space than other options.

Use Furniture to Your Advantage

You should always want to put your furniture to good use, even if it is being used to cover unsightly cords. For example, we already touched on placing your wires and extension cords behind your sofa. You may also place small hooks on some of your furniture legs. This will allow you to hang your cords out of sight and out of the way.

This way, it may provide the cords with an excellent pathway without having your feet get tangled up. You may still be able to notice visible cords, but it will look a little cleaner when you have them bunched together. No messy cables, no problem.

Make Use of Cable Grommets 

Cable grommets are the holes that manufacturers cut into the desktop of desks in order to feed cords through. These can be great tools to use in addition to other cable management systems. Simply bunch up your cords and slide them through the grommets to help ensure that every cord has its own designated space in the big scheme of things.

Use Cable Concealers to run cords on walls

Cable concealers can be great additions to your cable management system. These cord hiders are usually adhesive and allow you to stick them in very nonchalant places in your room. For instance, one of the most common uses of cord hiders is to stick them right along your baseboards, so they are not easily noticeable.

Snake Cables Through Walls

Another option and really the most thorough method of cord control includes stuffing all of your leftover cords into holes in the wall. This method can be done anytime, you will only need a power drill in order to make the holes in the wall. This method is usually done with electronics that are mounted high up on the wall. For instance, if you have a wall-mounted TV, you will want to drill a hole behind the TV for the wires to go into. Drill a second hole close to the outlet. Snake your wires from one hole to the other, plug them in, and enjoy your newly-hidden cords.

Hide Cables Behind a Modesty Panel 

The purpose of a modesty panel is to provide extra coverage if your desk is facing the room. For example, it will cover any ugly cords or messy wires. It may also give you a bit of additional privacy if you are wearing specific types of clothing (for example, women wearing skirts or dresses).

While this might not be one of the solutions for getting rid of excess cord, it does however hide it to the best of your ability. You still may want to consider the idea of managing your cables using some of the top choices above. Again, it depends on how many cables you have, how thick they may be, and so on.

How Do You Hide Power Strips and Cords?

One of the best ways to hide power strips and cords will be behind pieces of furniture. This may include couches or even entertainment stands. It will depend on the kind of appliance you are using. 

For example, a lamp cord will hide behind a couch if you have it plugged into the nearest wall outlet. If you have any extension cords, you may want to cover them up behind an entertainment stand (if it’s used to plug in a TV, home theater system, or something else). You want to make sure that the wires are managed by cable clips or sleeves.

Also, make sure that they are not stretched far away from a nearby outlet. The closer it is, the better your chances are to easily hide your power strips and cords. 

How do you run cables through baseboards?

Running cables through a baseboard will include removing it, thus causing any paint or drywall to be removed in the process. Start by using a screwdriver and a broad knife to lightly pry open the baseboard. Draw two lines: One on the top of the baseboard and another line that is a half inch above the previous line.

Cut the drywall using a saw along those two lines. Drill holes so the cable can avoid any kind of nail intrusion. Place nail plates on the side of the stud you’re using so that the cable is fully protected from any nails and screws as you apply drywall. 

Apply drywall and place the fasteners in the nail plate on both the floor and the top edge. 

Don’t Use Rugs Over Cords and Cables

It is important to remember not to use rugs to try and hide power cords that are currently in use. This is a fire hazard and can pose a great threat to your family.

Consolidate and Minimize the Number of Things You Plug In

Last, but not least, you may want to consider consolidating as many of your electronics as you can into one power strip. This will result in only one wall plug being used as opposed to ten different plugs. Additionally, you will only be tasked with hiding one power strip and the associated cords as opposed to ten individual cords.

You may also want to attempt to minimize the number of things that you have plugged in altogether. Not only will this help with your cable management quest, but it will also end up helping your electric bill. With fewer things plugged in, there will be less electricity being used throughout your house.

Next Steps

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