Three Ways to Hide Common Household Eyesores

The clunky thermostat. Unsightly cords. Strangely-placed wall vent. What do all of these things have in common?

They command the eye’s attention upon entering a room, but not in way that a homeowner entertaining guests might want. Eyesores such as these can either be too costly or impossible to change or replace. The only thing left to do is conceal them like we would an ugly blemish.

Get out your tool belt and put that Pinterest-thinking cap on — we’ve got some D-I-Y solutions to hiding some of your home’s most unpleasant eyesores.

1. Dress up a wall vent

Vents aren’t exactly the ugliest of home necessities, but a vent won’t fit in on a wall that’s otherwise covered in beautiful art pieces or family pictures.

Remedy this by making an easy D-I-Y vent cover. Hang a rubber door mat over the vent, ensuring that the mat has plenty of spaces between the rubber sections to allow for maximum airflow. If you’ve got a mat at home with enough spaces, but don’t like the color, try a metallic spray paint to dress it up.

2. Disguise a thermostat or alarm system

Thermostats, alarm systems and other control panels are made to be practical, not pretty. When one is smack-dab in the center of a living room wall, it can be an eyesore.

Hide the control panel underneath a piece of canvas art. Pick something that compliments the rest of the décor in the room, then nail three hinges to the canvas and screw it into the wall. Now you can swing it open when you need to use the control panel and close it when you don’t need it.

3. Tuck away those charging cords

In this day and age, one person could have multiple electronic devices that need to be charged, and likely in the same place. Nightstands, kitchen counters and end tables often become charging stations for cell phones, tablets, laptops, gaming devices — you name it. It can look untidy.

Clear a spare drawer to make your own D-I-Y charging station. Line the bottom of the drawer with cork floor tiles to make a safe bed for your electronic devices. Then, drill a hole in the back of the drawer for a power cord strip to fit through. Next, mount a power strip on the back of the drawer with screws. Now you have a hidden place to charge your devices. Use twist ties to keep each cord separate from the others.

How do you hide your home’s eyesores? Tell us in the comments below!

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