While people’s tastes and opinions on how to best decorate a home might differ, the issue with wanting to hide TV wires (and other cables) is pretty universal. It’s safe to assume that no one wants to adorn their home with the look of messy, tangled-up cables, whether that’s in the living room or your home office. And with our expert-approved tips on how to hide TV wires, no one has to.
Similarly to how to hide a TV, concealing TV wires takes a little bit of creativity, DIY skills or access to skilled professionals who can take care of things for you – which also heavily depends on the method you decide to go for since some require more skills than others.
‘Visible TV wires can clutter your space, but there are easy ways to hide them for a cleaner look,’ says Olga Alexeeva, creative director of interior design studio Black & Milk.
This is how to do a little bit of visual decluttering of your living room, bedroom or any other room where you’ve installed a TV by hiding the unsightly wires coming out of it.
1. Invest in a media console
Whether you’re not very confident in your DIY skills, can’t make too many changes to your home due to renting or don’t want to pay a professional for any installations, the simplest living room idea for hiding your TV wires is opting for a media console as this piece of furniture is going to be specifically designed to accommodate cables and everything that comes with a television.
‘A media console with built-in cable management hides wires behind the unit, keeping them organised and out of sight,’ Olga says.
Claire Garner, director of Claire Garner Interiors, adds, ‘To hide TV boxes, opt for rattan on cupboard doors – this is a wonderful way to hide the box whilst still ensuring they will work.’
TV stands and media consoles like this Sweeek design come with existing holes made for fitting TV wires. And the rattan doors on either side are perfect for hiding your TV box behind.
2. Opt for a cable management kit
‘Cable ties are vital for controlling wires,’ says interior designer Benji Lewis.
But there are various cable-management tools other than cable ties to help you control your TV wires as cable clips, all of which can be found in a cable management kit. ‘These kits include sleeves or raceways to cover wires along the wall.’
Having a cable management kit comes in handy both for dealing with messy TV wires and for getting your computer and WFH set-up cables sorted. And 142 pieces for £12 is a bargain if you ask us.
3. Cover them with surface raceways
Speaking of raceways, you can also purchase surface raceways separately and cover your wires that way – this works especially well when put into practice with the genius paint idea of covering the raceway in the same shade as the wall to make it pretty much invisible.
‘One approach is to use a cable raceway, which can be painted to match your wall, offering a sleek and discreet solution,’ says Alex Stubbs, Flitch interior stylist.
Often used for lighting wires, surface raceways are also perfect for hiding TV and computer wires. With over 500 purchases in the last month, this cable trunking kit is the most popular at Amazon, selling for mere £16.
4. Conceal the wires in the wall
As it often goes, the most effective and seamless solution is also the one that takes the most work. And hiding TV cords is no exception as the best way is concealing them behind the wall – which of course requires cutting into it.
‘For a wire-free look, run cables through the wall. This involves cutting small holes behind the TV and near the outlet, then feeding the wires through,’ Olga says.
Claire adds, ‘To hide TV wires, create a wire “route”, for example behind the wall and cut notches through any cabinetry or shelving as needed. This is by far the neatest solution but if you are doing it retrospectively, you may need to enlist the help of a professional electrician.’
5. Create a decorative feature
Alternatively, why not embrace the wires and turn them into a decorative feature? Our favourite way of doing this is with a fabric cord cover, favoured by none other than actress Emma Roberts who’s showed off her lamp cord covers in a home tour for Architectural Digest. All you need to do is to simply slip the cover on the cord – there are several colours, materials and patterns available on the market to suit your home’s aesthetic.
‘For a less permanent solution, you could hide the wires with decorative elements like a cord cover or even run them along a wall-mounted shelf or behind furniture. These methods not only tidy up the space but also enhance the overall aesthetic of your room,’ Alex says.
Olga adds, ‘Hide wires behind wall decor like picture frames or panels, integrating them into your room’s design.’
From the ruched finish to the striped pattern, we love pretty much everything about this stylish cord cover. Made with pure cotton, this innovative and decorative cable-management solution has been rising in popularity and we're so here for it.
Whichever option you decide to go with, you can rest assured that those ugly TV cables will never see the light of day again. You’re welcome!
