How to Cover Up Home Tech Eyesores Like an Interior Designer

The technology in our homes – whether it’s a router, a laptop, or a smart speaker – makes daily life easier and more fun. At the same time, they’re not always the nicest things to look at.

Trailing cables, ugly power strips, and tech essentials like a router often don’t match your decor. Luckily, there are some tricks designers use to disguise necessary devices while still maintaining functionality.

Let’s explore how you can beautify your home tech and keep your router functioning effectively, even when it’s completely hidden from view. Beyond physical design tricks, we’ll also address an important question about your home network: how does a VPN work to protect you online?

Tech Clutter Disrupting Good Design

With tech devices, function comes first. Devices these days are designed to be as visually appealing as possible. However, no one’s buying a Wi-Fi router for its beauty.

Devices can create visual noise in your living space. Often, they clash with furniture and your chosen colour scheme. Plus, many devices are made of plastic, which can look cheap.

Trailing cables and bulky devices can break sightlines and disrupt the flow of your home. That’s why many interior designers try to hide tech wherever possible. The goal is to enhance the way your house looks without hindering the way the technology works.

Hiding a Wi-Fi Router (Without Killing the Signal)

Your Wi-Fi router is your gateway to the world outside. It’s what keeps everything functioning, from your smartphone to your TV to your home hub and other smart devices.

That means it needs to be centrally placed to give you the best possible coverage. At the same time, you don’t necessarily want it on display.

Lots of people keep their router tucked away in a box or cabinet. However, routers can generate a lot of heat while working. That means you need to avoid sealed boxes that block airflow.

A ventilated basket or decorative storage box allows your router to stay cool while still hiding it from view. Alternatively, you can place it on open shelving and style the shelves with books or plants to make the router itself less noticeable. Routers need space around them to function properly, and it is a good way to give them that while preserving your aesthetic.

Disguising Cables and Wires Like a Pro

Trailing wires break up the visual flow of your house. They can make any place look cluttered and disorganized. So it’s a good idea to hide them wherever possible.

Cable management sleeves can bundle lots of cables together, reducing that cluttered look. You can even get paintable cord covers so that you can match your existing colour scheme.

Where possible, routing wires behind furniture makes them less visible. Of course, if you’re renovating, you can even build in trunking to channel cables invisibly.

Concealing Power Strips and Extension Leads

The more devices you have, the more sockets you need. Mounting power strips and extension leads underneath desks or using cable boxes can make this essential equipment less visible. But just like with a router, it’s a good idea to keep airflow in mind.

Making Smart Hubs, Speakers, and Consoles Blend In

Smart hubs and speakers need to be out in the open to function properly. However, you can make them less visible by styling a shelf with other items like books, plants, and ornaments. Wall-mounted floating shelves give a sleek, modern look that works great with tech.

Matching Function and Form

Good design is less about hiding everything, and more about being intentional in your choices. When choosing where to put your tech, especially your Wi-Fi router, you need to think about the Wi-Fi signal. You also need to consider cooling requirements so that it can function the way it’s supposed to.

But with some clever design, you can maintain a beautiful home without sacrificing your technology’s performance.