13 Clever Solutions That Will Hide The Eyesores Around Your House

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

They say that looks aren’t everything, but that doesn’t mean that looks aren’t anything. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in the way your home looks. And if something doesn’t look quite right to you, why not take some time to figure out a solution that works for you? Because that’s exactly what we’ll be doing in today’s post!

Today I’ll be sharing a list of 13 clever and creative solutions for hiding eyesores around the house. Whether you’re tired of looking at power cords, wall panels, or old sprinkler heads, this post is packed with links to useful products and DIY tutorials that will help you hide them from view.

Oh, and if you have an idea for hiding eyesores that isn’t mentioned in this list, I’d love to hear about it! Share your idea with us in a comment at the bottom of this post so we can keep the conversation going.

13 Creative Ways To Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

1. Keep Power Cords Contained

Command brand makes a lot of useful products, but their cord bundlers are easily one of my all-time favorites. These handy cord hooks are perfect for small appliances, keeping the cord nice and tidy when I want it out of the way (which is almost always). Check out my full post about them at the link below!

Related: This One Easy Hack Will Solve All Your Cord Problems

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

2. Hide Cables Behind Desks

Open-sided desks makes them a lightweight and affordable option for a bedroom or home office. But they can easily become an eyesore once you have a few cords and cables hanging off the back! Several years ago, my daughter-in-law shared a bright idea for solving that very same problem using a bit of fabric and a few magnets.

Read all about her simple DIY solution to messy cords by following the link below.

Related: How To Hide Unsightly Electrical Cords In Less Than 5 Minutes!

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

3. Use Beautiful Bottles

Is your bathroom counter, tub, or shower starting to look a bit cluttered? Try transferring your personal care products (shampoo, conditioner, DIY body wash, etc.) to a matching set of refillable bottles. Doing away with branded containers will instantly elevate the look of your bathroom, and leave it looking much tidier!

I use these amber bottles in my shower, and they look great alongside the oil-rubbed bronze hardware we chose. (I made sure to choose plastic for these, because glass and slippery showers don’t mix well!)

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

4. Make A Charging Station For Devices

The modern household has no shortage of smartphones, tablets, e-readers, and other gadgets that require charging. This can easily turn into a mess of tangled cords and cables if you’re not careful! You can eliminate this mess by making a “charging station” that’s easy on the eyes!

Using a power strip, a shoebox, and some basic craft materials, you can contain the mess of charging cables in a way that you won’t mind seeing every day. Get the instructions for this easy DIY charging station at the link below!

Related: A Simple DIY Family Charging Station

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

5. Beautify Your Garage Door

Giving your garage door a stylish makeover can be as easy as adding a few simple accessories! Check out my post at the link below to find out how I transformed my plain old garage door into a carriage-style door for under $40 in materials!

Related: A Beautiful and Surprisingly Affordable Garage Door Makeover

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

6. Cover Your Dog’s Crate

Adding a cover to your dog’s crate is an easy way to make it look more cozy and less cage-y. And while it varies from dog to dog, many dogs actually feel more secure in their crate when two or three of the sides are covered. You can find all sorts of crate covers on Amazon, from thicker, padded covers to thinner, more affordable options.

You can also find a great tutorial on making dog crate bumper pads (along with useful patterns for making them) at Kevin & Amanda.

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

7. Camouflage Eyesores In The Yard

From septic tank covers to utility boxes, there are plenty of things in your yard that may distract from its natural beauty. You can easily “camouflage” these eyesores by installing landscape covers that resemble real rock. You can also find smaller rock covers too, which are perfect for covering things like old sprinkler heads and electrical outlets.

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

8. Spruce Up Your Vents

Air vent covers can add a lot of personality to your space! The air vent covers around the OGT Studio are actually original to the old house, a fact that we did not take for granted! All it took was some rust reformer and black spray paint to restore them to their former glory, and they quickly became one of our favorite features in the space.

If you’d rather replace your air vents than restore them, you can find plenty of decorative options on Amazon. Or you can even go the DIY route and turn a doormat into a decorative vent cover!

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

9. Disguise Wall Panels

Inspiration from bliss bloom blog

The key to covering up electrical panels, security system boxes, and other wall panels is to do it in a way that will still allow easy access. Here, they cleverly covered up a control panel by hanging a canvas on hinges in front of it! View the original post here.

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

10. Hide Your Wireless Router

Inspiration from LifeHacker

I thought this was a very clever way to keep your wireless router hidden in plain sight! Simply remove the contents of a vintage hardcover book, and place the router inside. View the original post here.

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

11. Create A Litter Box Cabinet

Inspiration from IKEAhackers

There are no shortage of clever IKEA hacks online, including this one that transformed a wall cabinet into an attractive hiding place for a litter box. Many smaller apartments lack an obvious spot to keep a litter box, but this smart solution keeps it accessible to the kitty yet out of sight. View the original post here.

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

12. Cover Your A/C Unit

Inspiration from Vintage Meets Glam

Having an A/C unit installed in a wall means it’s always there when you need it… but it’s also always there when you don’t. This clever DIYer overcame that particular hurdle by building a frame with doors around the unit to keep it out of sight. View the original post here.

Hide The Eyesores In Your Home

13. Make A Trash Cabinet

Inspiration from Dawn Nicole Designs

Whether you want to keep children and pets out of the trash, or you simply want to hide the trash can from view, a DIY trash cabinet like this one could be just the solution you’ve been searching for! View the original post here.

Have you found a clever solution for hiding eyesores in your house?

Read This Next


Jill Nystul Photo

Jill Nystul (aka Jillee)

Jill Nystul is an accomplished writer and author who founded the blog One Good Thing by Jillee in 2011. With over 30 years of experience in homemaking, she has become a trusted resource for contemporary homemakers by offering practical solutions to everyday household challenges.I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

About Jillee

Jill Nystul

Jill’s 30 years of homemaking experience, make her the trusted source for practical household solutions.

About Jillee

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16 Comments

  1. I have an unsightly cpap machine sitting on my nightstand. I bought a photo storage box and place it upside down over the machine. Your shoe box idea would also work. I bought a second box and place the bottle of distilled water inside that box. You need the distilled water for the machine and this way they are together and concealed.

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  2. Love all of these ideas ~ I am moving into a new home and will be trying most of them out! Thanks for sharing :)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. PLEASE do not force your cats to poop/pee in small enclosed spaces. It’s a huge source of stress and can lead to heath issues like infections of the urinary tract or worse. Imagine how you feel in a Pot-a-potty. Cats will feel the same way. Better, IMHO, to install a cat door to an unused room (basement, attached garage, etc) and give kitty a nice private space to do their business and keep things out of sight.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Thanks for this important tip for our furry friends! :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  4. I aleady posted on this information about the amber bottles.

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  5. I really liked the amber bottles you showed for the bathroom. However, when I went to Amazon to see them, there were a lot of reviews that said the pump didn’t work. Have you had any problem with yours?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • You know, I haven’t had any issues with my bottles. The great thing about Amazon, is how easy they make it to return items. If by chance you get a defective bottle, just exchange or return it.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  6. These are all brilliant! We definitely need a trash cabinet and to use prettier bottles in our shower. Thanks for the ideas Jill

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Excellent area beautification tips! But a word of caution: it is never a good idea to cover up your thermostat regardless of where it’s positioned or how ugly it might be. To work properly the t-stat needs to measure air temperature. Covering it will block and distort the room temperature. We had an open office space that was always freezing in summer. Why? The thermostat was blocked (and warmed) by a cubicle partition.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. I don’t feel that covering the dog crate or extravagant bedding is practical. Dogs get dirty and have accidents. I wipe his feet whenever he has been outside in the grass but he still brings in dirt. I take out the bedding every week, put it in the sun and used a febreze type product on it. My dog likes to look out so the windows on the side give him that opportunity as well as the grate type door which doesn’t often get used. Perhaps this is good for small fufu type dogs.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I have a Lab and I have her crate side up to a glass door we don’t use. I used a cotton sheet to drape over the back, top, and other side. She loves her crate and lays in there watching out her window. There is plenty of air. I learned from a friend with several dogs that dogs like to have their “cave.” It makes them feel secure.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. Love all your tips but I feel the one on the dog crate would keep air from flowing and be dangerous, especially to short snouted breeds that have trouble breathing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • This would not be any different than using a plastic crate. If it is too hot for the dog, it won’t matter if the crate is covered or not. Covering the crate (as Jillee stated) makes them feel safer. And if you cover the door also, may keep them quieter. My one dog would not stop barking when I took him to work with me.(grooming shop, he wanted the power dryer used on him, he loved it!) If we covered the door with a towel he would be quiet. I called him my canary.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
      • Haha! :D

Leave a Comment

16 Comments

  1. I have an unsightly cpap machine sitting on my nightstand. I bought a photo storage box and place it upside down over the machine. Your shoe box idea would also work. I bought a second box and place the bottle of distilled water inside that box. You need the distilled water for the machine and this way they are together and concealed.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  2. Love all of these ideas ~ I am moving into a new home and will be trying most of them out! Thanks for sharing :)

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  3. PLEASE do not force your cats to poop/pee in small enclosed spaces. It’s a huge source of stress and can lead to heath issues like infections of the urinary tract or worse. Imagine how you feel in a Pot-a-potty. Cats will feel the same way. Better, IMHO, to install a cat door to an unused room (basement, attached garage, etc) and give kitty a nice private space to do their business and keep things out of sight.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • Thanks for this important tip for our furry friends! :-)

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  4. I aleady posted on this information about the amber bottles.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  5. I really liked the amber bottles you showed for the bathroom. However, when I went to Amazon to see them, there were a lot of reviews that said the pump didn’t work. Have you had any problem with yours?

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • You know, I haven’t had any issues with my bottles. The great thing about Amazon, is how easy they make it to return items. If by chance you get a defective bottle, just exchange or return it.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  6. These are all brilliant! We definitely need a trash cabinet and to use prettier bottles in our shower. Thanks for the ideas Jill

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  7. Excellent area beautification tips! But a word of caution: it is never a good idea to cover up your thermostat regardless of where it’s positioned or how ugly it might be. To work properly the t-stat needs to measure air temperature. Covering it will block and distort the room temperature. We had an open office space that was always freezing in summer. Why? The thermostat was blocked (and warmed) by a cubicle partition.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  8. I don’t feel that covering the dog crate or extravagant bedding is practical. Dogs get dirty and have accidents. I wipe his feet whenever he has been outside in the grass but he still brings in dirt. I take out the bedding every week, put it in the sun and used a febreze type product on it. My dog likes to look out so the windows on the side give him that opportunity as well as the grate type door which doesn’t often get used. Perhaps this is good for small fufu type dogs.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • I have a Lab and I have her crate side up to a glass door we don’t use. I used a cotton sheet to drape over the back, top, and other side. She loves her crate and lays in there watching out her window. There is plenty of air. I learned from a friend with several dogs that dogs like to have their “cave.” It makes them feel secure.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
  9. Love all your tips but I feel the one on the dog crate would keep air from flowing and be dangerous, especially to short snouted breeds that have trouble breathing.

    Please log in or create a free account to comment.
    • This would not be any different than using a plastic crate. If it is too hot for the dog, it won’t matter if the crate is covered or not. Covering the crate (as Jillee stated) makes them feel safer. And if you cover the door also, may keep them quieter. My one dog would not stop barking when I took him to work with me.(grooming shop, he wanted the power dryer used on him, he loved it!) If we covered the door with a towel he would be quiet. I called him my canary.

      Please log in or create a free account to comment.
      • Haha! :D