In my last post, I wrote about my efforts to minimize the cord clutter in my redesigned home office (see Controlling the Cords.) My readers really enjoyed the product recommendations. So I thought I would showcase the cord-control products I am using in the rest of my living room.
When I decorated my living room, I placed the sofa in the middle of the room instead of against the wall. That allows space behind it for my home office, but that isn’t why I did it. It’s because of the shape of the room, which is one big square. I wanted the focal point of the room to be the fireplace, and I didn’t see any other way to make that happen unless I floated the sofa.
My Living Room
Wiremold Floor Cord Management Kit
In order to put the sofa in the middle of the room and have reading lamps behind it, I needed a way to run an extension cord from under the sofa to the nearest electrical outlet (on the same wall where my home office equipment plugs in.) Until I ascertained the existence of low-profile cord covers, I wasn’t certain I could set up the room this way. A visit to my local hardware store determined that such a product existed! The brown rubber cord cover that I purchased has been walked over — and stepped on — for 19 years, and it is still going strong. The one I bought locally looks very much like the Wiremold Floor Cord Management Kit, which comes in four neutral colors and three lengths. On the far right of the photo, you can see the extension cord emerging from the cord cover and into the D-Line Cable Management Box that I wrote about last time.
Bluelounge Cablebox on floor
There is a lot of serious cord control going on around the fireplace. As I mentioned last time, I’m using a Bluelounge CableBox organizer in one corner. It covers an unsightly power strip into which are plugged my Sonos speaker and my landline (yes, I still have a landline), both of which you can see on the left, as well as several pieces of equipment on top of my file cabinet on the right — my cable modem, my router, and my business landline (yes, I have TWO landlines!) The equipment on top of the file cabinet is hidden the old fashioned way: behind family photographs, with the cables hanging behind the file cabinet.
Another one of my favorite products is in use in this setup. It’s the plastic white cord cover that hides the wires as they drop from the shelf down to the floor. I have this in use in several places around the fireplace. I purchased it at my local hardware store, but here’s a brand on Amazon that looks the same. It can be trimmed to the size you need, and it also has adhesive on one side in case you want to attach it to the wall.
Here is the full effect:
Hiding equipment with photographs
Command™ Clip
On the other side of the fireplace, I’m using another product in conjunction with the cord cover. As you know, I am obsessed with Command™ products. I have another Sonos speaker hidden behind my television. Here I am using a Command™ Cord Clip to keep the Sonos power cord flat until it enters the white cord cover. I can’t find this white clip on the Command™ website anymore, but you can still get Command™ Clear Flat Cord Clips, which do the same thing and have the benefit of being clear.
I put a lot of thinking into how to make my living room look warm and homey in spite of all of the lighting, entertainment, and electronic equipment in use.
