Dealing with cables can be a bit of a hassle when you have several electronics in your apartment.
No one wants to be looking at (or tripping over) cords all around their home. But managing cables can be difficult if you don’t have many convenient outlets in your apartment or if you have a lot of electronics in one place.
With the help of Prometheus Apartments, Huffington Post and Refinery29, we’ve put together tips and products to make managing cables in your apartment easy and convenient.
Tips on Managing Cords
- Use colors and clips. Save time when unplugging items by color-coordinating your cords and clipping together cables that go to related products. Create a key or label your cords so you don’t have to unplug several items every time you need to reset the router or grab your computer charger. Binder clips are a cheap and easy solution — you can organize and label these with decorative tape to save money.
- Hide cords in a drawer or decorative box. If your nightstand has a drawer, you can hide a powerstrip inside to plug in your phone, Kindle, iPad or other electronics before bed. You can do the same with a decorative box — just drill a hole in the back so you can plug the power strip in the wall.
- Use a decorative baseboard to add some flair to your apartment while also hiding long cables.
- Running cords along the edges of furniture and baseboards keeps them out of sight and keeps your apartment looking neat and classy. To keep long cables in place, use Command Cord Clips to avoid damaging walls and putting your security deposit at risk.
- Mount a pegboard under your desk to store peripheral electronics like modems and hard drives.
- Use paintable cord covers that you can paint to match your wall so they don’t stand out.
- Can’t avoid cords? Make wall art with your wires.
Unique Cable Management Products
While you can go the inexpensive route with binder clips and twist ties to manage cables, these clever products make cable organization much easier.
- Hug-A-Plug – Have limited outlets or a lot of electronics in one place? The Hug-A-Plug squeezes into tight spaces and turns one outlet into two, with one outlet on each side parallel to the wall instead of sticking straight out. In addition to saving space, the Hug-A-Plug prevents you from damaging your electronic cords by bending them and forcing them into cluttered areas.
- Cable Twisters – Cable Twisters are perfect for decluttering your desk or TV area. They can hold multiple cords, cables and wires together to save space. Use color-coded twisters to help you organize your cables, so you can quickly unplug the cords you need to without disconnecting all of your electronics.
- Cord Balls – Cord Balls hide long cords from sight to improve the look of your office or living room and help you avoid tripping hazards. The balls keep long wires contained in a small space while providing a fun pop of color.
- Cable Clips – Sick of having cords fall every time you unplug one of your gadgets? Cable Clips keep cords from slipping behind your desk and keep your office area organized. The mini clips are great for small items like iPhone and iPads, while the large versions can be used for computer chargers, hard drives and more. They’re self-adhesive so they can be used throughout the home and can be easily removed from furniture.
- Who doesn’t love LEGOs? The small hands on these fun little toys are perfect for holding electronic cords and add a fun touch of personality to your apartment.