Q: Since I’m an avid reader/adorer of all things YHL, I’ve seen pretty much all the pictures of your home that you’ve managed to cram into the blog. And every time I see these pics, I swoon over how organized and neat your house is- so very unlike my own. One thing in particular annoys me: office clutter! Cords, cables & wires. Lettin’ it all hang out is NOT my idea of organization or attractiveness. How do you guys make your cords/wires/cables more organized and neat? Must I resort to actually having to tie each wire and cord individually? There must be another way! Right? Please? – Erin
A: I’m crazy. I’ll just get that out there before I get to answering your question. But here it goes…
I also HATE cord clutter. In fact, I’m such a freak about keeping cords in check that the two white cardboard Ikea boxes that you see stacked to the left of our computer on our desk actually contain our cable modem and our external hard drive. We punched a bunch of holes around the top, back and sides of the boxes for ventilation (safety first! you don’t want anything to overheat!) and cut out notches in the back of each box for the cords to escape so we could easily plug things in under the desk (so no one’s the wiser that our “storage boxes” actually store a lot more than paper and files). In over three years of using this method with our cable modem (and about a year with our external hard drive) we’ve never had an issue with overheating or malfunctioning (although we do occasionally lift off the tops to check on them and air things out). We know it sounds crazy, but it works for us!
Oh and another thing we do (this one’s less crazy) is that we have a leather ottoman that we slid right under the left side of our desk with the printer on it (which gloriously hides all the cords that run from the backs of those Ikea boxes and plug into the wall behind it). Sometimes the best cord hiding strategy is just to snatch up something to put in front of those babies- and cheap Target ottomans work just as well as the next thing (all while offering up some great concealed storage for extra office supplies).
Yet another method would be to hit up places like The Container Store, Room & Board and even Target since they all sell “cord wrangling kits” that can help you snake cords down the legs of desks or velcro them all together so you don’t even need to use an ottoman to hide anything (this definitely comes in handy if your desk is too compact to accommodate an ottoman underneath it). And a few other office aids that work hard to keep our desk looking orderly are those two white tins on the desktop next to our modem-hiding-boxes, which are also from Ikea. They store all of Burger’s food and treats so they’re always at arm’s reach.
And of course a potted plant, some free DIY art and a cup full of pens rounds out our desktop for a functional and pleasant place to put in some serious blogging time. Plus I can’t forget those two shallow drawers in our beloved West Elm parsons desk (which was one of our favorite wedding gifts ever) that help hide clutter like bills to be paid or notes that I scribble down at the end of the day. It really is true that a clean and organized desk makes for a clean and organized mind. I actually feel like I work more efficiently (and feel better) when my desk is nice and organized. So that’s our combination of insanely weird (hiding your modem in a box???) and semi-practical solutions (using a storage ottoman to block cords) that keep our compact corner office working hard for us. And it literally is a corner office. See, it’s in a corner of our den:
But now we want to hear what you guys do to hide cords and keep your desk in check. Any tips and tricks to share? Do tell.
Psst- Want another cord management idea? Check out Nicole’s awesome solution over at Making It Lovely. And to see how we organize and store nearly everything else in our house, check out this exhaustive post of yore.
Update: We’re so glad you’re loving the Ikea box idea! And while it works seamlessly for us, we can’t guarantee that it won’t cause your components to overheat or even catch fire so it’s important to take adequate precautions when implementing this method. Remember to punch lots of holes in the top, bottom, and sides of the box (as well as to cut a wide square in the back for the cords to exit). Regularly opening the boxes to ensure that’s nothing’s getting too hot is always a good idea- especially in the beginning to check if your ventilation is adequate. The last thing you want in your lovely home is a fire hazard!
Stephanie says
Ditto on the request for a photo of the Ikea box hack. I think I’m dense and just can’t visualize it.
By the way, this post is so timely. I was literally staring at our pile of cords yesterday. And I am one of the unlucky ones with an outlet/phone jack and desk on opposite sides of a room. Would love to hear more ideas about how others have dealt with this.
Thanks for wonderful post and the ingenious answers so far!
Emily says
I despise cords too! So much so that I made my husband give up his desktop computer and now we are all laptops. Any other cords are usually hidden behind furniture (TV cords behind armoire, etc). We try and keep them organized with zip ties mostly. We haven’t ever used any of the fancy cord organizers. Love the modem in a box idea!
Emelie says
You’re not crazy. We do the same thing and use boxes to hide the cords. We have a leather box that houses all the cords that connect to the TV, DVD, game console etc in a box. You’ll only see all the cords neatly going into the box in one hole that is used as a box handle and then only one large cord going out the other hole on the other side that get’s plugged in the wall. When you open the box, you’ll see a jumbled mess of cords, transformers, power bars etc, but when it’s closed, it just looks like an accessory. Boxes and baskets are our best friends!
Mandi says
Ack, cord clutter! I hate this, too. Here is how I handled my cable modem and wi-fi router. It may not be obvious from the photos, but it’s well above eye level, so not an issue that the interior of the basket could be tidier:
Basket on top of Media Center
Lights peeking through
Cutout in rear
View into basket
I picked a basket that was inexpensive, but attractive to the eye – I wouldn’t recommend doing this with an heirloom quality basket, obviously. It works great, and everyone is always surprised when I tell them the router is hidden in there! We’ve redone our media center, so the router basket lives on the tall cabinet by my office desk now – but same effect. It’s up high and the cables and electronica are all hidden.
Anne says
I am a crazy type A person also about organization. A couple years ago I got so frustrated with all the power cords and USB cords laying that I had no idea what they went to. I went out and got a shoebox size rubbermaid container and then I went through all my cords and put the right ones together in a ziplock bag with a label in the bag as to what they go to. I tossed all the ziplocks in the rubbermaid and now I never have to sort through a million cords to find my camera cord or my extra phone charger. I love it!
Jeannine @ Small and Chic says
This seems like a popular topic lately! I wrote about it a couple weeks ago and Jane from The Borrowed Abode wrote about her solution soon after. There are so many creative solutions out there!
Jenny D. says
Funny, I just filled up one of those giant yellow Ikea bags with those white storage boxes today… Now I know what to do with the cords after I rearrange the office!
But the real question is, how did you manage to register for stuff from West Elm for your wedding?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh we didn’t register there, but my best friend knew I was obsessed with that desk so she and her family went in on it for me and John as a total surprise. She’s the best!
xo,
s
Steph says
I was JUST thinking about doing this with our cable modem. Actually, I’d been thinking a magazine file box, which would solve the ventilation problem, but maybe not be as neat.
The biggest reason I want to hide the modem is because we had to relocate our office space to our bedroom when our son was born, and the lights annoy me at night.
margie says
I have to know, Do you really sit at that desk and work or are you spread out in bed or on the sofa?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! I actually do 99.9% of my work at my desk (especially being prego I need the back support of a chair, and I’ve never been comfortable on a sofa or bed for a long stretch of time). The only time I might work in bed or on the sofa would be approving comments from my iPhone, but if I’m on my laptop, I’m sitting at my desk. John’s also a desk/table worker. He sets up a little makeshift office on the dining room table with his laptop to blog after a full day’s work downtown (he puts in well over 20 hours to YHL on top of his full time job- my hero!). Oh and sometimes we move our laptops to the pedestal table in the sunroom and work in there just for a change of scenery. Especially when we’re blogging on a weekend and want it to feel a bit less lame about putting in such long hours!
xo,
s
MichelleS says
Ok I really need help on this one and I didn’t see anything in your post or the comments. I was actually thinking about emailing you guys about my cord problem but felt it was too small or you’d be too busy to help. My problem is our computer sits at a built in desk in our apartment and there is no holes that lead under the desk. So our tower, monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse have to sit on top of the desk or else its dragging the cords in front and under the desk. I can’t drill any holes because it’s the apartment’s. Do you have any advice for me?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, our advice would just be to either use a box or some sort of desk accessories to hide that mess of cords or to check out the places that we mentioned in this post (Target, Room & Board, etc) for their cord wrangling kits to see if any of those velcro or plastic tubing and clasping devices can keep all of your cords looking minimal and neat instead of messy and all over the place. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sara B says
Steph – I use a magazine file box!
We have the black Expedit shelves from Ikea, and I hated looking at the blinking lights on the modem/router. I picked up a Knuff wood magazine file (from the as is department yay!) painted the outside of it black, put some felt squares on the bottom (so it wouldn’t scratch up the finish on the shelves) and fit the modem, router and power-strip in there. It blends into the shelves and is pretty on the front, and open on the back. Also I can easily slide it in and out to check on the equipment.
YoungHouseLove says
Genius idea Sara B! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Danielle@Newlyweds Paradise says
Great ideas! I actually just got that desk and had the same issue with cords. I tied a few of them with a white string around the leg of the desk.
I have to say, every time I see this room in your home, I want to steal it! It just has such a cozy vibe and great light!
Lisa says
Love your blog! Your desk space is so inspiring, so clean and organized… and nothing like my mess of a desk! Love the lamp on the desk. Would you mind sharing where you found it?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s actually a $10 find from Linens N Things. Sadly they’re not around anymore (in brick & mortar stores, they do still have LNT.com) so perhaps you could try their online site or even a place like ebay? We’ve also seen similar versions at Target and TJ Maxx. Happy hunting!
xo,
s
Erin @ Domestic Adventure says
I’m so thrilled that you tackled this question. I was just thinking the other day how that would be a great question to ask you! I’m forever battling cords and I love your solutions and all of the other creative comments!
Angie says
You guys are always inspiring me! I would love to be clutter free!
I do have a question though speaking of hiding things-how do you hid the plunger and toilet bowl brush in the bathroom?
YoungHouseLove says
We just tuck them as far behind the far side of the toilet as possible so they’re out of sight. They’re a lot less visible in the half bathroom just because it’s a small space so it’s hard to see behind that side of the toilet from any angle, so that’s where they live. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
@Lisa: About the lamp, we bought a very similar one at Home Depot, but it was about $30.
Ikea alos has this one for $25, but it’s shiny, not brushed metal:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60146764
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for jumping in with those tips for Lisa, Stephanie!
xo,
s
jen says
Love your box idea. I hate all our clutter, w/router, cable modem, external HD and then cords
i recently saw this and want it!
http://www.bluelounge.com/cablebox.php
probably wouldn’t fit the routers but i also saw online someone bought one of those small ikea metal cabinets which houses all her computer stuff!!
Tiffany says
Wow, hiding the components in cardboard boxes, brillant. Our cords are hidden behind a huge bookcase at the moment so there really isn’t that much to see.
Jane says
hey sherry & john,
great topic to blog about – my cords are definately out of control, but I’m only in temporary accommodation at the moment so I’ll definately be storing this post away for some attention in the future!
thought you might be interested in this idea!
http://www.designmom.com/2010/04/cord-organizing/
YoungHouseLove says
So smart! Thanks for sharing the link.
xo,
s
Dixie Redmond says
I so love your attention to detail. Your rooms are gorgeous and your discipline and work ethic is admired. :-) I know I’ll be using some of your ideas in my problem living room which I posted about today on my blog.
http://www.northdixiedesigns.com/2010/04/autism-awareness-designers-of-america.html
the sassy kathy says
oh just saw this! glad the unsightly cords = wire art was interesting for some people. its awesome… but definitely would take some work to get it to look as good as it does in that photo…
YoungHouseLove says
So true!
xo,
s
Laura says
How ironic– I’m searching your site for office-organization ideas and lo-and-behold, you have used the ottoman I just randomly bought to solve the two problems I’m facing: printer placement and wire-hiding! love you guys!
Rachel says
I love that I’m not the only one crazy about trying to hide plugs. I feel like the ruin the whole room!
For my tv cords, I have open shelves with no back, so I just taped black posterboard to the back side of them. It just looks dark in the back and hides the trillions of plugs back there.