The best ways to hide ugly wires and cables in your living room

Let’s be honest: cables are the Achilles heel of even the most beautifully styled living room. You can invest in the perfect rug, a designer sofa, and the trendiest wall paint, only to have a spaghetti pile of wires ruin the entire effect.

Whether it’s for the TV, lamps, chargers, or that sneaky Wi-Fi booster, cables love to steal the spotlight — and not in a good way.

Luckily, there are clever ways to keep the tech but lose the mess. Here’s how to hide those ugly wires and cables without losing your sanity — or your aesthetic.

Embrace cable management products

Boring? Perhaps. Effective? Absolutely. There are now cable management kits that bundle, route, and secure cables so they don’t take over the room.

Look for:

• Cable sleeves — these zip up multiple wires into a neat tube

• Cable boxes — stash power strips out of sight

• Velcro ties — keep long cables from dangling like jungle vines

• Cable clips — hold wires flush against the skirting or furniture

They’re cheap, they work, and they will keep you from muttering curses every time you vacuum.

Run cables along the skirting

If you can, run cables tight to the wall along the skirting boards. Paintable trunking or low-profile cable covers can make them practically vanish.

It’s a simple, budget-friendly fix that works wonders — like camouflaging the elephant in the room, only smaller and made of plastic.

Go behind the furniture

This is the oldest trick in the book, and for good reason: if you can’t see it, it’s not a problem. Route cables behind a sideboard, bookcase, or media unit so they’re out of sight.

Use sticky cable clips to keep them from crawling back into view when you’re not looking.

Mount the TV properly

If you’ve wall-mounted your TV, go one step further and install an in-wall cable channel to hide the power and HDMI leads.

No more straggly lines hanging below a beautiful screen — just a clean, minimalist look. You’ll feel smug every time you sit down for a Netflix binge.

Choose furniture with built-in cable solutions

Some modern TV units, desks, and even sofas come with cable cut-outs or hidden channels. If you’re updating your living room furniture, look for pieces designed with cable chaos in mind. They might spare you hours of wrestling with zip ties later.

Think floor power

Open-plan living can make it tricky to plug in a lamp away from the wall. If you’re planning a renovation, consider having a floor outlet installed under a coffee table or near a sofa. It’s a game-changer for layout flexibility — and far more stylish than trailing extension cords across the carpet.

Go wireless where possible

Of course, the best cable is no cable at all.

Consider:

• Bluetooth speakers instead of wired ones

• Wireless charging stations

• Smart plugs controlled by an app

The fewer cables you have, the less you need to hide.

A few mistakes to avoid

Even the best efforts can go sideways, so steer clear of these:

• Overloading power strips and creating a fire risk

• Running cables under rugs (a guaranteed trip hazard, plus friction damage over time)

• Forgetting to leave slack — you’ll regret it the first time you move the TV a centimetre

• Untested products — not all cable covers are created equal, so check reviews before buying

Conclusion

Wires and cables are the ugly truth behind our digital lives, but they don’t have to take over your living room.

With a bit of planning, the right tools, and a sharp eye for detail, you can keep your tech neatly under wraps — leaving your interior style to shine.

Because after all, nobody ever looked at a tangled knot of cables and thought, that really ties the room together.