Bundle Excess Cord With a Zip Tie
Neatly wrap any extra cord length and secure the bundle with a zip tie or a Velcro cable tie, leaving just enough slack to reach the outlet. Tuck the excess behind a furniture leg, and suddenly you’ve gone from a sprawling cord to a short, tidy drop. You can also use small adhesive cable clips to guide the remaining length along the back of the leg so it hugs the furniture rather than drifting into view. Simple? Yes. The foundation of a clean cord setup? Also yes.
More Designer-Approved Tips for Managing Cords
Start by editing: Take inventory of your cords first. “Most rooms have cords running to things no one actually uses, so I unplug and clear those out before anything else,” says Laura Williams of Living Oak Interior Design.
Match clips to your furniture finish: Brittny Button of Button Atelier recommends using cable clips in a color that matches your furniture so they disappear completely against the piece.
Swap in a stylish extension cord: Alicia Roche of Alicia Roche Interiors utilizes a single sleek extension cord near the outlet. “Since only one well-designed cord runs to the wall, the setup feels intentional and tidy rather than cluttered,” Roche says.
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Use a fabric cord sleeve on exposed wall runs: Georgia Deane of Georgia Deane Design suggests choosing a sleeve that matches your wall color. “The goal is never to draw the eye,” she says. “It’s to let the cord quietly vanish into its surroundings.” Online marketplaces like Etsy offer a wide range of fabric options to match almost any paint shade.
Hide cords in a basket: Conceal a power strip and its inevitable nest of cables through smart styling — a woven basket, lidded box, or covered tray all work well. “It’s important to choose something that earns its place in the room independently, rather than being an obvious concealment for cords,” Deane says. “Otherwise you’re just changing the problem rather than fixing it.”
Try an in-drawer charging station: This setup corrals devices so countertops and nightstands stay clutter-free. “It keeps everything powered up but out of sight, creating a calmer end to the day and reducing the visual reminders of work and constant connectivity,” Roche says.
