Cords are a huge eyesore, right? If you’re looking for a simple way to hide router and modem cords, this one is for you. Here’s how to hide wires with a mid-century side table.
There is nothing more hideous than a huge pile of wires in a beautifully decorated room. You spend all of your time and energy getting the room just right, but you can’t easily control where the outlets are or where your cable plugs in.
You’re probably here because you are looking for a simple way to hide your wires from your modem and router. Because I mean…just look at this mess.
This post is part of my fun monthly challenge for thrift store upcycles. I got the base for my fun mid-century table at the thrift store. You’ll be shocked how I upcycled it to solve a major problem – how to hide router and modem wires!
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Related – check out my other thrift store upcycles:
- Farmer’s market farmhouse crate centerpiece
- Painted marble decor for modern glam office
- Vintage Bread Box Chalk Paint Makeover
- How to Upcycle A Bar Stool Into A Narrow Bedside Table
- Colorful Upcycled Chair Bench For Your Backyard
- White Pumpkin Decor from Cheap Thrift Store Foam Pumpkins
- Add A Vintage Medicine Cabinet for Farmhouse Bathroom Charm
- DIY Magazine Holder Makeover with Cane for Boho Look
- Boho Floral Line Art: Cheap and Easy Thrift Store Idea
- Easy DIY Boho Wall Decor with Thrift Store Frame and Watercolor
- DIY White Farmhouse Pitcher From Tacky Thrift Store Find
This how to hide router cords tutorial contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend anyway! Read my full disclosure here.
Here’s my solution for how to hide router and modem wires
I needed a solution because I couldn’t have a mess in my beautiful new marble & gold themed office.
If you are stuck trying to figure out how to hide hideous electrical wires, I have a super simple and adorable DIY solution for how to hide router cords.
How to Hide Modem and Router Cords with Upcycled Furniture
You’ll never guess what I upcycled from the thrift store to make this mid-century side table. Here it is…
You’re still probably confused, right?! What the heck is that!?
Well, I had no idea either. I just knew it was a perfect size and even better it had that front panel with holes for ventilation, which is a necessity if you’re going to be creating your own table as a solution to the how to hide router and cords wires dilemma.
Turns out it is a really old-school air cleaner. I’m guessing that’s kind of like a modern-day air purifier. Regardless of what it was, what it was going to be is even better.
Supplies needed for this modem and router cord storage box
- Vintage air purifier
- 220 grit sandpaper
- Painter’s tape
- Gold spray paint
- White spray paint
- 4 hairpin legs
- Wire grate
- Finish nails
- Zip ties
Step 1. Lightly sand.
Since I knew I was going to paint this with spray paint, I gave it a quick and very light sand with a fine 220 grit sandpaper.
Step 2. Tape off and spray paint the front.
Next, I used painter’s tape to tape off the edges of the front around the panel. I followed up by giving the front panel a few coats of gold spray paint. Remove the tape when finished.
Step 3. Tape off the front and spray the rest of the box.
Since my office was marble, white, gold, and mint green – I wanted to keep the box with a simple white and gold theme.
I chose white spray paint for the main color. We did about 4 coats after covering the front panel with plastic and tape.
Step 4. Add legs.
This is where it really started coming together. I had been itching to do a DIY with hairpin legs because I just LOVE them.
I knew they would fit in perfectly in my modern office. We added the four hairpin legs to the bottom corners of the table.
Step 5. Add a wire grate as a shelf.
Once I got to this point, I started trying to fit everything back into the little box. And I was really struggling to make it all fit.
Then I remembered that little wire grate that I removed when I was deconstructing everything. Ah ah! We need a shelf! Even better, a shelf that allows the air to circulate in the box.
We attached the shelf by resting it on some nails on all four corners of the box.
Step 6. Secure power strip.
We added the power strip up into the top corner of the box.
Step 7. Add your gear.
Luckily I have my designated “IT Manager” to do this part for me, hehe. I started getting lost with all the cords. He stepped in and got it all plugged in the right way.
Step 8. Organize the cords with zip ties.
The best part of this solution for how to hide router and modem cords is the pretty organized cables that you end up with.
Maybe you’re not Type-A like me, but that organized circle of cords makes my heart flutter.
I love my little mid-century side table, my perfect solution for how to hide wires. My marble and gold office is able to stay clean and pretty without the hideous mess of the electrical cords.
Do you have a bunch of electrical wires in your house that needs hiding? Whatever type of contraption you come up with (heck, maybe you can find an old school air cleaner too!?) just remember to make sure your solution on how to hide cords has plenty of air circulation. I’d love to see what you dream up!
How do you hide router and modem wires in your house??
Let me know in the comments !!
How To Hide Wires With A Mid-Century Side Table
Cords are a huge eye sore, right? If you’re looking for a simple way to hide wires, this one’s for you. Here’s how to hide wires with a mid-century side table.
Materials
- Vintage air cleaner
- Painter’s tape
- Gold spray paint
- White spray paint
- Hairpin legs
- Wire grate
- Zip ties
Tools
Instructions
- Lightly sand.
- Tape off and spray paint front.
- Tape off front and spray the rest of the box.
- Add legs.
- Add wire grate as a shelf.
- Secure power strip.
- Add your gear.
- Organize the cords with zip tiles.
Love your mid century table. It’s my fave design style and great vision you saw from an old fan box. Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.
Thanks Victoria. I love the midcentury style too! 🙂
Wow – this is so creative! Super cute and stylish way to hide those ugly cords. Thanks for sharing your smart idea!
Thanks Vicki & Jennifer! 🙂 I’ve always struggled with that ugly eye sore!
Messy electrical cords are one of my worst pet peeves! You guys did a great job hiding them. Super upcycle for that air filter box! xo Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Thanks Kathleen, the room is so much happier with them hidden! Hehe!
What a cute idea! I’m gonna raid my parents’ garage and see if they have something like this I can use haha!
Thanks friend!! If you could find (or make) any type of wooden box, you could always find a cool metal grate for the front and it would look really similar to this! Just make sure you have ventilation if you’re going to be covering up your internet boxes 🙂
Great thought! I wonder if it cuts down on the router signal at all? If it were used to house a cable box could the remote “see” through the metal grate?
We haven’t had any issues with our router signal, but it is important to note that the antennas on our router box are exposed out the back of the box and NOT blocked inside of the box. That probably makes a big difference. I’m not sure about a remote working for a cable box, it would probably depend on the angle at which you were sitting.
Came here from HomeTalk to check finished project and I must say it looks amazing! I’m currently dreaming about Mid Century Modern style living room and it would be a nice addition. Pinning it right now!
Hi Sarune! Thanks so much!
I hate cords and currently have it all in a closet in my den. But if I couldn’t do that this is a spectacular idea. How creative you are.
Lucky you that you’re able to stow them all away in a closet. That wasn’t an option for us 🙂
So clever. Love this idea.
Thanks so much Dru!
Wow….what a great solution. I love how this turned out. Great job.
Thanks Denise!
Your office looks so nice without those cords. UGH I hate them. I love what you did with this box. and it is perfect for your router. I love in that last finished photo the green lights of the router. They look a little bit like glowing eyeballs! LOL! You are very creative and and up-cycle genius.
Hehe! They totally do look like little eyeballs, I’ve never noticed that 🙂
Very clever idea! Love the white and gold too.
Thanks so much Amanda!
Ok this is exactly what I need! This would be perfect for hiding my blue tooth speakers! Now I just need to find one…
Yes, this is a great idea to hide speakers too!! If you can’t find something like this, you could probably get away with building a box and then adding a decorative grate to the front 🙂
I hate cords too! I love love love those hairpin legs, and the MCM vibe of the whole thing – such a great flip!!!
Thanks Kim!
This is a really smart idea, and it’s so stylish!
Thanks Lora! 🙂
Wow! What a brilliant idea! I hate cords too and this is such a pretty way to hide them!
Thanks so much Michelle!
Oh my word. I need one of these SO bad. All the cords coming out of our tv cabinet drives me crazy!
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
{BIG hugs}
~Ashley
I know, the crazy cords drive me a nuts too!!! So glad that this inspired you!
Wow, you sure were able to fit a lot of stuff in there. I hate looking at all the tech stuff too, so I love your new hidden storage idea.
Thanks Erlene!
Hello everyone! So glad to know I am not the only one that feels this way about electrical cords!!!???
I definitely plan to try this. I’m concerned about covering the router antennas though–did you notice any change in your wireless strength after putting it inside the box?
You can’t really tell by this picture, but the antennas are actually sticking out the back of the box so they are not covered, which is what I would recommend. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
Awesome DIY!!! I need to do something similar for my computer tower. 😉
I don’t have the patience to DIY this but would love to buy this exact thing! Do you sell them? LOL!
What a sweet concept! Wow! For me, this is really helpful and timely information. As a result, I set out in quest of the ideal linen storage solution. I’m really excited to show you what I came up with! What a fantastic idea to make use of the space and fill it with something lovely! Good luck with your blog!
So glad you found it helpful!