Cables and wires can greatly impact the appearance and ergonomics of your living and workspaces, but how can you use effective cable management and design to make your spaces more elegant?
Everything uses a cable!
These days, absolutely everything is connected by a cable. Whether it’s a wireless device that you can charge via a cable, your tv, hairdryer, or lawnmower. They’ll all need to be plugged in at some point and in one way or another.
If you have a lot of appliances all needing cables to power them, it might become a bit messy and an unwanted distraction in your home. Because what’s the point in having the latest, greatest coffee machine or games console if the cables are going to let it down and make it look busy?
Why use cable management?
Cables aren’t only unsightly when there are lots of them. They can be dangerous too if not carefully looked after and tidied away properly.
Having your appliance cables strewn across the office and at home can become hazardous, especially if you have young children or elderly individuals in the area who aren’t as stable on their feet.
Cables left out can become choking hazards for pets and toddlers and are more likely to become damaged by water spills, getting trodden on, and other general wear and tear. The more worn a cable becomes, the easier it will fray and spark which could lead to electric shocks or even fires. Worn cables can also damage your appliances and gadgets.
Keeping your cables tidy and organized reduces this risk and will keep your home or workplace looking smart and professional in the process.
How can you manage your cables?
Keeping your cables tidy doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be something as simple as putting away your phone charger or appliance in a safe area out of the way once you are done with it, such as in a drawer or storage box. Remember to wrap up your cables carefully, avoiding excess bending or damage to the internal wires. For things like computers or gaming systems that require a lot of electrical wiring, keep the wires together and tucked neatly behind the appliance away from where people may walk.
For things like kitchen appliances that you’ll want out and readily available, for example, microwaves, kettles, coffee machines, and the likes, consider making a discreet hole into your worktop using a hole saw and feed the wires through it so that they are out of sight and out of reach of damage from accidental spills or hot hobs. This works especially well if you are renovating your kitchen and are planning your worktops around your appliances, this way you can keep plug sockets and switches out of sight too for a more streamlined, showroom-style kitchen.
This can also be done in the workplace and leave your desk looking tidy and presentable for when your boss stops by. Consider under desk plugs that can be worked into the flooring and covered when not in use. Cables and wires can be neatly organized with cable ties, which will avoid anything being snagged out by accident when moving around your desk.