Cords make me itch. Especially those that spew from my slick flat screen television mounted front-and-center above my fireplace. It’s an issue, right ladies? The Manchild, my husband, is blind to cords… The weirdo. Is this a Mars and Venus thing?
For fear of drilling into the fireplace brick and mortar and/or the flue in order to thread the cords behind the wall, and with my anti-hire mentality, I came up with a super tricky and aesthetically awesome solution that I could do myself.
Here is how I hid those pesky cords when we mounted our flat screen above the fireplace:
TRIMWORK WITH CHANNELS FOR THE CORDS TO RUN THROUGH! I nailed the trim to the wall with skinny brad nails. No caulk, so that the cover pieces can be popped off and re-installed if I want to add or replace a cord in there at a later date (change electronics or cable providers much?!).
Before the TV Arrived:
yuck. sorry. keepin’ it real!
After we put up the TV:
This it the best picture I could find, my lovelies! I didn’t think to take a picture of just the cords mess. We also had a PS3 sitting on the mantle for months with cords spewing out of it at all times. itch. scratch.
~nervous twitch~
~nervous twitch~
Here is a step-by-step model for how to hide your flat screen cords in a sneaky AND beautiful way like I did:
Hiding Flat Screen Cords Step 1: Plan it Out
Draw a plan out on paper. Mount the television. Center it, of course. (Notice that with our mounting kit, the actual mounting bracket did not have to be centered perfectly, the TV can slide right and left on the stationary bracket in order to find center. The important point is to screw the mounting bracket into studs behind the wall.)
Then draw all over your wall lightly with pencil or chalk. Mark center, mark left and right edges of the trim-work-to-be. Mark where your cords exit the television on each side and decide where your trim work will best go in order to hide the cords AND look nice.
I had 2 cords exiting left and 1 cord exiting right. However, for architectural interest and balance, I added additional trim work lines on the top, bottom, and sides.
I used a 6-ft. crown molding shelf that I had purchased from Pottery Barn on sale about 4 years ago as the cap for my trim work. For everything else, I used simple lattice pieces from Home Depot. They are not wood, really. They are a plastic-y type of wood composite thing. (Nice vocab, Ang!)
Hiding Flat Screen Cords Step 2: Create Vertical Channels
These lattice pieces should and could be primed before mounting them on the wall.
Makes sure the vertical channels are WIDE enough to hold the cords you have, but NARROW enough, that a piece of lattice can cover the gap and overlap the channel enough to be nailed into place. Making sense? No? Sorry.
Also, make sure that you are consistent with your gap width, because ALL of the trim work needs to be the same width in the end. I cut out a thin piece of cardstock to use as my channel guide and stuck it between the two lattice pieces before nailing them down to ensure consistency.
Use a level. Follow your chalk lines on the wall.
Hiding Flat Screen Cords Step 3: Create Horizontal Channels
Isn’t it looking nifty??
Notice how the interior lines of the wood don’t match up perfectly sometimes. Doesn’t matter. I just needed my exterior lines to be perfect, because the mess of the interior will be covered.
Also, make sure you are going deep enough behind the TV that you won’t be able to see where the channels end. I DID NOT do this properly, and had to go back and add 2 inch pieces to my horizontal channels. Oops.
Notice the little light switch in the middle of my trim work on the right side? Dang switch. It REALLY complicated my whole project. It is the switch for my fireplace flue fan. Not sure why we need a fan, but I guess it’s a nice feature.
Because of that switch, I could not go as narrow or as wide as I would have preferred with the trim. And that caused lots of other problems, like having to split my vertical pieces in half to accommodate the mantle and also having to meet the crown molding at the top at a non-flat place.
See?
Your project will have it’s own quirks. Enjoy them and the extra hours they add.
Hiding Flat Screen Cords Step 4: Add Additional Channels for Balance & Interest
At this point, I was running back and forth between the family room and the garage where my miter saw is… over and over again. And the nail gun was “pfffffd!-ing” away like crazy. It’s moments like these that I am the happiest. Excuse my little teardrops of joy. Snif!
I nailed the channel pieces and non-functioning cover pieces down to the wall, but only taped the cover pieces that I would be hiding cords under.
Hiding Flat Screen Cords Step 5:
Re-mount the TV and Place the Cords into Channels
At this point, I had to wait for The Manchild to show his face again so that we could re-mount the TV and attach the cords. I made sure to pull extra lengths of the cords through the channels (but not more than could hide behind the TV when mounted) so that when we need to take the TV down, the trim work won’t be pulled off the wall before I can reach my hand under there and un-attach them. Does that makes sense?
By the way, I had to buy longer power and HDMI cords before starting this project. I believe they are both 12 ft long. And when the cable guy was here installing the cable, I had him use an extra long cord.
A video was the best way to show the next part:
And I was like, “Baby, baby, baby… I like the way you work with wood…”
Justin Bieber wasn’t REALLY playing when I did this, but I thought I might add him in just for fun. Except if it was real life, then I would have stopped taping down trim and started to dance. You all know that. If you didn’t, you know it now.
And now I am totally distracted and can’t remember what I was writing about…
Hiding Flat Screen Cords Step 6: Take down TV and Paint it All Up!
Secrets revealed:
I did NOT caulk the trim work, which I usually do with trim, because I want to be able to pop the channel covers off when we decide to change cable services/add another HDMI component, etc. I DID however, use some spackle on the noticeable gaps between trim pieces. It is white and paintable, but not like glue, right?
I had so much fun decorating the mantle for Halloween after finishing this project. The whole area was just a mess and NOT the focal point that it should be. And now, with the trim work complete, the cords hidden, and the PS3 removed from the mantle, it’s a whole new room!
Since first completing this trim project I have added more color and molding to the wall:
What do you think, friends? Here’s an up-close and personal shot:
I came up with this all on my own. Google didn’t help me AT ALL with this idea, so hopefully this tutorial can help other “outside-the-box thinkers” like myself solve their flat-screen TV mounting issues.
This project is joining the CSI project Molding party, Sawdust & Paper Scraps, Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before and After Party, and The Lettered Cottage’s “How-To’s Day”
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
I love it.
WOW that was a lot of work and I'm tired just sitting here reading it. Good for you ,looks great. Except I don't think it would work for mine because on the side of where the TV would go I have big built in white bookshelves. Hmmm. Maybe drilling will be my only option! Where does all this energy come from. You are the DIY prize winner for sure!
This post simultaneously turned me on and scared the heck out of me. WOW.
You guys are freakin' amazing!
I think you are my new hero. This is amazing!
Thanks for your comment! I found your blog the other day, and I laughed through the first post I read! (In a good way, haha). Great ideas too!
genius, absolute genius! You amaze me.
You are flippin' amazing. I mean, I fancy myself a bit of a DIY pro. Well, not PRO, but definitely not beginner, either. But this little project you took on? THIS is HGTV caliber stuff, man. So impressed, my dear :) Show me more! School me in your ways, oh wise DIY queen!
Will do. Costumes are fresh and clean and headed your way as soon as I can make it to the post office. :)
Now that's just plain clever! What a great solution for adding detail and hiding the cords at the same time…
Oh my gracious! You are brilliant! I have this same problem!!! I wonder if I would be able to talk my Hubby or dad into doing this for me? Hee Hee! Thanks for sharing!
This is cool! I have the same problem and I deal with it by hiding the cords behind a "mantle" made from wood, covered with a decorative scarf. I like yours much better
fantastic! my brain doesn't work that well to think of something so intricate! awesome job!
Came on over from Sawdust and Paper Scraps! I am in love with this project and just might be able to handle my husbands gaming systems again! I have often said if everything could be cordless, I would be one happy woman. :) Thank you for sharing this and coming up with such an easy but ingenious idea!!! Looking forward to following you and seeing what else you come up with!
WOW. That is amazing! Hoping to recreate your genius someday in my own home. Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh my gosh – I totally love this idea! We use a projector system, but now I'm thinking I could love a flat panel!!! Oh well… maybe just the wall behind it ;)
absolute genius! AND it looks gorgeous to boot!
Totally love it. You, sweet girl, are JEANYUS (angels singing in the background). Okay, I know how to spell genius, I was just being cute.
Thanks, Peg! As in Peg "OhMyHell?" Like, instead of Peg "OhMyGod?"
In that case, I am so glad you love it and that you think i am a jeanyus
(which somehow comes across as saying i look skinny in my jeans).
sincerely, AngieOML "Angie Oh My Lands!"
This is such a great idea, and I totally needed this inspiration! I have cords taking over the wall!!!
I would be SO happy if you would consider writing a special guest post about this project for my blog Remodelaholic. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will send you the details!
Thanks,
Cassity
Wow! That looks great. One question, where are your electronics like DVD and cable box?
Uh, yeah. You are SERIOUSLY a homemaker!
It was a ton of work…but thanks for the tutorial!! I am loving the transformation it made in our room! You can check it out here. http://awholelotofcraft.blogspot.com/2011/12/project-tv-mount-aka-nightmare.html
This is seriously mind-blowing impressive.
You're just fabulous.
Shank you!
This looks great! What a great idea. I am looking for a solution for my cords, but I have a brick wall to deal with. Any suggestions?
http://www.parentsofadozen.com/2012/01/family-room-and-kitchen-updates.html
I have major cord issues with my living room flat screen, BUT……it is mounted on my white brick fireplace. Any ideas??? PLEASE???? :-)
Email me a pic, daisy and I'll crank my wheels on it and see if any ideas come to mind!
Now where did you put the playstation?
it sits on a little nightstand next to the fireplace. the nightstand has a drawer and a big opening on the bottom. so i drilled a hole in the back of the drawer and stuck all the cords into the drawer (and the remotes) and then we have our big CD/DVD zipper cases sitting in the opening with all of our DVD's in them (we throw away the cases the dvd's come in because we are rebels like that). sorry, does that describe it well enough? a few people have asked this question, but honestly, the nightstand is not awesome in any way and i think it looks dumb. don't want to sully the reputation of this grand wall by showing it!! now you know my secrets and we are friends forever.