Hide Ugly Kitchen Outlets And Cord Clutter With A Stylish IKEA Solution

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As it turns out, you might have already learned the trick to hiding ugly kitchen outlets and cord clutter when you were a kid. If you ever shoved something under the bed to give it outa-sight, outa-mind status, then this stylish budget-friendly IKEA hack for covering up cords and outlets should be easy to adopt. It's just like the old days, except you won't be hiding shoes or your algebra book under the bed. You'll be hiding the cords and the plug. And, all it requires is for you to combine some affordable items you can find at IKEA, but pairing them in a way that you wouldn't expect.

This kitchen trick uses one green SKOGSRÖR napkin holder from IKEA, which creates the base for this simple DIY/ storage trick. You'll also need two IKEA cutting boards, preferably of different sizes and shapes to create visual interest for the setup. The IKEA APTITLIG cutting board measures 12 inches by 6 inches roughly. It's a more traditionally-shaped bread board with a rectangular handle at the top.

The second IKEA cutting board, the FASCINERA, is almost oval in shape and is much longer and a little wider than the APTITLIG at 20 inches by 8 inches, (give or take). The size of the cutting boards should be enough to cover up any outlets or cords. Further, their different shapes ensures that you have plenty of options as far as positioning and placement of the cutting boards to allow you the best coverage, but also the most style.

To set this up, place the IKEA napkin holder in front of an outlet in your kitchen. You'll want the flat sides of the holder to be parallel to the wall. Placing it a few inches away from the wall is ideal. This'll allow you easier access to the outlet you're covering. Once the napkin holder is in position, slide the FASCINERA cutting board into the napkin holder as if it were a large, thick napkin. After that's in position, place the other cutting board in front of it. Both IKEA cutting boards should lean against the wall for support.

You can improve on this setup in a couple of ways to make it more in tune with your decor style. First, if the green napkin holder doesn't quite match your kitchen decor, consider spray painting it a color that fits more with your tastes. It's possible to spray paint steel to good effect, and depending on the type of spray paint you use, you can even add texture to the piece. For example, Rust-Oleum Antique Pewter Forged Hammered Spray Paint would be an interesting choice, due to the texture it creates.

Second, if you feel like two cutting boards isn't enough for this IKEA organization hack, you can always add more. As well, you can fancy up the fronts of the boards with some laser engraving. One stylish way to dress this piece up is to add a cheerful saying that shows off your love of all things cooking. The engraving would also divert attention to the boards and not the cords behind it, so it's a logical decorative embellishment.