Hide An Eyesore Of An Air Vent With A Simple Swap That Looks Stunning

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Air vents are unsightly but essential. Luckily, there are plenty of DIY ways to upgrade the look of them with aesthetic alternatives. Like other unsightly wall fixtures, you can draw attention away from them, effectively covering them up with simple decor hacks like surrounding them with eye-catching wall art. Or, you could do something even more clever and satisfyingly simple: Hide them in plain sight. 

This idea involves taking your builder-grade vent and swapping it out for a wooden louvre cover. A cover like this features wooden slats, which can sometimes be operable or other times fixed, that hide the mechanical look of standard vents. What's great about this hack is it embraces the functional features of your interior, making them more aesthetically pleasing instead of hiding them away. 

After all, it's not smart or safe to conceal an air vent when its sole purpose is to promote proper airflow. Blocking a vent can lead to bad air circulation, unregulated temperatures, and mold. That's hardly worth it when an easy DIY project requiring barely any tools can completely transform the vent. Are you ready for the best part about this hack? All you'll need is a cover, a screwdriver, and some paint. It's simple, especially if you pay attention to the tips and tricks below.

The first thing you need to do is make way for the new by getting rid of the old. Unscrew and take off the current builder-grade vent cover, exposing the filter and interior cavity. Next, take out the air filter and set it aside. This will allow you to detach the inner frame or trim piece, creating a clean, flush surface for the upgrade. It's a good idea and a great opportunity at this point to gently clean the vent opening. Any debris or dust can obstruct airflow once the new vent is inserted. 

At this point, you'll want to measure the vent — if you don't know its dimensions already — to make sure the new cover you chose is the right size for the space. Remember that you'll want to measure the hole you've created without the old vent in place, since each cover has its own dimensions. Luckily, examples like the deep luxury AC return grille from Worth Home Products are available online in multiple sizes. 

Once everything's neat and tidy and you've got your new materials in hand, the new frame can be inserted and fastened into place with a drill before reinserting the original air filter. Like @chelseafaulk on TikTok, you might want to touch up the border of the new inner frame with paint to ensure clean edges. Then, you can attach the new vent cover. Its worthwhile to do another thorough cleaning of your air filter at this point. After all, there's no point having an upgraded interior that's covered in remnants from the repair.