Electric Panels: Hiding Them From Sight

Let's face it: electric panels aren't the most attractive things in your house. While completely necessary, some homeowners grow dissatisfied with the way that cold gray box detracts from their home decor. Of course, you could always throw a bookshelf in front of the box, but you're not going to be pleased when you have to examine your circuit breakers. For best results, you'll need to find a balance between keeping the box accessible while blending it seamlessly with your decorative scheme. There are several ways to do this without creating an enormous amount of work in the process.

Posters

Posters, calendars, and other wall hangings of this type can make wonderful ways to hide electric panels from sight. You can attach these hangings with just a couple of thumb tacks or even a strip of tape in many cases, leaving the bottom to hang free. That way your box will be completely obscured from view, while still allowing you quick access in case you need to switch off a breaker or check for a blown fuse. If you use a wall calendar for this purpose, it can also serve as a place to keep reminders for appointments and other scheduled events.

Refrigerator Magnets

Since most electric panels are made from metal, magnets will cling to the surface of the box with no trouble at all. If you've never really taken a look, you might be surprised at how booming the magnet business is. You can find pictures and messages of just about every stripe. There are even websites where you can make your own magnet designs. This gives you a chance to be creative and express yourself in a way that a plain metal box is probably not going to do. It will still be obvious that a circuit breaker box is there, but it will be much more interesting to look at.

Dry Erase Board

Do your kids long to draw pictures or color on the walls of your home. Most parents discourage this kind of creativity, as it isn't exactly in an adult's typical frame of reference for wall decor. However, a dry erase board can give your kids a chance to get that creativity out of their system while still preserving your paint job. If you can hang it in such a way that it obscures your electric panels, you can kill two birds with the same stone.

While hiding electric panels is a priority for decorative minded homeowners, remember that you should never hide the box behind something that can't be moved.