Eyesore No More—Disguise Your Electrical Box by Treating It Like a Medicine Cabinet

It’s totally rental-friendly.
entryway mirror and console table
Olivia Jane Designs

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You can splurge on an intricately veined marble countertop or wallpaper in every inch of your bedroom, but there are some home features that you can’t control unless it’s a new build—like the location of an unsightly electrical box. While hanging a piece of art over it or painting it to match your walls can help disguise the nonnegotiable item, designer Olivia Capuano of Olivia Jane Design has a more functional solution: Treat it like the skin-care collection in your medicine cabinet

entryway console table below electrical box
The entryway, before.

In a small New York City entryway, Capuano upgraded a standard wall mirror from Rejuvenation with a piano hinge (it’s long enough that only one is needed to handle the weight) in order to hide the fuses without rendering them inaccessible. “The box was the first thing you saw entering the apartment,” Capuano explains. For the mirror to appear flush against the wall (utility covers are often raised), Capuano worked with a millworker to place a slightly smaller arched wood panel that frames the electrical box. “The panel is secured at six anchor points, but for rentals I recommend using furniture pad stickers or a thin piece of MDF,” she says. 

entryway console table with hinged mirror
Courtesy of Olivia Jane Designs

Due to the lack of sunlight in the entrance, the mirror works overtime, reflecting the glow of the overhead fixture onto the white walls. If windows are plentiful, however, Capuano says that her hack would work just as well with a large piece of artwork. This is the kind of cover-up we like to see.

Recreate the Look

Long Brass Plated Piano Hinges (7-1/2u0022), Pack of 2

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$12.95

Self-Stick Silicone Furniture Pads (4x40u0022), Translucent

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Caskill Mid-Century Arched Wall Mirror, 24 x 36

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Kate McGregor

Writer/Editor

Kate McGregor covers everything related to the home, from design inspiration to IKEA hacks. She has been the market assistant at ELLE Decor where she focused on curating product for the print magazine’s market pages.