The Clever Design Trick That Hides The Eyesore Of Electrical Panels In Style

There is an old joke in the interior design world that if you leave an electrician unattended, they will inevitably slap a thermostat, security control, or whole darn electrical panel smack dab in the center of what would have been a perfectly lovely art wall. If only they would have just moved it to the edge, you could have the statement wall of your dreams, right? All jokes aside, sometimes we really do get stuck with unattractive, yet essential utilities poorly-placed in plain sight due to necessity. Moving utilities can be very expensive (or impossible if you are a renter), so what do you do when there is a utility eyesore right in the middle of your home? One way to solve the issue is to cover your electrical panel with a piece of artwork (easily removable for access), and surround it with a stunning gallery wall to make it feel like it was always meant to be there.

Before beginning the plans for your gallery wall, it is essential to find the main piece of artwork that is large enough to cover the electrical panel or other ugly eyesore. For any utility that sticks out from the wall a bit, consider grabbing a canvas with a hollow back to create an artwork box to disguise it. Once you have your main piece selected, you are ready to begin gathering complementary art pieces and planning a beautiful gallery wall to enjoy instead of staring at that ugly electrical panel.

There are two ways to go about choosing the other pieces for the gallery wall. The first is to match the frame sizes and finishes to create a streamlined grid. In this case, having artwork that is consistent in color and subject works best to create a very cohesive and straightforward statement. The second is to collect an assortment of eclectic artwork, frame sizes, frame finishes, and even objects to create an artful mix on the wall. The subject matter can vary and there is no need to get overly matchy-matchy, but there should be similar colors or other elements throughout to tie the pieces together. You can also include small objects like wall vases to fill in gaps, create depth, and add to the eclectic, collected vibe.

While the grid idea is straightforward, the curated gallery wall will take a little more planning when it comes to placement. It is best to do a dry run with the placement of everything to prevent unnecessary holes in the wall, either by laying it all out on the floor first or by cutting out pieces of paper to create templates the same size as each of the frames to place on the wall with painters tape while you experiment. If you are stuck when it comes to arranging or styling, search for gallery wall ideas and inspiration photos to see which images speak to you and study how everything is put together so you can try a similar approach.

When it comes to planning and styling a gallery wall, you don't want to randomly slap artwork up on the wall willy-nilly, but rather keep the art pieces close to each other and try to match spacing, edges, etc. as much as possible within the middle of the arrangement. This is so that all of the pieces feel grounded, intentional, and connected with each other. The exception to this can be the edges of the arrangement, which do not have to line up if you want a more organic look. This also does not necessarily mean that the arrangement needs to be a specific shape, as you can get creative with the overall layout while still keeping the inner spacing and alignment consistent and cohesive within. Begin with the placement of the main piece, as it must cover the electrical panel and will therefore dictate the arrangement of the other pieces. If you have any vents, light switches, outlets, TVs, or other element you would like to disguise (but can't cover), just treat them like another art piece when planning the layout so they will blend in with your artwork.

Once you have a plan, mark the placement for all pieces so you know where to put the hangers. Grab the tools essential for hanging art and bring your gallery wall to life, finally covering that unattractive utility. When you are done, stand back and enjoy your gorgeous new art wall full of personality, all with the peace of mind that you can still easily access the electrical panel at any time.