I hear you on the pain of patching up plaster—been there, done that, still finding dust in weird places. I’m all for hiding wires when I can, but honestly, my wallet usually has the final say. Surface raceways aren’t pretty, but they’re way cheaper and a lot less hassle than opening up 70-year-old walls (which, in my house, basically means unleashing a cloud of mystery dust and regret).
I’ve tried wood trim too—looks decent if you take your time with paint or stain. Fabric cord covers are hit or miss for me... they just seem to collect pet hair like magnets. The conduit-behind-baseboard trick is probably my favorite compromise. Lets me swap stuff out later without another round of drywall surgery.
If I ever win the lottery, maybe I’ll go full in-wall with everything. Until then, it’s lots of creative hiding and hoping nobody looks too closely behind the TV cabinet.
Honestly, I’m right there with you on the “creative hiding” front. My place isn’t quite 70 years old, but the walls are stubborn enough that I get what you mean about “unleashing a cloud of mystery dust and regret.” That stuff gets everywhere—last time I patched a hole, I was still finding white powder in my shoes a week later.
A few thoughts from my own rookie attempts:
- Surface raceways: Not pretty, but they do the job. I tried painting mine to match the wall and it helped a bit, but yeah, you can still tell. At least it’s not a total eyesore.
- Wood trim: I wanted to like this more than I did. My cuts weren’t perfect, so it ended up looking a little wonky. Maybe with more patience (or better tools) it’d work out.
- Fabric cord covers:
100% agree. I’ve got a dog and a cat, and those things are basically fur traps. Gave up after a month.“they just seem to collect pet hair like magnets.”
- Behind-the-baseboard conduit: Haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds like the best compromise. Swapping stuff out without tearing up the wall again? Sign me up.
I get the temptation to go full in-wall, but honestly, unless you’re already gutting the room, it just feels like way too much hassle for most setups. Plus, tech changes so fast—what if you want to run something new in a year or two? At least with surface options or baseboard tricks, you’re not locked in.
Anyway, you’re not alone in hoping nobody peeks behind the TV. I’ve got a whole tangle back there that I just pretend doesn’t exist. Maybe one day I’ll get it all sorted... or maybe I’ll just keep shoving it further out of sight. Either way, sounds like you’re making smart choices for your sanity and your wallet.
You’re honestly handling it better than most. People get way too obsessed with hiding every wire or making it look like the cover of a magazine, but at the end of the day, your sanity and budget matter more. If it works and doesn’t look like a total disaster, that’s a win in my book.
I hear you on the in-wall temptation—been there myself. The idea sounds so clean until you’re halfway through and realize you need to run another cable next year because, surprise, tech never stops changing. I went partial raceway/behind-the-baseboard last year and yeah, it’s not invisible, but I can swap stuff out without ripping into plaster again (which is a nightmare if your walls are as stubborn as mine). A little imperfection beats drywall dust in your lungs every time.
One thing that helped me: I just stopped apologizing for cables behind the TV. If anyone’s judging, they can come help untangle them next time. You’re making practical choices—don’t let Pinterest guilt get to you.
Honestly, I think you nailed it—there’s a point where “perfect” just isn’t worth the headache, especially in an older place. I used to obsess over hiding every wire, but after fishing a cable through 90-year-old lath and plaster (never again), I’m all about function first. If it’s tidy and doesn’t trip anyone, that’s good enough. Pinterest homes aren’t lived in anyway. Tech changes way too fast for permanent solutions most of the time.
Totally get that—after wrestling with just one ethernet cable in my 1950s place, I’m way less picky about hiding stuff. I keep thinking, is it even worth drilling more holes for tech that’ll be outdated in a year? Anyone tried those stick-on cable covers? Do they actually look okay or just kinda... sad?
