Hide and Don't Seek

My sister found this amazing yellow-orange globe light for me at a rummage sale over the summer. It is so unique and beautiful - it really adds something to my living room and makes it feel special.

 
There is only one drawback: I hate the weird brown-gold cord running down my wall. I contemplated painting it black or ORB because the chain actually has a beautiful shape to it, but I thought it would still stand out in my light and airy living room. I wanted the globe to be the sole center of attention, and not have any limelight stolen by the cord. Another option I played with was just getting rid of the cord but part of what makes the globe so special is that it really works and creates a very swanky ambiance when it's turned on.

Turns out there is something you can do about this. And it is easy and cheap (my favorite)! My brother in-law told me about a cord hiding technique he used to hide his surround sound cords. It is a little white tube with a sticky strip on the back you just stick to the wall and tuck your cords in. You can paint it the same color as your wall too. My walls are so light I don't think the white version of the tube is too offensive, but I may get around to painting it yellow to match exactly.
They had quite a selection at Menard's where I bought it from, different sizes, lengths, ones that turn corners, almost any configuration you can think of. I bought two 5 foot pieces and had to cut one to fit the length of the 8 foot wall ($3 each).

 

Before I could get to happily stuffing my cord into the tube, I had to remove the chain. I knew I wanted to keep the chain in good shape so I could spray paint it and use it on other projects so I could not just cut it off. T.J. got one end started for me, but there were a couple of bumps in the road. First, I had to get all the chain around the just-a-millimeter-too-big switch. This basically just required me tugging at it, all the while trying not to damage the cord. It is looking a little old, almost on the fire hazard side of things, so I wanted to damage it the least possible amount.

It took me a few minutes, but really wasn't that bad. Once I had all the chain off, I had a big heap of chain. Which I am sort of excited about. Oh the possibilities.

Then it was time to stick my sticky tube to the wall. This part is pretty straightforward, just know that once it is up there it is near impossible to move. I tried to scooch it over a little but that was not happening. Which really is a good thing, I wouldn't want it falling down off the wall anytime soon.

Finally, I just had to tuck the cord into the tiny opening - the tube is kind of flexible so it closes back around the cord after you stick it in there. This step could also be done before the tube is stuck to the wall if you want. Here you can see how it goes almost all the way to the floor:

I just butted the two pieces of tubing together and it is very hard to see the seam. Also, this is in the corner where a side table blocks the view of the floor anyway.

I am very happy with the result. It isn't the kind of thing where someone would come into your home and say "ooh, very nice cord hiding" but it is something that matters to me and really makes the room look more finished. Ugly brown cord no more!

 

I love the way the light is shining through the globe onto the wall in this one.