Mera’s House: Concealing a Household Eyesore

I have hypothyroidism, and as a consequence I tend to run cold–I’m tempted to bump the thermostat up every time I see it.  Because it’s visible from the living room, the kitchen, and the breakfast nook, that’s basically all of the time.

***As I type this I can hear my mom saying ‘have you been taking your medicine?’ with her chin tilted up so she can peer at me through her bifocals.  Yes mom, I promise.***

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

I’ve seen a few examples floating around on Pinterest for covering alarm panels and other household eyesores with art, and I liked how they looked.  I worried though that covering the thermostat would interfere with its functioning.  To test it, I balanced a stretched canvas painting over the thermostat for a few days and periodically peeked behind to make sure the temperature was holding steady.  Once I was convinced that it didn’t have any effect, I decided to make it a more permanent arrangement.

I got two small flat hinges to affix to the frame.  Because I worried about splitting the wood frame, I drilled tiny pilot holes and then screwed the hinges in by hand.

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

Then I screwed the hinges to the wall, and voila!  Eyesore begone!

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

This thermostat is relatively new, and the wires for the old thermostat are behind a patched hole to the right of it.  I didn’t want to drill into the patched area, so I decided to put the hinges to the left of the thermostat, even though they are more visible on that side.  You can definitely see them, but I don’t think anyone but me would ever really notice.

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

Red House West || Concealing Household Eyesores

Much better from all angles!  An added bonus is that not seeing the temperature setting all the time means I’m less apt to bump it up a few degrees when I walk by.  Except now that I think about it, it is pretty chilly in here . . . .

Do you have eyesores in your home, and if so, what tricks do you use to conceal them?

One response on “Mera’s House: Concealing a Household Eyesore

  1. Laura (PA Pict)

    That’s a good idea and one I might borrow for our own thermostat. Ours is out in the entry lobby so is not so much of an eyesore but I would certainly much rather have something aesthetically pleasing on the wall than the thermostat. I would need to figure out where the wiring falls behind the panel, however, and since it is a narrow space between two door frames there may not be the scope for covering it. Worth investigating though.

  2. Carol Crump Bryner

    I covered up the annoying looking fuse box in our front hallway with a photo/painting of the long gone “Kupie Cone” sign on 39th in Portland. (I guess “39th” is long gone also – now “Cesar E. Chavez.”) I like the idea of the painting over the thermometer, but somehow it makes me a little nervous. How DO those thermometers sense the temperature? Anyway, it was a very clever solution using a very nice painting.

  3. y2knina

    Yeah, I kind of agree with Carol that you should be concerned about the functioning of the thermostat. But I LOVE the way it looks and think that your solution is a clever one. Maybe there is a more “breathable” form of art or framing that would look as nice yet not interfere with whatever the heck it is that thermostats do.

    1. Katy Gilmore

      Well I get to jump in with on-the-ground testimony, having been a complete nervous Nellie annoying m-I-law when this clever suggestion first surfaced. However, I am even colder than Mera, and spend much time contemplating how much better 68 would feel than 65 (thermostat thinking everybody going to work, lowers itself automatically), BUT I saw the experimental placement made no difference to ambient temp or functioning of the thermostat at all. In fact it might help with the afternoon shut-off caused by sun right on the thermostat warming it up. So I think it is a great idea and improvement. ( BTW That same sun surely looks lovely in your wonderful and inviting photos Mera.)

  4. michellet2013

    Great idea Mera! I’ve always resented the placement of the thermostats in my house—in the middle of perfectly good wall space. I’m eager to try this — x 3! Thanks!

  5. Mikey

    Great idea! Would the hinges have worked on the top of the painting, so you just lift it like a flap whenever you need to adjust the temp? They would be about as visible as any traditional wall hanging hardware.

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