How many of you have a breaker box in an unfortunate place? We have been in our home for 15 years, and I have tried different ways to disguise ours which landed right on a main wall in our basement. I finally found a great solution last year. Our wall has never looked better! Check it out.

Can you see our breaker box? I hope not! It is supposed to be my little secret…..until now. 🙂 So this is how we hid it:

Find a framed print you love.

The first step is to measure your breaker box and then go on a search for a great framed print to hide it. It needs to be several inches wider than your box and have a nice, wide study frame.  I actually ordered this fantastic poster and then purchased a ready-made frame at Hobby Lobby. I think it is really important to infuse your home with positive messages. If you read them enough, they just become a part of you!

“….if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

Now. as you can probably imagine by looking at the photo of my wall, this large print would look pretty out of place all by itself hanging above one end of my sectional couch. This called for more “stuff”….and not just any stuff. I needed different shapes and textures and sizes to create a balanced look. I did some shopping….in my house and at the store, and found pieces that had meaning to me. Be sure to LOVE whatever it is you add to your home. If you can’t find just the right thing, just wait until you do. It is much more satisfying to watch your space evolve over time than to rush the process.

Let me tell you quickly about a couple of the items on my wall.

I am in love with arrows. They have such great symbolism. As you may know, it is not possible to shoot an arrow without pulling it backwards. Sometimes when you feel as though you are going in the wrong direction, you may just be getting ready to launch forward into something wonderful!

I am also in love with the landscaping print on my wall. My momma’s momma is from Iceland. This looks so much like a print she has from there. I think of her every time I look at it.

Always choose decor that make your eyes smile. 🙂

Now lay it all out on the floor.

See my little tape measure up there? I measured my wall and then measured out the space on my floor, so that I knew exactly what I had to work with. Then I just kept moving pieces around until they “fit.” If you love puzzles, you will especially love this!! Notice how I have a large print on the opposite side of my original print. It is horizontal, but is similar in size to provide the balance this display needed. Once you have everything the way you want it, it is time to start hanging. My smart hubby took a photo of everything on the floor to continue to use as our reference point; because, well, this wasn’t exactly a scientifically measured process.

Use the right hardware.

Our very favorite hardware for hanging is the little gizmo in the photo below. It is called a monkey hook and is absolutely brilliant…so simple for almost anyone to push into the wall and available in several sizes for different weights….even for heavy items. I also love that it leaves only a very small hole in your wall. You can find these at Target, Walmart, etc. Here is a link to a package of them on Amazon.

That hardware would have worked great for my large print, but I needed it to swing away from the wall. We used two heavy-duty hinges (around 4 inches long) and hollow wall anchors to make sure this weighty framed print was secure. We mounted it just to the left side of our breaker box.

Our framed print now functions as the perfect “door” to our breaker box! Easy peasy. See? Isn’t this functionally AWESOME?!? (Btw….when our “door” is closed, you can see the round part of our hinges, but I like the way that looks. Be sure to choose a finish for your hinges that coordinates with what else you are doing.)

Share your space with others.

The best part of this space in the basement has nothing to do with the hidden breaker box or all of the fun things on my wall. This great, big sectional couch and its giant ottoman wasn’t exactly what I went searching for, but my family fell in love with it, and I couldn’t say no to their enthusiasm. You would not believe the number of kiddos who have spent the night on this couch. I think we have had 4 or 5 full-grown teens sleeping on there at one time. Priceless!!! (By the way, my son reminded me today that our couch never looks this good! He is right. The cushions are usually all wonky, and it is covered with piles of extra blankets and pillows and some half-eaten snacks. I wouldn’t have it any other way!)

If you have any questions about specifics, please feel free to contact me. I would love to hear from you! Also…don’t forget to subscribe to my mailing list to receive my new posts as they happen.

Have a wonderful day! God bless!