Is there anything as visually overstimulating as a tangled mess of chargers, power cables, and cords? I certainly don’t think so, which is why I made it my mission to find a solution that didn’t scream ‘tech storage’.
Enter a humble wooden magazine rack from Amazon. This retro storage piece may not have a place in many living rooms anymore, but this impulse buy became one of the smartest storage moves I’ve made for my small living room in a long time.
With a few quick tweaks, I turned mine into a tidy, stylish spot for hiding cords and chargers. Here’s how I did it – and why you should give this retro-inspired storage idea a chance.
I used a retro magazine rack as a compact charging station
The high opaque sides and open ends make hiding cables and charging items a breeze. The open top and sides also prevent plugged-in items from overheating, reducing a common fire risk.
Rather than organizing cables in another room, making quickly charging my tablet or phone feel more like a chore, I decided to repurpose an old magazine rack that had previously been storage for my college textbooks.
Hiding cords and cables is the quickest way to clear visual clutter in a living room, but I was tired of stacks of boxes and had no more space for under-sofa storage.
Why a magazine rack? These retro storage gems are the perfect size for organizing small spaces, slotting in between my sofa and the wall, directly in front of a wall outlet. The tall sides and open edges hide cords from view, while allowing me to trail chargers from the outlet into the basket, keeping items such as my tablet, headphones, or Nintendo Switch hidden while charging up to full.
Because they are nice and open, they also prevent items from overheating when plugged in, too, something that a lidded basket or plastic cable tidy can’t promise.
Although it might not seem like a big change, using a magazine rack to conceal clutter in plain sight instantly elevates a living room while reducing stress caused by the visual clutter of open storage.
Jodi Peterman, CEO and owner of Elizabeth Erin Designs, explains, ‘I always say, nothing ruins the illusion of a beautifully styled room faster than a tangled mess of tech cords. Doesn't matter if you've got a designer sofa – if there's a tangled mess of wires behind your console, that's all people are going to notice.’
To take your home organization to the next level and keep things neat inside the magazine rack tidy, Laurie Hise, founder of Passionate Penny Pincher, adds, ‘Cable organizers can be expensive. Instead, try using Velcro straps [available at Walmart] or twist ties to keep cords from tangling. Or, for a super cheap option, stash charger cables in empty toilet paper rolls in your drawers and stop creating unnecessary trash at home.
‘Effective organizing goes beyond aesthetics; it prioritizes practicality, affordability, and simplifying daily routines,' she adds. 'Rather than following every storage fad, concentrate on straightforward, cost-effective methods that genuinely improve functionality.’
Need to save even more space? This side table from Wayfair comes with a magazine rack built in for efficient storage.
What to shop
Can't fit a cable tidy or magazine rack close to a wall outlet? Use this outlet cover extension cord to place your charging caddy in the most practical place.
These three magnetic cable wraps hole cords neatly in place, and can adapt to fit larger charging cables and smaller headphone cords.
These affordable cable ties stay attached to your cords so you do not lose them between uses.
Meet the experts
This trick works perfectly in every room, too, from decluttering a home office to decluttering a bedroom.
