Empty white wall with water pipes exposed on the interior. There are some creative options for hiding these unsightly pipes around your home.
Exposed pipes in your home can become a nuisance and an eyesore. Here are seven creative ways to hide exposed pipes.
Looking to renovate your home? Do you spend your free time scouring Pinterest or scanning interior design magazines?
Then you know exposed pipes are among the trickiest things to hide. You don’t want pipes to degrade the look of your home – and you’re always up for a fun design challenge.
Here are seven creative ways to hide exposed pipes.
1) Make a Shelf
Many people choose a standard heating pipe cover to conceal exposed pipes.
And while there’s nothing wrong with going traditional, you should get more out of your space by turning a pipe cover into a shelf.
Invest in a few planks of wood and some brackets, and build your own shelf. You can show off your knick-knacks, family photos or even your favorite books.
Visitors will have no clue this statement shelving unit actually conceals your pipes.
2) Opt for a Table
Need more convenient surfaces in your home? Need a place to store the television remote, your car keys or a vase of flowers?
If so, then use your pipes to create a small side table.
Hide the pipe with a cylindrical wooden cover – opt for one that’s as close to the width of the pipe as you can.
Then add a circular piece of wood around the center of the pipe. To make it stand out even more, paint it a bold, bright color.
3) A Scratching Post
One of the more creative ways to hide exposed pipes is also the one your cats will absolutely love.
Invest in a few feet of rope and wrap it tightly around the pipe in your bathroom or kitchen. Sprinkle it with catnip and watch your four-legged friend turn from clawing your furniture to assaulting their new scratching post.
This won’t just make your pet happy. Rope around pipes also prevents burns from direct contact. And it looks great in rooms with a nautical theme.
4) Make Them Useful
Exposed pipes don’t always have to be completely covered. Instead, make them a useful part of your overall decor.
For example, if you have exposed pipes in your kitchen, give it an industrial feel – hang pots, pans and even cooking utensils from them.
Dealing with pipes going up the walls and ceilings of your bedroom?
Invest in a few air plants and create an oasis. In addition to elevating the look of your room, air plants also seriously increase your indoor air quality – and you don’t have to have a green thumb to pull this off.
5) Create a Skirt
If you’re even slightly handy with a needle and thread (or know someone who is) stitch your own decorative steam pipe cover.
This works well in a laundry room or to hide pipes beneath your kitchen sink if you don’t build a drawer around them.
Choose a piece of fabric that matches the room’s décor. Sew it so it almost looks like a small curtain.
In addition to hiding those unsightly pipes, you’ve also made yourself a little bit of extra storage space.
6) Build Columns
You’re dying to turn your basement into a home movie theatre, game room or maybe even an extra bedroom you can rent out to pad your income.
But you’re concerned exposed pipes will kill the vibe you’re seeking.
Give the space a Greco-Roman look by covering them with floor-to-ceiling columns. No one will guess these stately design elements actually cover up your pipes!
7) When in Doubt, Make It Work
It’s easy to turn exposed pipes into a working part of your design.
If you’re handy with a paintbrush, paint a miniature mural over them. This especially fun touch if the pipes are in a child’s room. Paint the pipes like a road and let your children zoom their toy cars along them.
You can also make exposed pipes look more glamorous with design tape. This is especially helpful if your painting skills leave a lot to be desired.
Create floral designs, stripes, zig-zags and other patters to make the pipes an accent, not an eyesore.
The possibilities are endless – you just have to flex your creative muscles.
Proper Function Trumps Creativity
Whether you turn your exposed pipes into a scratching post for your cats, hide them with a shelf or embrace them as a part of your decor, there is no shortage of creative ways to hide them.
But to pull off these ideas, you need to ensure your pipes work properly.
That’s where we come in.
Call Eyman at (402) 731-2727. Whether you need residential or commercial plumbing or HVAC needs, don’t settle for less than the best.