Homeowners face different decorating issues than apartment dwellers might. One example: living with grossly unattractive things like garage door opener boxes. Just because they have to be functional, doesn't mean they can't also look good. Want to see how this homeowner took an eyesore and made it into a focal point?
In this home, the garage door opener is in a transitional area that already has several unattractive items around it. In an effort to start jazzing up the place, Kristin went to work.
Starting with an inexpensive garage sale frame and beefing it up a little with some wood on the backside, she quickly built a dimensional house of sorts for the opener to hide in. One hinge and a knob later and she had a door that covered the panel completely. It's the first step to beautifying a space that doesn't ever really receive any decor touches but is used daily by many families.
• Check out the full tutorial over at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Images: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia via: Decorhacks
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Nice I guess. But where does it end? Aren't light switches ugly in their own way as well? Should we cover up everything?
we should just spray paint everything gold
There are options for more attractive light switches, but at the current point in time, the pickings are slim for fashionable garage door openers!
I'm all for hiding unattractive elements like this that are not used everyday. I hid a 3 switch attic fan control fixture under a painting and "hid" my furnace control amongst a see of pictures. People didn't notice the thermostat unless I pointed it out. They looked at the art instead. So I've used that technique quite a lot to hide controls by making them part of groupings.
I even hid a computer monitor behind a framed painting when not in use because I happened to have a painging that perfectly matched the monitor size. It looked like the painting was resting against an easel. I can't do that now that I've switched to a wider monitor.
Really? It's the garage.
I think what is important to mention is that we have a 2 car garage with a tandem in back. With three boys we were in need of extra space. We built a wall and inclosed the tandem and turned it into the play/mudroom. The button needs to stay but is not used often so we thought covering it would be a great idea. If this were in the garage, we wouldn't care, it's our work area.
I've seen transitional areas like the one described in the post and this seems like an alright crafty project for the purpose. And probably cheaper than rewiring the opener location for the meantime.
This is an interesting idea. The breaker box is in my office. For the moment we have to leave it uncovered but once the final inspection is done it's getting covered.
I like the idea! I use a garage door opener in my house because the garage isn't attached. This would be a handy solution in my kitchen where I keep the opener! Very creative!
http://www.makemineeclectic.wordpress.com
It's pretty. If you did one for me I'd totally keep it. I'm way too lazy to do it myself, though. And this is coming from the lady with the sanded down & repainted everything.
I really don't get it?
Aren't garage door openers typically in cars and inside garages?
Plus a garage door opener is usually less than five inches.. and this is big, gaudy, and very visible...and a doorknob in a picture frame on a wall?
I would think the garage door opener itself would be less noticeable. It sure isn't what I would do..
That is very cute and clever. I am in the camp that wouldn't bother hiding a garage door opener, but it is a very nice looking and clever solution for a homeowner who does want to hide hers. I guess my whole issue is with the idea that it is okay for houses to look lived in. They can have switches, knobs, etc... I personally feel really weirded out in houses where people feel the need to cover everything up (like TV's etc..) to make it look like a model home. It's okay for you house to look lived in. This includes having switches show.
i hide 2 kitchen plugs with pictures. i have an extra nail hidden a few inches away so when we need it we just move it over.
ragamuffindesign.wordpress.com
Neat!
I think this is a really clever solution that avoids the hassle of relocating the button. I like how you've rigged the doorknob to press the opener button so you don't have to lift the panel up.
Um, aren't garage door openers located inside a garage? What's the point?
Are people really so ashamed of their garage door button that they have to pretend like their garage door opens with magic?
@ melissaann - now I want to do this so I can tell people my garage *does* open by magic :)
I just painted over mine with garage paint, since it is in the garage... ?
I think for some this would just be an added hindrance. It's cute, if you're garage opener is in the house, but.....
Where i live, most openers are posted in the garage and people use the garage as entrance to their homes more often than the front door....so this is just "extra" and not really practical.
sorry....your not you're (my bad)