As someone who would forget his head if it wasn't attached, it's crucial that I have my phone charging near the front door. However, I don't want an unsightly jumble of cord to be the first thing you see when entering my apartment. After the jump, see how I found a way to hide the phone charger cord.
Using a cord tie that came with an IKEA accessories kit, I attached the cell phone charger to the back of my entry table. When I need to charge my phone, I pull the tip of the cord up a little and attach it to my phone. There's an electrical outlet under this table, which means I have a lot of excess cord. By using a twist tie to manage the excess cord, it's barely noticeable under the table.
When not in use, the cord slips back behind the table, held in place by the cord tie. It's like having a retractable cord!
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Buy the Juice Box by Blu Dot. it holds all of your cables in a really nice walnut box:
http://www.nest-living.com/products/juice-box-by-bludot
The only problem is that you are presumably leaving your charger plugged in, even when you're not using it, which wastes electricity.
The Juice Box from Blu Dot is cute, but it's just screaming for a DIY version made out of a cigar box (or similar) and a surge protector.
Not as pretty, but I pre-ordered this Belkin valet which will automatically shut down power when your device is charged: http://www.belkin.com/conserve/valet/
(and it's a little easier on the wallet)
ooh, i like that belkin valet. good price too.
zap straps available at the dollar store. A package of 25 for $1.00.
I agree, like nearly appliances your phone charger should be unplugged or turned off at the socket switch when you're not using it.
I also keep my phone by my front door and because I only plug the charger in when I'm using it (usually overnight, and not every night), an unsightly jumble of cord is not the first thing I or anybody else sees when they come in.
We came up with our own solution to the ever-present cell phone charger problem...
http://puzzlingposts.blogspot.com/2010/05/well-arent-we-creative.html
binder clip
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/gadgetlab/2010/03/binderclips-kabels-660x439.jpg
I use a clothesline-style clip with a tiny magnet on the back of it. The magnet holds the clip to a metal bar on the rear underside of my desk, completely out of site but instantly reachable when I need it.
If you just put something on the table like a lamp or vase of flowers it hides the cord peeking out pretty well. It distracts a least. I have a similar setup running behind a gel fuel fireplace. It's not the end of the world!
I keep my phone under my pillow at night, since it serves as one of my multiple alarms. Having the charger next to the bed, while messy, is almost necessary.
And I leave it plugged in all the time. Because I love electricity and want to keep it all to myself! Okay, maybe not that, but I don't have the patience to worry about the energy my appliances use when I'm not their. Or the time to unplug them all. How else do they have fun when I'm not at home if they don't have any energy?
Ever since the era of switchmode power supplies, the standby use of phoen chargers is negligible.
It took 8 of them with no phone connected before I got a reading out of my usage meter - 2 watts, so thats 1/4 a watt each or less.
I can live with that on all the time, its the 20w of my stereo doing nothing that bothers me.