Imagine a room with a beautiful TV, premium speakers and designer furniture. It looks classy, it makes you want to sit on the couch and take it all in. Until, you catch sight of the ‘cable spaghetti’ hanging behind the TV.
Uh-oh. Suddenly, the lakhs spent on the best of equipment doesn’t matter. All you can see is the ugly bundle of cables.
You know what we’re saying: Wires running across floors, looping behind consoles and hanging down walls have a way of making even the best gear look cheap. It is one of the most common complaints we hear from homeowners who care deeply about interiors but still want serious sound and picture quality.
But while the problem is serious, the solution is quite simple.
This guide covers practical ways to hide cables, from quick fixes you can do today to proper solutions that should be planned during renovation.
Your AV equipment makes the look, unmanaged cables break the look
Modern home theatres are visually minimal. Slim TVs, floating consoles, compact speakers and wireless streaming all lean towards a clean look. But the reality behind most setups is a mess of HDMI cables, speaker wires, power cords and network lines.
It’s not merely a problem with the aesthetics. Loose wires collect dust, get tangled during cleaning and make future upgrades frustrating. Over time, people start avoiding using parts of their system because reconnecting everything feels like work (you know what we’re talking about).
A well hidden cable setup solves three things at once: it looks better, lasts longer and makes your system easier to live with.
The Pre-wire Stage: Where Most People Get It Wrong
This is the biggest missed opportunity in Indian homes.
People plan sofas, lighting, curtains and false ceilings, but forget about AV wiring. Then after everything is done, they try to hide cables using patchwork solutions.
The pre-wire stage is when electricians lay empty conduits behind walls and ceilings before plaster and paint. This allows you to pull new cables in the future without breaking anything.
Buying your cables during renovation from an AV specialist like Ooberpad ensures correct cable lengths, proper in wall ratings, future proof specs like HDMI 2.1 and neat termination points behind TVs and consoles.
It costs very little extra when done early and saves massive effort later.
Common Mistakes That Ruin your Room’s Look
The most common mistakes we see:
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Using different coloured cables visible against light walls
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Leaving extra cable length hanging loose
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Routing wires diagonally instead of vertically or horizontally
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Overcrowding one trunking channel with too many cables
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Ignoring ventilation for AV racks
The Quick Fix: PVC Trunking That Blends In
For homes that are already finished, PVC trunking is the easiest and most practical solution. These are slim plastic channels that stick or screw onto walls and hide cables inside.
The mistake most people make is leaving them white. Painted trunking that matches your wall colour almost disappears visually. In living rooms with textured or matte finishes, the trunking becomes nearly invisible from normal viewing distance.
Caption: PVC trunking makes a world of difference, especially if matches your wall colour
PVC trunking works well for:
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TV to console HDMI cables
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Soundbar power and HDMI eARC
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Rear speaker wires running along skirting
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Network cables to routers or mesh nodes
It is affordable, easy to install and fully reversible if you move homes later. For rented apartments, this is usually the safest option.
The Cleanest Shortcut: Go Wireless Where It Makes Sense
Not every cable needs to be hidden if it does not exist in the first place.
High end Dolby Atmos soundbars have become extremely capable. Systems like Devialet Dione or Sonos Arc deliver full 5.1.2 Atmos from a single bar. No rear wires, no speaker runs across the room and no complicated installation.
Image credit - Devialet
Caption: See how the Devialet Dione soundbar looks in your living room. Zero cables, zero hassles
For people who want surround sound without construction work, wireless rear kits are a sweet spot. Sonos and Denon HEOS allow rear speakers and subwoofers to connect over Wi-Fi instead of long speaker cables.
This approach works especially well in apartments where drilling ceilings or cutting walls is not an option. You still need power cables for each speaker, but those are much easier to hide than long signal wires.
In-Wall Cables: The Right Way to Hide Everything
In-wall rated cables marked CL2 or CL3 are designed to run safely inside walls and ceilings. They are fire resistant, insulated properly and approved for permanent installation.
Image credit - PointerClicker.com
Caption: In-wall cable management using CL2- or CL3-marked cables
This is what professional home theatres use for:
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Speaker wiring
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Subwoofer lines
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HDMI between projector and rack
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Network cables for streamers and AVRs
Once installed, nothing is visible. Speakers appear to float, TVs look truly wireless and the entire room feels designed rather than assembled.
The only rule is simple: never run regular cheap cables inside walls. They degrade faster, are unsafe and become impossible to replace later.
Where to Actually Hide Each Type of Cable
Different cables need different strategies.
HDMI Cables
Run them inside walls or through trunking directly behind the TV. Avoid long loose loops behind consoles. Use certified HDMI 2.1 cables so you never have to replace them again.
Speaker Wires
For traditional systems, run them through skirting channels or false ceiling edges. For rear speakers, go along corners rather than across open walls.
Power Cables
Hide them inside furniture whenever possible. Use multi plug strips mounted inside cabinets rather than on floors.
Network Cables
Always hide these completely. Wi-Fi may fail someday, wired never does.
Furniture Is Your Best Friend
Smart furniture design hides more cables than any accessory.
Floating TV units create space behind panels for cable routing. Media consoles with rear cutouts allow everything to stay inside. Even a simple vertical panel behind the TV can act as a wire wall, hiding all cables from sight.
Image credit - Wooden Street
If you’re working with an interior designer, remind them about the functional cutouts. It can save hours of frustration later.
Why High Quality Cables Matter Even If You Hide Them
Hidden does not mean unimportant.
Cheap cables fail more often, pick up interference and degrade signal quality over time. In wall cables are extremely hard to replace, so this is not the place to save money.
Oxygen free copper speaker cables maintain clarity over long runs. Certified HDMI 2.1 cables support high refresh rates and future consoles. Proper shielding prevents noise from power lines.
When cables are hidden, you want to forget about them for ten years.
The Professional Touch: When to Call in Experts
For complex setups with projectors, in ceiling speakers and multiple zones, professional installation makes a visible difference.
Image credit - XTEN-AV
Experts plan cable paths before equipment arrives. They label everything, leave service loops for upgrades and ensure nothing overheats inside closed cabinets.
The result is clean looking, stress-free ownership.
Final Thoughts: Clean Wires, Calm Mind
A beautiful home theatre is not just about sound and picture. It is about how the room feels when everything is off too. No visual clutter, no loose ends, no reminders of unfinished work.
Whether you use painted PVC trunking, go wireless or pre-wire your entire space, the goal is the same: make technology disappear into your interiors.
The Ooberpad Approach
At Ooberpad, we always recommend planning wiring before buying equipment. The right cables are as important as the right speakers.
Find out more about how we can help you with cable management so you can have a living room that you want to flaunt. If you have any questions about room aesthetics when it comes to planning your AV setup, contact our AV specialists today.
