The messiest spot in my house isn’t the junk drawer or the laundry room—it’s where we charge our devices.
Phones, tablets, earbuds, smartwatches—they all demand daily power-ups and leave behind a rat’s nest of cords that clash with every attempt at a tidy, minimalist home.
Turns out, I’m not the only one fed up with cord chaos.
Olesia @renovation_with_ole was also up there with cord chaos. “I wanted a minimalist, folding charging station to hide messy cables in a clean, stylish way,” Olesia says.
She came up with a sneaky hack featuring a fold-away wall shelf that doubles as a charging station using IKEA MOSSLANDA picture ledges.
It’s quick and easy (two of my favorite words when talking about DIY projects) and practical. The best thing? It looks just like a floating shelf — until you open it up to reveal its secret mission.
Friends have been impressed by how discreet and practical it is—no one guesses it’s a charging station!”
What You’ll Need
- 2 IKEA MOSSLANDA picture ledges (21 ¾”)
- 2 cabinet door hinges
- 1 power strip or USB charging hub
- Cable clips, organizers, or ties
- Screws
- Basics — tape measure, drill, screw gun, hand saw
Classy Cord Control With This Hidden Charging Station Hack
1. Prep the Picture Ledges
Line up the backs of the two MOSSLANDA picture shelves with the ledges facing outward.
Carve out notches on the edge of the shelves to accommodate the hinges so that they sit flush and the shelves close smoothly.
Olesia warns to measure carefully before cutting the slots, you don’t want them to end up too deep.
2. Attach the Hinges
Check the fit of the hinges by placing them in the notches. Attach the hinges to the MOSSLANDA ledges using appropriate screws and connecting the shelves at the back edges.
Test the foldability and tweak if needed. (If the notches only need to be slightly deeper, try a little sanding to avoid cutting too deep.)
3. Position the Charging Apparatus
Place a power strip, USB hub, or your charging setup of choice in the hollow space between the ledges.
Adhesive strips or double-sided tape could help hold things in place, but it isn’t necessary since the strip sits inside the ledge.
Organize your cords using cable ties or clips, whatever your preference.
4. Mount on the Wall
Hang the ledge, hinged side out, on the wall with the appropriate hardware. You may need anchors if you can’t screw into studs, especially to support the shelf when it’s open.
Make sure you mount the ledge near an outlet to plug in your power strip.
Alternatively, Olesia points out that you could skip hanging the shelf and keep it as a portable charging station that hides things anywhere you go.
How Much Time and Money Does This Hack Take?
Olesia said the hack only took about 30 to 40 minutes and cost the equivalent of approximately $18 to $20.
However, the oak effect MOSSLANDA shelves are roughly $3 more apiece from IKEA US, so the project might cost closer to $25, slightly more if you don’t already have a USB hub or power strip.
Need More Charging Space?
If you have plenty of devices to charge at once, you could double up the shelves. But to keep things sleek and simple.
There’s a longer MOSSLANDA ledge, measuring 45 ¼”. It also comes in the oak effect (white and black are other options), or you could always paint or cover the shelves with a fun shelf paper.
Check out the hack, and follow Olesia @renovation_with_ole for more fun project ideas. If creating a charging station is your main goal, here’s another option, or try this behind-the-sofa charging hub.
Have your own clever hack to share? Tell us about it! It could be the next thing we feature!
NEXT: Explore more ways to manage cables and charge your devices.
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