The Eyesore In Our Bedroom (And I Can’t Find A Solution)
I have almost everything settled and decided for my plan for our bedroom, and now it’s just a matter of implementing the plan. But I do have one roadblock, and I have given so much thought to coming up with a solution, but so far, I can’t think of one.
The problem is that the breaker box for our house is located on a wall in the room that will now be our bedroom. (That’s a big mirror leaning against the wall next to it.)
When this room was our home gym, the breaker box was inside the closet area, and I hid it behind a big mirror on the right side of the closet to the right of the TV and the “sweat the crazy out” sign.
I was okay with that solution since it was a home gym. But now that this is going to be our bedroom, and the walls that created that closet area are gone, I hate the idea of keeping the breaker box right there.
I plan on turning that corner into a reading corner with a comfy chair, floor light, ottoman, etc. The breaker box is high enough that it won’t interfere with the wainscoting that I plan to install on the lower portion of the walls. And I could always put a really tall, wide mirror leaning against that portion of the wall. So in the worst case scenario, if there’s just no way to move it, I’m sure I can work around it and make it work. But I’d rather not.
Moving a breaker box for a whole house isn’t cheap, and I’m certain that the further away I move it from the current position, the more expensive it’ll be. I can’t even imagine moving all of those wires from one side of the house to the other. I think it would be better (and cheaper) to keep it on this side of the house, if possible. But again, I just can’t find a place for it.
The room that makes the most sense to me to put a breaker box is in the current guest bedroom, which will be the closet/laundry area. But there are some problems with that plan. First, it’s against code (at least in Waco) to put a breaker box in a closet. I don’t know if this would technically count as a closet since it’s literally a bedroom that will be used as a closet and laundry room. But even if we can get away with that technicality, I don’t see any space for it.
Right now, the breaker box is located just on the other side of the wall where the pink mark is…
In a perfect world, I’d love to put it inside an upper cabinet above the dryer.
But that won’t work because that puts it further away from the rest of the rooms in the house, and although it’s not a long distance away from its current position, it’s still far enough away that most of the wires would be too short to reach. And once again, that makes the whole process much more expensive. But also, code requires that a breaker box have three feet of space on either side so that it can be easily accessed. If I put it inside that cabinet, it wouldn’t have three feet of space on the right side of the cabinet and breaker box.
It would be easier to put it in this section of the closet.
This position would move it closer to the other rooms, so no wires would be too short to reach. But again, it doesn’t have the required three feet of space on either side. It would be easily accessible, though. It would just be hidden by hanging clothes, which can be easily removed.
The only other option I’ve been able to come up with is to put it in the hallway. But again, where? It would be perfect if it could go right behind the chapel picture…
But that’s a pocket door that leads to the bedroom, and one downside of having pocket doors is that it limits what can be on/in the walls. The pocket into which that door opens ends around the middle of that chapel picture, so that leaves no room for a breaker box.
I am actually contemplating removing this cabinet from the hallway, and that would free up the wall space, but once again, there’s a pocket door on what will be the closet and laundry room. The pocket into which that door opens takes up to much space to fit the breaker box there.
So I honestly don’t know where it could go. I have been kicking around an idea in my head that may seem a bit crazy, but Matt seems on board with it. My one solution that I’ve thought of is to remove the door to the bedroom altogether. When everything is said and done on this house, everything beyond the cased opening that separates the music room from the hallway will technically be master suite.
So instead of the teal door on the bedroom, I could remove that door altogether and add French doors to this opening, turning this into the actual doorway into the master suite. I kind of love that idea regardless of the breaker box. It would allow me to widen the doorway into the bedroom by a few inches. But the added bonus is that I could put the breaker box behind the chapel picture.
I’m very seriously contemplating that idea. The more I think about it, the more I like it. The thing is that I need to make a final decision before I install the flooring because widening the doorway into the bedroom will affect the flooring. I don’t want to get the flooring installed, and then wish I had widened the doorway later.
I think it would be nice to remove the bedroom door, widen the doorway, and remove the cabinet in the hallway to open up the space and make it easier for Matt to get through this area. French doors between the music room and this area would provide all the privacy we need to the master suite.
If I weren’t using wallpaper in the bedroom, this wouldn’t be a big deal. But if I’m going to move the breaker box, I really want that to be done before I put up grasscloth wallpaper in the bedroom. I just can’t find a good solution. I’m leaning towards the idea of removing the bedroom door and adding French doors, but I want to be sure I’ve thought through everything really well before I jump in with both feet.
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Personally, I’d just leave it where it is and camouflage it. Seems like an awfully expensive/extensive fix for a minor issue.
I agree! So many other fun things that that amount of money could go towards IMO 😉
Leave it where it is and hang a big picture over it.
I hung canvas art over my breaker box. You could create something similar for your reading nook.
Is yours in the bedroom? I don’t know why it bothers me so much having it in the bedroom.
Ah, so maybe that’s the issue here, not the looks of it! Think of it differently. Don’t think of it as the place where everything electrical converges. Think of it as the place where you have the safety controls for everything electrical. You think so much of having an emergency exit from your bedroom to the outside (as you should), but the number one emergency where you need to go OUT of the house is in case of fire. In which case, you do want the switches there, so you can cut the power to everything, then rush Matt and yourself out. For that matter, have a small kit near there, with, I don’t know, water, and extra car keys or whatever. Think of what you would be doing in a fire, and make this your best spot to get out from. Reverse that feeling. Make emergency plans in general, this box should be in them.
This makes a lot of sense.
My breaker box is in a very conspicuous place. I simply have a large, lightweight piece of artwork covering it. I can easily remove it when I need to access it and no one else knows it’s there. I’d save yourself the money of rewiring and find a creative way to hide it.
A breaker box should be accessible AND visible; in case of a fire, you need people to be able to find it in a confusion state. Especially since you may be having a carer staying at home with Matt. What I did with my breaker box was to stick a pretty wall decal on its’ door, and use the non-moving part of it as a frame. You can still tell someone where to find it in an emergency, and they will figure out that is it, but it does not look ugly. In your case, you could have other pictures around your reading chair, decorate the corner than the wall makes more sense.
But do check if there are different doors you can use for your box, ones that would be more amenable to the treatment I’m describing (or less of an eyesore in general)…
That’s a great idea. There should also be a 3 ft cleared area in front of the box so it can be easily reached. This sounds like a decorating challenge. Challenge accepted?
Could you put a framed canvas of some type art that could cover the box in its current location
Putting it behind the hanging clothes is actually a good option, and technically, it would have the required 3’ on either side AT INSTALLATION. Who has a breaker box with nothing on either side of it, in real life? You would be compliant while the room is empty, for inspection, and then still be able to put your cabinetry in place after. And it would be accessible but out of sight.
My thought exactly
I agree with Diane .
Is there a reason you can’t you just hang a picture over it in your reading corner?
We’ve been told that’s OK as long as it is easily accessible.
I can do that. I don’t know why, but it just kind of freaks me out having it in the bedroom. But if I do have to leave it there, I can camouflage it.
I suspect once you have a nice piece of art over it and a cozy reading spot next to it, it will no longer freak you out. Moving it seems like a waste of good money used for other fun things.
What if you curtained that corner as a reading nook. Or build a small tall book case and the electrical box could be in one of the shelves and hidden by a picture or something.
It makes sense to put it in the utility closet with the heating and cooling.
The closet with the heating and cooling is clear on the other end and opposite corner of the house. The heating and cooling for the main part of the house is in the attic. If we had a utility closet on that side of the house, it would be the perfect place for it!
I’m just surprised it’s in the house, ours is outside.
I’ve never seen that before! How interesting. I’ve seen breaker boxes in a garage, but we don’t have a garage.
When electricity was “new” for houses, all breaker boxes were outside to safe guard in the event of fire. Some were never moved after electricity became safer. We had a house in the mountains of Pennsylvania with the breaker box on the outside wall. We thought it was funny that the previous owner put a sticker on the entry door next to the breaker box saying the premises were electronically protected. A burglar could just open the box and pull the switch to shut off all the electricity to the house, including any supposed alarm! We removed the sticker!!
Ours is outside also, next to it is the electric meter.
Will Felicity be able to get to her litter box if you close your door? You can tell the cat runs the show in our house.
I’ve been thinking about that. I’d have to find another spot for it. She spends so much time in my studio, so I could find a way to disguise a litter box in there.
We had a breaker box in our kitchen that we remodeled. We ended up having a china closet built over it. It camouflaged the box but was still accessible.
I leave in a 20 year old planned community and all breaker boxes are on the outside of the house. Is that an option for you?
That’s so interesting. You’re the second person to mention this, and I’ve never heard of it before! We do have our main breaker/cutoff outside, but I’ve never seen a breaker box outside of the house, unless it’s in the garage.
If it would fit behind a picture in the Hall, why not just put a picture in your reading Nook ?
My thoughts exactly!
My thoughts, exactly! There are so many other options for spending that time and money! Large artwork to cover! If you have a caregiver, simply remind them where the breaker box is. 🩷🩷
Exactly what I was thinking. The colors in the chapel painting would blend nicely with the wallpaper and fabric colors. The Hobby Lobby near me has your floral and bird fabric called Emilia in a color called Mediterranean. Beautiful shades of navy, teal, aqua and lime and jade greens. It is also available online. It was 40% off last week selling at $15.59 per yd. A seller on etsy.com has it made up in drapes and the design is hidden in the pleats so using it on the headboard is a good decision.
I know. That seems so logical. I’m not sure why it kind of freaks me out to have the breaker box in our bedroom. I might have to live with it, though.
No matter what you do with the breaker box, I am team REMOVE THE DOOR! I don’t know why, but that idea appeals to me so much. It’s basically making the room bigger, but not. It makes it feel even more suite-like in my mind.
My opinion is to keep it where it is and put a piece of art work over the breaker box in the bedroom, just like you would with the chapel picture in the hallway.
Also remove the bedroom door and widen the opening.
A series of three canvas art would suffice just fine on that wall. The one hiding the box could be on a hinge. Save the money for something better! I think you’re making a problem where there really isn’t one. Yes opening up the door is a great idea! It will add space visually to the whole room.
Could you put the cat door opening on the door with the hvac and have the litter box there? Or a cabinet to the left of the new French door would add something to that area and the top could be open and the bottom enclosed for the cat box.
That would be a great place for the litter box. She loves hiding away in that closet any time I leave the door open, and she also spends a lot (or most) of her time in my studio. So putting the litter box on that end of the house would be ideal for her.
Widening the door would benefit Matthew, while moving the breaker box would not.
What about hanging a hinged(on the side) picture over the breaker box like they do with hidden safes.
Oh, I love the idea of something on hinges! That would be so convenient and easily accessible.
Clothes hanging in front of a breaker box is a fire hazard. The clothes restrict airflow and if a breaker overheats the clothes can catch fire.
You could make a decorative piece to cover the breaker box in your reading nook and we all know it would be lovely.
But, I “hear” in your closing paragraphs that you would like to enhance and improve Matt’s access to your new suite of rooms. Getting the breaker box out of your bedroom is probably a good thing.
sounds like you get the added benefit of better accessibility for Matt if you move the box. It’s practical as well as decorative.
Love the idea of the French doors (only you can decide if this is to your aesthetic and ease of use for your specific needs). I would first check with an experienced electrician- they can tell you what is feasible. You’d be surprised what they come up with when you are driving yourself crazy!
You can create an overdoor with a piece of art that could be easily swung out of the way to get to the breaker box. Attach a piano hinge to the frame vertically and the wall and when you want access, simply swing it out of the way. Keep it light so it’s easy to move without moving furniture.
You’re in a different position than everyone else because your home is so public.
I’d call the fire Marshal and ask about covering with a lightweight hinged canvas.
Have you spoken to your brother-in-law the electrician to see what he thinks?
He’s not actually an electrician. He knows how to wire a house, but he doesn’t live in Waco, so he’s not familiar with the codes specific to Waco.
Dear Kristi,
Our breaker box is located in our finished basement. We camouflaged it by installing a gilt-framed white board over it on a piano hinge, so it can easily be opened for access.
I say hang a picture/art/photo over yours on a piano hinge. It seems like the location of the breaker box in your bedroom would be a good place for some wall art near your reading chair.
Blessings on finding the perfect solution.
YHWH Bless You : )
Would you LIKE french doors? Will it be easier for Matt, and using the Hoyer lift? Why not do that anyway regardless of breaker box decision? Could you put the box outside?
I would definitely prefer French doors and an overall wider entrance to the master suite rather than the narrower bedroom door. Even if I just get an extra four inches of width on that doorway, every inch counts when trying to get a wheelchair or Hoyer lift through the doorway. The more I think about that option, the more I like it. So I’ll probably do that regardless of the breaker box decision.
We had a similar situation in our former master bedroom, now our guest bedroom after an addition. I built a three-panel folding screen and upholstered it with the same fabric I used on the bed. It’s decorative, functional, and hides the breaker box without interfering with accessing it. What do you think of having your headboard fabric on a folding screen in that corner?
That’s exactly what I was thinking.😄 Work smarter, not harder as they say. Don’t make an issue when there really isn’t one. Save the money towards something else.
But that totally goes against my usual work method of “make everything really complicated and stress over it for a ridiculously long period of time” that has worked so well for me all of these years. 😀
I like the idea of a screen, but I would probably use a different fabric. I like the idea of the headboard fabric being kept to the headboard only to keep it unique in the room.
I like your last and best solution for it. I love French doors, having more room for Matt to roll along, and the breaker box is out of the bedroom and ensconced in the hallway. A good place for it. You’ll figure it out, get out that painter’s tape and get started on the reconfigure.
Cheers to you both!
Moving a breaker box at our house was going to be $1500.00. So we decided to leave it where it was and simplest hung a picture over it.
You really work at complicated solutions.
That’s a great price! The price we were quoted, as part of the original big addition/reconfiguration, was $3500!
The idea of French doors and moving the box is it! Even if you didn’t move the box the doors would be fabulous, the bonus is moving the box. Good luck, God Bless.
About three weeks ago, a contractor also game me a $3500 quote to move a breaker box.
Just hang a canvas painting or other picture over it – that’s what I did with ours.
Possible location… Behind some art on the entry wall? Is it 3′ in front or all sides… I remember it’s in front not sides for outdoor panels. Do verify with a local pro you trust. That’s an arc flash safety need. If there’s an arc during work, the electrician needs clear space to move to.
I don’t know details, but the algorithm seems to want to inform me of $2k tax rebate available occasionally. It is for replacing a home electrical panel (courtesy of the inflation reduction act). I’d look into those qualifications to see if your panel project or other planned upgrades qualify. This is because many homes have problematic panels for EV charging, or discontinued fuses/parts. I don’t care for the politics behind it, but figured I’d share.
Absolutely widen the door and remove doors. It just makes life easier for Matt. Whether or not you move the box…I’d just work around it honestly. It feels a bit like you’ve fixated on a detail until it’s a huge deal when it doesn’t really HAVE to be a huge deal. If it’s going to be a reading nook, make some art work to hang over it. It will be fine. Or create a grasscloth panel to hang over it and camouflage it. Or a series of grasscloth panels so it looks like a feature. What about wainscoting that entire wall and putting a hidden panel over it? It’s not perfect but it would be fine. But if it really bothers you THAT much, then go ahead and move it. As you well know, it’s your house! 🙂
I’ve definitely fixated on it, and I’ve stressed over it for weeks now. I know it’s probably not the issue I’ve made it out to be in my head.
Why not just place a pretty, movable folding screen in front of the breaker box with your reading chair and table and lamp in front? You could even construct one using one of the pretty fabrics you’ve landed on for the room.
The cheapest way to “move it” is to have the electrician literally turn the box around so that it faces into the laundry/closet space. The wires would be removed from the breaker box, flip it around and re-install the wires to the breakers. The wires are all the correct length and it really doesn’t matter to “them” which side of the box they’re on. There might be some manipulation of the breakers from one side of the box to the other considering that the 20 amp breakers need to remain in use with the same wires. That involves pulling it off the bus bar on one side and moving it to the other side and reattach the specific wires back to it. Same goes for double breakers. No pulling of wire should be required.
You may have to settle for some open shelves or a clothes rod over the W/D instead of cabinets. My breaker box is in my utility room and I have a rod at the top near the ceiling for out of season hanging clothes. Been that was for 40 years and no issues. Box is easily accessible. I would not do anything to the area around the box if you do decide to flip it around. Wait until the inspector signs off on it and then do what you want. You know enough about electrical to know what is safe.
Cover it with a wrapped canvas print. Post a tiny note somewhere obvious that tells where to find it. Easy peasy.
You have bigger fish to fry, it seems to me.
My breaker was in my entry vestibule. Didn’t move it, just wallpapered it and only I really knew it was there. Opening it didn’t harm the paper at all.
May I be blunt?
I think this is a case where you should just leave it where it is and deal with it. You are opening yourself up to a truck load of unnecessary expense moving it; one idea here, then this needs changing, one idea over there, deconstruction of a perfectly good cabinet (more $ to rebuild?). I get your need for symmetry and all but this is pretty unnecessary for my money.
As always it’s your house and your money.
The deconstruction of the cabinet isn’t really about symmetry. I’ve been considering it for weeks now, and that decision is more about removing obstacles for Matt. The cabinet has been wonderful to have for the years that I’ve had it. It has served us very well. And if we were going with our original plan for the big addition that included a new huge master bedroom, I’d keep the cabinet. But since this area is now going to be our long term and final master suite, I prefer the idea of this area being opened up for Matt, as well as the bedroom doorway being as wide as possible. Every inch counts when trying to maneuver a wheelchair or Hoyer lift through there. And all of the things stored in that cabinet can be and will be moved to the back laundry area/storage area of the closet, so it won’t be needed after everything in that room is finished.
In MN the breaker box cannot be hidden behind anything. In case of a fire it must be easily visible for the firemen to get to it. Maybe you already know that answer for Texas. After it was installed, I wouldn’t hesitate to put a picture over it. 😉. I feel your pain and have no solutions for you !!
In Waco, we’re required to have a main shut off on the exterior of the house so that the fire department can shut everything off in the whole house from the outside with one pull if necessary. Ours is in plain view and unobstructed.
Love the idea of the covered folding screen. It would be a beautiful back drop to your chair and ottoman. It’s also very accessible when needed.
How far a distance would the move of the breaker box be to the chapel picture? Would it include a lot of rewiring?
It would be about 15 feet, and I think it would require minimal rewiring. It would require some, though.
Have you considered hiding it with a picture / artwork frame. See link:
https://everydayoldhouse.com/how-to-conceal-an-electrical-panel/
Leave it as is, build a shallow bookcase for your reading area
Our breaker box is outside – if you’re spending the money anyway, you could move it completely out of your way, maybe?
My initial thought was put art over it in your reading nook. But I love the idea of the french door master suite (even if the breaker box is moved completely outdoors, elsewhere indoors, OR left in it’s current place)!!
I’m so intrigued by this. Several people have said theirs is outside, and I’ve never heard of that unless it’s in a garage. I have no idea if that’s done here, but now I want to ask.
The more I think about the French door master suite, the more I love it, regardless of the breaker box decision.
I’m in Southern California and all the houses I can think of have them outside.
Have an electrician come out and run each of your options by him/her. That way you can get costs and possibly another option before you make the final decision. I am like you having that box in my bedroom would drive me crazy even if I have it hidden,
Our breaker box is in our family room. It is hidden by being trimmed out (like the rest of the room) w a matching cabinet door that covers it. The original breaker box door remains in place but it is hidden.
I could see doing a mirrored cabinet door (like for a medicine chest) or a cabinet door that frames a piece of art that could be changed out also.
I guess I thought you probably could make/get artwork that could be a statement in your reading nook, and still cover the box. A simple solution. But, if you are adjusting doors, I don’t know how complicated that would be for you with the box. If it is covered, you will forget where it is quickly! It should not bother you much.
I say move the chapel picture to the reading corner, and either put a new picture in the hallway, and/or widen the doorway/add French doors. I always want doors on bedrooms for fire safety reasons. Our master has a double solid door, and one side can be locked in place with a little lever into the top jamb. It gives privacy and accessibility. I personally would not want glass French doors to my private area…what if one of you is sick and wants privacy from the music room?
I won’t use clear glass French doors. I’d use privacy film or maybe even purchase doors that have privacy glass in them.
I honestly would leave it where it is and create a photo/artwork gallery wall around your reading nook.
In one house I hung a framed artwork over our breaker box. Nobody knew the breaker box was there and it was easy to remove the artwork for access.
All the breaker boxes are outside where I live south of Houston, and they were as well in our previous house in College Station. To me, having the breaker box inside is the odd thing (although I like the concept). If it really bothers you, and since this is your forever home and the bedroom a sanctuary, move it so it doesn’t bother you forever. I’d check with an electrician and see if they can just ad a ton of junction boxes in the attic (must be accessible/visible) and then pay to move the darn thing to the other side of the house where it belongs. If it were in the spare bedroom or other non-prime for you spot, I would go leave it, but since it’s going to be the master bedroom and your reading nook, move it. There is also a small safety component, if something were to happen with it, having it in a room where Matt or you sleep is probably not ideal and it should have good air flow and clearances around it. Yes you can cover it, but as a construction professional who started in fire safety, in my house I would be keeping the full code required 3′ clearances and not covering/hiding it.
I kind of like the idea of having it handy in the bedroom in your situation, where functioning electrical equipment like the air conditioning system and dehumidifier, are important to Matt’s health. Assuming they are controlled by circuitry that is on that breaker box, it would be easy for you to get to if the circuits were tripped.
I always find it helpful to make mockups when trying to make design decisions. Try hanging you chapel painting over the breaker box, move a chair, small side table and lamp into the corner and see how it looks
I have two homes. One in Wisconsin with the breaker box in the basement, my point being having it accessible is a plus when you need to access. It’s a trek to get to in an emergency situation. Our other home is in Louisville, KY and that breaker box is also in the basement but in the guest bedroom. It has a piece of framed art over it, it is so much easier to get to. We all know we where it is and can just remove the picture, put it down and do what we need to do. I say, honestly think about the wall and how you would decorate it. Will you hang art there? Could you cover it with the grass cloth wallpaper and make it blend in? If so cover it. Easy peasy. One last idea is to live with that wall, (maybe paint it) for a while with the junction box there and decide later if you can’t stand it. Then move it. This idea only works if the master bedroom is done before the hallway, and closet of course, and providing you cannot/do not want to move it outside. Also, I absolutely love the idea of the French doors and widening the current bedroom door, so please consider this the most 🥰
I like the idea of a screen & widening the door. I’d leave the litter box where it is. You have storage space above it. Would you really gain that much wall space by moving it? Seems like a lot to do in the midst of creating your bedroom. IMHO!
It’s not the wall space I would gain. It’s the obstacle that requires Matt to maneuver around in order to get through the bedroom doorway. He can do it. He’s been doing it all this time, but we always thought it was temporary. We can do anything if we think it’s temporary, even if we have to do it for a few years. But now that we know this is our permanent bedroom, I’d rather not have that obstacle there for him.
What about the wall space to the left by the doorway with the yellow and peach stripes or is that area you intend you widen?
The area I intend to widen is the doorway to the left of the hallway table with the lamp and chapel print. But I’m fascinated that you see those colors as peach and yellow. 😀 The stripes are actually light gray and white.
I would leave it where it is and cover with a painting or large mirror. OR flip it to the closet side and let the clothes hang in front of it. How wide is the opening in that closet going to be? Three feet? Once it if flipped, the inspector checks it off the list, then do what you need to do, like putting the clothes in the closet. It is still accessible. Also I heard it would be a small fortune to rewire the box, I asked an electrician who came to fix my breaker that kept blowing when I used my microwave. And that wasn’t even moving it, just rewiring the box in the same location with bigger breakers. This was years ago and he said about $20,000 plus. You know it is always more than they quote.
I haven’t worked out all of the dimensions of the closet yet, so I’m not sure how wide that opening would be yet.
$20,000?! Yikes! I was quoted a price of $3500 to move the breaker box, but that quote was part of a bigger estimate when we were planning on the big addition.
Before making too many plans, have an electrician come give you an estimate for different locations (guest bedroom, hallway, other side of house) and go from there. Only you can decide if the expense is worth the move. That might help accept it in your bedroom, if the cost is more than you’re willing pay. Or, it may not be near as expensive as you’re thinking!
Breaker boxes can be installed on an outside wall in Washington, our approx cost was $600. Would this be possible in Texas?
Evidently it can, although I had never even heard of that until today! I’ve only ever heard of them in garages, but I’ve never seen one outside.
It was a great solution for us! Our breaker box was originally inside a kitchen cabinet (big no no) and our electrician moved it to the exterior wall in basically the same spot. It’s a weatherproof box designed for exterior applications and we feel much more comfortable with the box outside the home. I can send pics if you’d like!
I’d love to see a picture! [email protected]
I know this is not a preferred location, but it needs to be easy to find and access. If you need to have an electrician come in to work on this box, make it easy for him/her and yourself. I have not heard of outside breaker boxes and can’t imagine working on one in the rain. (I do not live in the U.S) Please just use your wonderful imagination and you will be able to camouflage it, I am sure. To put this in perspective, it is a first world problem. I am thankful for our hydro, we have just had a heavy rain and wind storm and were out a few hours. Think of the breaker box as I do my wrinkles, I have them because I am privileged enough to be aging. Breaker boxes allow electricity in our homes. I acknowledge your displeasure, but it is a minor issue in the overall picture. Looking forward to seeing your solution.
I was thinking, since this is a short wall and you will be putting grass paper there, which has visible demarcations, maybe you could make a false wall panel, from wainscoting to ceiling, on a hidden hinge in the corner with a push-to-release catch. The other sections next to this panel could be pushed out so that they are the same depth as the hinged panel…just a thought. It’s hard to stop seeing something that bugs you.
It might also be a nice spot to hang a plant or put a plant on a nice plant stand, strategically placed.
Kristi, I love the idea of removing the cabinet in the hallway and making the entryway to the hallway and to your new bedroom wider. As far as the electrical box, how about on the left hand wall when you first walk into your new bedroom. That would be a great place to put an art piece to cover it. And, it is not moving it too far. Where I am if you want to move the box and it’s currently inside, it must be moved outside.
Our old breaker box was in the garage over the washer and dryer. When we added central air and heat, we went ahead and replaced it with a much larger box on the outside of our house. It’s much handier there than above the washer and dryer for sure! But I like the idea of leaving it where it is and putting artwork over it. It would save you so much money, too.
I am sure you could come up with some fabulous piece of your own art to cover it and you could also widen the doors for Matt as well and wouldn`t putting it in a closet surrounded by clothes be a great fire risk come on Kirsty it`s not like you to be a defeatest,, you are a creator ..
If you removed your bedroom door that would make it difficult to keep the bedroom in the air zone Matt needs. Particularly in the event of a power outage and using generators to operate heat/cooling appliances.
I’ve needed to access my breaker box four times in 22 years. Couldn’t you find a beautiful piece of art to hang over it?
As a child the breaker box was inside in my parents closet at standing average adult height. Their next box was inside their garage.
in my first house, it was in the garage in Temple , Texas, when 1990s codes were garage, not obscured by clothing in a closet.
My current house needed an updated box (a main cutoff lever switch for fire personnel and we needed more breakers added, so new box). Current code stated boxes can only be in garages or on an outside wall. They flipped ours to the outside closet wall as the least expensive option.
We weren’t happy about it, but far cheaper 10 years ago that the shift diagonally across the house to the garage option.
Kristi, I don’t believe that you can build some amazing piece of art work that could cover it.. Or thin wood with the wallpaper and molding that you can open and camouflage it.. You are so creative.. You got this!
What if you left the breaker box where it is, and concealed with “secret storage” molding like this? https://pin.it/5rvbTyj9j