Whether you’re looking for better home organization, decorating a man cave or creating the ultimate gaming battlestation, we get asked, “How do I create the best setup?” Well, after over a decade of experience, we’ve picked a few tips we think will help, no matter the room!

General Tips

These organization tips work for just about any room organization and any setup.

Tip 1: Plan, Plan, Plan

This is an obvious tip, but probably the most important one. Planning is key to creating the cleanest, brightest setup you can. You want to wow people with all your hard work and planning is the foundation.

How do you go about planning? We’ve offered a few different tricks before, but it depends on the area you’re working in. If you’re looking to hide your cable boxes or Apple TV, ensure your remotes will still work by placing the box behind the TV. If you’re tackling the garage, be sure to clean and organize it before mounting anything.

If you’re hoping for a photo-worthy gaming setup, planning is still important. At HIDEit HQ, we’ve taken to drawing and taping our setup out. Our iconic gamer wall might look simple, but we could only get it to look that way with planning.

We first started with a simple drawing before taping the design out. This helped us visualize the final look of our gamer wall. Using an easily removable tape, such as painter’s tape, allowed us to make changes as needed. Was a console too far away from the TV? Did we nail the symmetrical look? Do we need to add another controller mount? These were all questions that we got answered before we even began making holes in the wall. Speaking of which…

Tip 2: Measure Twice, Drill Once

The age-old adage “measure twice, cut once” works here but since we aren’t cutting anything, let’s focus on making holes. Once you drill, it’s difficult to fix what you started. Almost like a tattoo.

Before you start drilling, make sure you level out the mount you’re wanting to place on your wall. The PS5 won’t necessarily have performance issues if it’s slightly crooked, but it won’t look good. Once you level the mount out, make sure to mark the holes properly.

Now, let’s get into some additional ideas depending on the space you’re creating.

Sleek Tech Entertainment Space

Tip 1: Make space to HIDE

Who wants to see a cable box or Apple TV? Not us, not anyone! For a sleek setup, make sure you have enough room behind your wall mounted TV to HIDE the cable box, game console and more. HIDE your devices to make space on your entertainment center for a clean look or to add things that are more important, like family photos. Hiding your devices makes living room organization a breeze!

Tip 2: Wrap It, Before You Mount It

Nobody likes dangling cords that break up the look of the clean setup you're going for. Use cord wraps to reduce the length of those extra-long HDMI cables or unwanted power cables. With the number of devices we all have in our living rooms or offices, group these cables together and get rid of the wild look.

You can also look into cord covers to hide those unwanted cables. Or if you’re feeling DIY, you can always run cables behind the wall, but that requires a bit of extra work.

Tip 3: Mount, Meet VESA

If you’re not wanting to add any additional holes to your wall or are looking for a simple upgrade to your office space, consider VESA mounting. Most modern TVs and computer monitors come with VESA hole patterns on the back and we’ve designed most of our mounts to work with these VESA patterns.

If you already have your TV wall mounted and need a few extra VESA holes, you’ll need a HIDEit VESA Bar or two, depending on the size of the mount and device. Utilizing your monitor’s VESA hole pattern is a perfect way to declutter your space or have better desk organization.

Tip 4: Upside Down Works, Too

You’ve already wall mounted and VESA mounted, what’s next? Try under-desk mounting!

Many of our Universal Wall Mounts can be under-desk mounted, which is a great way to create a sleek setup by hiding your devices in a unique way while organizing small spaces. HIDE your Mac Mini or Xbox Series S under your desk to free up even more space and create a surprisingly sleek tech space.

The Ultimate Gaming Setup

Tip 1: DISPLAY Your Consoles

Yes, we know the PS5 and Xbox Series X are large consoles and you might want to HIDE them (which you can, with enough space behind the TV), but why not show off your gaming pride and DISPLAY them! 

Give yourself enough space between the TV and game console to proudly show off your favorite PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo consoles. With all the great customization options out there to spice up your console, get them on the wall and turn them from consoles to an eye-popping piece of home decor!

Tip 2: Keep It Old School

It seems like when the newest consoles come out, we all quickly forget about the old consoles and put them away. Don’t stash them in the closet and instead turn old consoles into wall decor to honor them. Whether you’re needing something to mount a PS4, Xbox One or Xbox 360, HIDEit has many options to show off your old consoles.

Tip 3: Give Your Controllers a Resting Spot

Our game controllers go through a lot. Rapid button presses and a firm grip put the DualSense Controller and our favorite Joy-Cons through the wringer. Instead of haphazardly leaving these controllers wherever they land, get them mounted on the wall!

Not only does mounting look cool – you want to display your favorite custom controller, after all – but keeping your controller safely stored means you’ll keep them longer.

Tip 4: Light It Up!

Sure, you’ve mounted your consoles, controllers and favorite headsets, but there’s something missing. No gaming setup is complete without LED lights to make the space pop!

Using some HIDEit LED Lights will complete any gaming space. Not only can you control the color – completing the mood of whatever game you’re playing – but it’s actually healthier for your eyes to avoid playing games in complete darkness.

For an Epic Man Cave

Tip 1: Clean Your Space

Stop leaving baseball bats, helmets and skateboards on the ground or in the corner. Not only does it look cluttered, but you could potentially damage your memorabilia or hurt yourself if you trip.

As with any space, make sure you clean up, but we’ve found man caves have a tendency to get a little more dirty than usual.

Tip 2: If You’ve Got It, Show It

Don’t just put your favorite memorabilia away because you don’t have the proper space because, surprise, you do! Use your wall space to hang your favorite baseball bat or mount that autographed helmet to proudly honor your favorite player. 

Be proud of your gear, show it with pride! Get your baseball bats on the wall with a HIDEit HBat, VBat or XBat. Hang those championship banners. Display those skateboards. There are so many ways to show off your team spirit and awesome sports gear!

Tip 3: Size Matters

Every good man cave takes planning. It’s not just about throwing a few items on the wall, hanging a few logos and calling it a day. If you’re going to spend game day between those sacred walls, make sure it looks great.

Plan and organize your setup wisely. Layout what gear you want to mount and display on the floor. Use this prep time to organize your gear by size and orientation. Having multiple horizontal baseball bats grouped together looks amazing as does vertical bats. But mixing them, might not work. 

Tip 4: Furnishings Are Important

You’ve planned accordingly, created a shrine to your favorite team(s) and got all the best gear on the wall. All done? Not yet! How you furnish your man cave is just as important!

Get yourself a comfy couch or chair to spend those long Sundays on, stock up on cold drinks thanks to a mini-fridge and get yourself that big screen TV. You deserve a space all of your own and it’s just as important to be comfortable as it is for the space to look phenomenal!

These are some tips we’ve learned over the last 12 years of creating beautiful setups and spaces. Use these tips to perfect your space and don’t forget to send in your #afterHIDEit photos to not only show your hard work off to the world, but your order might be free! If you need help making the perfect photo, we have some tips. Or send in your #HIDEitStory video if you’d rather film a quick video. Now, get to mounting!