This is how you build a charging station behind your sofa
Our sofa has turned into a camping ground for phones, laptops, and game controllers. With some wood, paint, and a 3D printer, I’m building myself a more elegant solution.
It all started with a small USB-C power adapter with four ports. We currently have a 200-watt power supply with six cables hanging in a plastic tray secured by cable ties. At any point throughout the day, a handful of devices charge up at these ports. It’s quite ugly and also takes up an entire spot on the sofa. That’s when it dawned on me: a discreet storage space behind the sofa would be much better – one that’s wide enough for phones, which I could charge using a recessed power strip. Since you can’t buy something this specific, I’m building the piece of furniture myself.
Getting materials and 3D printed parts
Our sofa is positioned against a wall – which heavily determines how this particular station will be built. In addition to a recessed USB-C power adapter, I’m also planning to include a power strip – just in case I ever need to power a device that doesn’t have a USB port.
I want to keep the unit as narrow as possible so that the sofa doesn’t stick out awkwardly, and deep enough that it isn’t immediately visible from the front. Fortunately, the cushions on our sofa are quite a bit higher than the backrest, so I can design the shelf to rest on top of it. That way, it’s hidden by the cushions, and I gain some space without having to move the sofa further away from the wall.
The shelf will be the same length as my sofa, around 3 metres, and it’ll be twelve centimetres wide. I want it to be wide enough for large phones too. Using a 3D printer, I print two plastic mounts for the USB-C power adapter and the power strip. By «I», I mean my brother. You don’t need to be an engineer to design something like this, but it helps if you have one in the family. He designs the mounts so that nothing obstructs the power supply’s fans.
For the wood, I go for 18-millimetre-thick laminated wood panels, which I’ll have cut to size right at the hardware store. Four steel brackets will support the shelf. Of course, I could go for a lighter design, but with kids running around on the sofa, I’d rather play it safe.
Sawing, sanding, and painting
I use the jigsaw to cut out two openings for the charger holders and power strip mounts. Since I cut them a little too short, I have to use a rasp to make them fit. Now they’re so tight I don’t even need to put screws in.
Then I paint the whole thing white so that it fits with the rest of the living room. I also drill a single hole for my USB-C optical cable – I use it to connect a controller to my PC.
To keep the cable from falling back through the hole, my brother prints a plug for me that makes the opening just narrow enough to thread the cable through.
Now all that’s missing is a trim piece so that the whole thing looks good from the side, too. To make sure it lies flush against the wall, I saw off a piece from the bottom. Otherwise, the trim will lean against the skirting board. And since the old socket cover is, of course, exactly at the same height as the trim, it’s time to pull out the rasp file again. Then I install a steel bracket to secure the panel and the shelf. That provides extra stability in case a child does end up standing on it – which, with my kids, is only a matter of time.
And with that, my little project is finished. I push the sofa back against the wall and admire my handiwork. You can hardly see the shelf. Only the longer charging cables stick out a little. If I wanted to prevent that as well, I’d have to mount the power supply below the shelf and route each cable individually upward through the plug-in system – similar to how the optical USB cable is routed. The problem with that is that I’d have to move the sofa every time I want to rearrange the cables. That’s why I’m sticking with my version – it’s more flexible.
I’m thinking about printing another holder so I can prop up laptops or handheld devices while they’re charging. Right now, they’re leaning against the wall. Otherwise, I’m happy with my work. The sofa looks much tidier. It didn’t cost me much either – just a bit of time.
What do you think? Do you know an even better way to do this, or how do you hide your tangled cables?
Update: Links to the print templates have been added.
As a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
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