Can I hide my smart home kit?

Keep an eye on the Mui Smart Wood Block for a more stylish and minimalist approach to smart home gear

AThe invasion of slightly glossy white plastic is upon us, and it does not match Mrs Guru’s aesthetic sensibilities. As soon as something new is introduced into the living room, there’s a complaint: “That plastic obelisk does not match the coffee table”, or “What does that do and why is it beeping all the time?”

This is understandable, but unfortunately not all tech can be stored neatly away. Try tucking your router away, for example, and you’ll kill the Wi-Fi signal. Put an LED -packed gaming PC in a box and you’ll cook it. And some kit simply can’t be hidden otherwise it won’t work – sensors and cameras need to be in view because that’s kind of the point.

Every good router, though, should have a setting to disable the gaudy lights. This is particularly true of mesh setups like Netgear’s Orbi (prices vary) or the D-link Covr-C1203 (£209). These also give you a bit of breathing room in terms of signal, as you can feasibly tuck a module or two away without too much coverage loss.

Consider reconfiguring your smart lineup and attaching more traditional devices to smart plugs like Eve’s HomeKit-only Energy (£50) or the minuscule Eufy Smart Plug (£20). Try vinyl wraps (approx £10 per roll) to blend your kit in with the rest of the room.

Or keep an eye on the Mui Smart Wood Block ($399/£303) for a stylish, more minimalist approach to smart home gear. GaGu would check its viability with Mrs Guru, but she’s just spotted his new robot butler, so now isn’t the best time.