A couple weeks ago when we discussed the trouble with hiding cables, Unplggd reader kdkaboom mentioned her set-up. We asked her to send over some pictures and she did! Katy's hideaway for all her home office peripherals jump starts a new section here on Unplggd called "Close-Up." This new category will give us a chance to magnify the rad tech solutions other people have.
Name: Katy Maslow and Peter Maslow
Location: Midwood, Brooklyn. It’s a Co-Op bought 20 years ago by our single mom of three children, then taken over by us kidz when she moved out of NYC.
Years Lived In: It's the apartment we moved into when I was seven years old! So, off and on since 198...6?
What's your philosophy on how to integrate your technology into your living space?: Love it, live with it, or hide it. Or do as our mom does…sew covers for it! In different fabrics for the different seasons.
After the jump a close-up of Katy's "Closet of Doom"...
Do you have a great set-up? Email us snapshots and a brief description.
Favorite Feature: Living and working in a space that I love to look at? Does that count?
What Friends Say: They’re amused that I care so much about a “few” unwieldy cables…
Best Advice: Stay in school! And have a brother that’s a contractor! And go wireless!
Dream Source/Inspiration: Well, if only I could afford what I’m inspired by! But I’d say I’m most inspired by the homes of AT’s members and the more realistic side of Metropolitan Home.
Favorite Source: B&H Photo, Belkin, and the brother who can build stuff.
Biggest Challenge: Coming to terms with my Dell XPS and Windows Vista…It’s like a big fugly UFO landed on my desk and just started spitting out error messages in some alien language. If it wasn’t for the company I work for, I would have gone Mac all the way!
Biggest Embarrassment: You should see when I have to unplug the laptop and peripherals for a trip or something. Opening up that Concealer is like watching a horror film. All the guts come flying out. It ain’t pretty in there! I’m also really embarrassed by my lack of an ergonomic chair!
"I've been working from home for a few years, even throughout all the renovations done by my brother,
Peter Maslow (shameless plug). Since my office is right in the living room, I try to keep my crap under wraps - hence the printer closet!"
In order to keep her home office desk free and clear of clutter, Katy turned her nearby closet into a storage space for her peripherals. "The printer closet was my brother's tool/supply closet, but we made room for the wireless all-in-one printer, the wireless router, and the cable modem. Running to the closet to reposition something for scanning can be annoying, but we don't use it THAT often... it's just really nice to have it outta sight."
She got a Belkin Conceal power strip to manage the cords at her stripped steel desk and hid it behind a vintage Brooklyn poster found at Brooklyn Flea. "I haven't figured out how to make the inside of the Belkin all neat and pretty like in their ad. I have to really squeeze it closed, too. It'll break soon enough, I'm sure." 
She also has a Belkin 8-in-1 card reader -- "maybe I should buy stock?" -- connected to the Conceal via a USB hub also hidden inside the Belkin. The hub also connects her wireless mouse and Lacie external hard drive.
And those little round things on the left leg of her desk are magnetic spice holders that Katy uses to store her stamps. 
Photos: Katy Maslow
Super chic and awesome!
view ekoshyun's profile
An awesome place, and where did you get the table lamp?
view Sam59's profile
I hate the huge power bricks that come with laptops. The ones with MacBooks are smaller, but the cords are too short so you end up having to use the hugely long extender and having it snake everywhere.
If I were stuck with the situation Katy is in, I'd buy a second AC adapter for travel use and keep it on hand and tape or secure the brick "hidden" behind her computer to the back of the table (or under it) and just have the plug itself on the desktop. Kudos to Katy for showing her power cords in her picture of her laptop. Most people cheat and just show the laptop with no power cable for a cleaner-looking staged picture.
That closet would drive me nuts though. Too much stuff crammed in there!
view Orchid64's profile
I see she is a fan of phil toledano's photos! I like his video gamer photos.
I agree with Katy- she needs a good chair so she can be a little more comfy or a chic seat cushion- can seat cushions be chic?
view witchbaby's profile
hey, thanks guys!! this was such fun!
Ekoshyun: thank you so much!
Sam59: would you believe that lamp was once owned by Matthew Modine? i can say no more!!
Orchid64: great idea on the extra adapter! and yes, i am also rather nutzoid over The Closet of Doom, but i've already gone all Martha on it...and really, for a contractor, how much caulk is too much caulk? :)
Witchbaby: yay! you recognized the photo on my desktop! Toledano has a wicked good eye. and yes, please, can we find me a chic seat cushion? i am alll about it.
view kdkaboom's profile
i like the through the chair picture, shows off how uncluttered it is.
where can i find chairs like that
view Tiger's profile
i'm in the process (it's taking me wayyy longer than i intended) of organizing my desk area. i love the way you set you desk up and will come back here for more ideas for my own space.
your closet of doom cracked me up too - made me feel a little better about my own closet which i rarely ever open. i so don't like my closet at all and wish i could make it work better for me. right now i just throw things in there and shut the door quickly so i don't have to see inside. definitely on my list of things to cure
view little flower's profile
hey tiger, i got that chair dirt dirt dirt cheap at the CB outlet in woodbury, ny, but it's CB2 i do believe. so you know, it really is not a comfortable chair for extended computer use and i usually have a pillow on it (i'm in the market for a good seat cushion or totally ergo chair...)
little flower! we've all got a closet of doom. no worries! i don't mind showing the real bits - cables and closets and whatnot :) i've tackled every closet in the apartment, INCLUDING the closet of doom, but that one has to hold A LOT of tools and supplies... so... what can you do? it's as close to a garage as we'll ever get :) good luck on your own organization process!
view kdkaboom's profile
Thanks for recommending the Belkin concealer power strip. I followed the link over and just ordered one. I have been looking for a way to conceal the cords and this looks ideal!
view Aldyth's profile
yay! great to hear it, aldyth. take pictures, k? :)
view kdkaboom's profile