Corral Those Charging Cables With A Charging Valet

Welcome to the 314th Metamorphosis Monday!

I love wireless devices and the freedom they afford us, but that freedom has to take a pit stop every now and then to recharge. I think I may finally have a system I’m happy with for handling the pit stops when they occur.

A little over a year ago I shared a solution for managing all the little charging cables on my desk in that semi-hidden area where the arrow below is pointing.

Pottery-Barn-Bedford-Office-Layout

 

That little spot was grand central station for charging my iPad, phone, camera battery and wireless keyboard and mouse. Though convenient in that spot, it was always frustrating when something needed charging, which was pretty much every day. I’d have to separate the maze of wires to figure out which one was the one I needed.

Cable Labels

 

In that previous post post, I shared these nifty cable-labeling organizers. They made it much easier to identify the cable I needed when something needed charging.

Cable IDs

 

In August, 2014, I purchased a bluetooth speaker for listening to books on Audible while working at my desk. That posed a new problem, I no longer had enough USB ports or outlets to charge everything. I solved that issue by buying this desktop 5-port USB charger on Amazon. It worked great, supplying more than enough ports for charging all my wireless devices.

Anker 4-Port USB Charger With Power IQ (2)

Anker 40W 5-Port High Speed Desktop USB Charger

 

But I was still not thrilled with the spaghetti-like messiness of wires running hither and yon. I tried using twist ties to keep them a bit neater but that never seemed to work very well and they always ended up escaping to wire bedlam once more. So, I decided it was time to try something different.

Cable Organizers

 

A Charging Station Valet

I went in search of a real charging station, sometimes known as a charging valet, and guess what I found! I discovered that every charging station I liked was “temporarily out of stock” or “no longer available.” Don’t you just hate seeing those words when shopping for something online?

I really liked this charging station I found on Amazon. The price and the reviews looked pretty good, too. Alas, it is “Temporarily out of stock.” Drat! Update: It’s back in stock and you’ll find it here: Charging Station Valet

Neu Home Recharge Station on Amazon

Neu Home Recharge Station As Seen On Amazon

 

I also liked the “Heiden Deluxe White Charging Station Valet” I found on Overstock.com. Same story though…Out Of Stock. Ummphf!

Heiden Charging Station Valet

Heiden Charging Station Valet As Seen at Overstock.com

 

I was elated to discover Pottery Barn made a similar charging station as seen in this picture from Better Homes and Gardens. This was the charging station I really wanted to find since I knew the hardware and paint color would be an exact match for my Bedford desk. Once again my hopes were dashed as I read the words “no longer available.” A conspiracy, I tell you!

I began to wonder, was there some huge trend at some point for this style charging station, followed by a major run on them…during which time I was obviously living under a rock or hold-up in a cave somewhere! 😉 If this style charging station was so blooming popular, how come no one seems to be selling them right now? Is there a season for buying charging stations and winter is just not it? These are the questions keeping me awake at night! Okay, not really, but I sure would like to know why no one has them available right now.

So, what to do?

Well, here’s what I did….I headed for the place I usually go when the thing I want or need is no longer available in a store: eBay!

Charging Station

 

Good ol eBay came through. The bidding was intense, I guess I wasn’t the only one hiding under a rock or living in a cave when these were being sold. In the end it was mine for $20 less than what it had sold for brand new at Pottery Barn, including shipping. Not a steal but a decent price considering they are no longer available.

This particular charging station has a built-in power strip/surge protector with 6-outlets in back. I plugged my Anker 5-port USB charger unit into the power strip, so between it and all the other outlets, I have space to charge a whole bunch of devices now, more than I should ever need. But more importantly, there’s no longer a spaghetti mass of cords all over the desk!

Pottery Barn Charging Station For Multiple Devices

 

These are the devices I’ll be charging on an almost daily basis. The iPad, Microsoft Fitness Band, Divoom Bluetooth Speaker and my phone get charged frequently since I use those every single day. The headphones don’t need charging as often since they are only used occasionally. This charging valet has my neat-freak-gene singing for joy. Finally, all the charging cords are corralled and tidy.

White Wood Charging Station Valet from Pottery Barn 2

 

The only cord that’s still plugged in at my desk is the cord that charges my wireless keyboard and mouse. It needs to stay in that location for obvious reasons.

Charging Station for Bluetooth Speaker, iPad, Mobile Phone, Microsoft Fitness Band and Bluetooth Headphones

 

I’m using the shallow drawer for storing various cords and adapters I don’t often use but need to keep around, just in case.

Pottery Barn Charging Station for Multiple Devices

 

 

Here’s another charging station I saw on Amazon that takes up less desk space: Multi-Charging Station.

Charging Station

Bamboo Charging Station: Amazon

 

I thought this one was pretty inventive. It’s a DIY charging station made from a breadbox! I guess that’s a cutting board underneath. So clever!

DIY Charging Station

DIY Charging Station: Better Homes and Gardens

 Source

 

Here’s where the Pottery Barn charging station is living in the office. It’s super gloomy and rainy out today, so excuse the low lighting.

Do you have a charging valet or charging station? A lot of folks use them in kitchens when there are several family members who always have a phone or iPad or something that needs charging.

Isn’t it funny, the things we need and use today, how our lives have changed just in the last 10 years. Makes me wonder what the next must-have items will be in the future. It’s a good time to be an entrepreneur with an inventive mind, so many opportunities to create products people need and enjoy. I’m thankful for the creative soul who invented the first charging station, a clever mind who saw a need and filled it!

Charging Station Valet from Pottery Barn for Multiple Devices

 

If you’re new to reading BNOTP, you can see more of the office in this post: Designing and Creating A Home Office

Looking forward to seeing all the wonderful Before and Afters for this Met Monday!

Met Monday

 

If you are participating in Metamorphosis Monday, you will need to link up the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz.

In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.

Please observe these few rules:

Only link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, DIY related.

Do not link up if you’re doing so to promote a website or product.

Do not link up a post that was just linked last week since a lot of readers will have already seen that post.

Please do not link up more than 2 or 3 Before and Afters each week. Thanks!

*If a post is sponsored or a product was provided at no charge, it will be stated in post. Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. *



 Never miss a Between Naps on the Porch post! 

*Subscribe to have updates delivered to your Inbox. 



Comments

  1. I envy your office space Susan with all your organization and cord management 🙂

  2. Thank you for another wonderful Metamorphosis Monday! Have a wonder-filled week!

    Blessings,
    Pam (www.everydayliving.me)

  3. That is a great idea, and if I can ever get my work space at home straightened out, that would be a great thing to have! Thanks for hosting Susan:-)

  4. crumpety cottage says

    Awww, Susan, had I known you were looking for a charging station, I would have sent you mine. It’s not white though, but I reckon you could have painted it. 😀 And yes, you must have been decorating and tablescaping under a rock because we used ours YEARS ago, lol. I do like them for keeping everything organized. Yours looks good and I’m happy you were able to find the exact one that you wanted. It fits right in perfectly, in it’s new little home. 🙂

  5. Thanks so much for the party!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  6. First off, your office looks so organized and beautiful…love it! Secondly, I must still be living under a rock…our electronics are plugged in here and there and everywhere. 😉 Thank you for Metamorphosis Monday!

  7. Oh I would love to have my office/studio look this organized.
    It’s a snow day here so that’s on top of my to do list.
    Thanks for the info on the station and the inspiration to get moving……
    Thanks too for hosting.

  8. Hi Susan! Oh, this is a great idea. I have such a problem with cords and hookups. I need this! Thank you so much for hosting your party and hope you have a marvelous week.
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia ;O

  9. sigh…I just love organization…thanks for the party Susan, and the inspiration to organize something today!

  10. I despise cords…so much so, I even dream (nightmare) about them…a necessary evil. Will check out your suggestion…. franki

  11. Peggy Thal says

    Great docking station. I have one on my nightstand but I still get my wires mixed up. I love the different colors to identify each electronic. I have to get those cute colored wires. Thanks Susan for the infro. Your office looks great!

  12. Susan, I need to get my husband’s home office organized. Thanks for the party and have a great week.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

  13. This is great as I really need to get a handle on my cord situation!

  14. That’s a nice charging station. I should consider the idea. I have my chargers for the iPad, phone and camera in three different areas.

  15. I want to be just like you when I grow up! I’m always thinking about getting organized, but that’s as far as I get with it. You take action and get it done. Hopefully, I’ll eventually take action too. Thank you for hosting. laurie

  16. What a great idea, Susan! I definitely need to get more organized! Have a great week!…hugs…Debbie

  17. First of all I apologize, I thought we could link 3 posts and I don’t know how to delete one. I LOVE the charging station and no, we don’t have one. I will show Joe this and see if he wants to get one. Since we both have an office it could be in either one. Thanks so much for hosting each week. XO, Pinky

    • That’s okay, Pinky. The only reason I added that was I was having problems with some folks linking up 10-12 times and many weren’t remotely a Before and After. Three is really fine…so you are all fine!

  18. Susan, thanks for hosting! I always love your posts that show your office space. I have office envy! We’ve never had a charging station, but I love the idea of them. Yours looks great!

  19. You always find the neatest devices to make life a bit easier!!! Thanks for your research……..hugs….

  20. After you posted about the cord label things with the twists on the ends I ran right out and bought some and couldn’t be happier with them. I also bought the first thing you posted from Mashable (White thing holding the cords) that was holding the cords……I bought one of those also. They are weighed and mine just stays in place….I love it! No more trying to retrieve cords that fall down behind things! Your charging station is great but I just don’t have the desk space to give up to it. So happy with the others you recommended though!

    • I almost bought one of those…the one on Mashable. That looked like a neat device! Thanks for letting me know it works. I’ll keep it in mind if I have the cord-falling issue somewhere.

  21. Susan – I am so embarrassed by the many many cords that keep my computer running. It’s all hidden in the deep recesses of a corner beside my computer. I try not to look at it because it is so messy and frankly would scare a small child! But you have definitely got yours under control.; )

  22. Thanks for the tips! I can use all the help I can get with ever increasing technology and all the wires, rechargers, etc around this house!

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  23. Your office is awesome and you are such an skillful, clever and talented lady dear Susan! This is amazing! Thanks for sharing and for the tips about this smart little device, wow!
    Thanking you so much for this great party. I’m gonna go check your post once more.
    Hugs,
    FABBY

  24. I love your bright and cheery yellow work room. Would love to know the name of the wall color paint.

  25. You got a real deal, Susan! I have the same station in a dark wood from Pottery Barn. I purchased it years ago for close to $100. Thanks so much for the party, hope it’s a great week! 🙂

  26. Great solution Susan! I need to do this as well, thanks for sharing.And thank you for hosting!

  27. Your docking station is great, Susan. I would not have room on my desk for one. You are like the Battery Bunny, you keep on going with lots of ideas. I wonder if you realise, just how many lives you touch and have changed, with all your information.
    Thanks for sharing.

  28. Love your office and how you have tamed all of the cords. You should see the mess of cords in my high school Apparel classroom! Imagine trying to organize cords for 30 sewing machines, 5 sergers, 2 embroidery machines, 4 computers, 2 irons and assorted other electric devices. A nightmare!

    Recently I enjoyed your post about the cute heart shaped cakes that you made in the Wilton pan. I found the pan on Amazon but now can’t find the post! You used the 1-2-3-4 cake recipe. I will so appreciate it if you can send the link. They look so yummy!

    Thanks for all of the inspiring ideas. I always look forward to reading your posts.

    Ren

  29. Susan, I have been an admirer of your office for years…it is not only beautiful, but extremely organized. Great solutions for tackling those cords…thanks for hosting Susan…Happy Ground Hog Day!

    • Thanks, Shirley! Gosh, I forgot it was Groundhog Day. lol So did that rascally guy see his shadow? 🙂

    • Okay, I just looked it up and it appears Atlanta’s groundhog, Gen. Beauregard Lee, is in disagreement with Punxsutawney Phil. He didn’t see his shadow and is predicting an early spring. 🙂 I like his prediction better than Phil’s! 🙂

  30. Susan – thank you for hosting your wonderful party again. You are such an inspiration to me. I have thought of you often after reading your post about your sisters passing. Hope you are doing ok. I have only one sister and I can’t imagine losing her. You continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

  31. Norma Wagner says

    Just a quick note to thank your Tech guy for fixing the problem on all of your posts that went missing. He is a genuine genius. I have enjoyed visiting them. Just wanted to thank you. God Bless you, Norma

    • Thanks, Norma! I’m so glad you brought that to my attention. I’ll let him know how much you appreciate him getting that fixed. Thanks again for letting me know! Hugs!

  32. Thanx for hosting Susan!

  33. Lynsey from the UK says

    Where did you get that rather fabulous green clock on your desk?
    Also I love the wall tidy with the wrapping paper holder, is that Pottery Barn like your office furniture?

    • That picture is from Better Homes and Gardens so I’m not sure where the clock is from. Yep, the wrapping paper holder is from PB. They had it again recently so it may still be available.

  34. I love them all but I seem to be more drawn towards the file style charging station because of the iPad.

    But I love the gift wrap station. I love love love it. Is it easy to change out rolls for the holidays? I had a plastic container but that broke. I want to be able to buy rolls as seasons are over and get the sale and keep in a box but then switch out.

    S/n: I wish you were closer so you can see some of the linens we have on sale and help me with my future tablescaping adventures

    • Yes, they are really easy to change out. I sometimes change it out at Christmastime with Christmas paper. I had planned to keep that part of the desk open for wrapping gifts, but with the file sorter and charger there, I’ll probably wrap them on the end of the desk in front of the windows. It is fun to switch them out during the year. 🙂

  35. Don’t ask me how I got to your site but I did 😉 The one thing I wanted to add to the conversation was your search apparently omitted Etsy, which is where I sell custom made to order charger stations from a variety of woods and finishes. I myself am sold out at different times because I can’t keep up with demand. I think some of the commenters would find my product very useful. My web gallery is http://www.hidemycharger.com which has a link to Etsy

I'd love to hear from you! Please leave a comment!

*