Ideas to cover the unsightly breaker box in living room?

Mary Rawlings
by Mary Rawlings
I don’t sew or quilt, and am not an artist. I’ve shopped til I dropped and searched the internet and have not come up with anything of the right dimensions (22 x 28”, ideally. Max would be 24 x 30”). Suggestions?
  9 answers
  • Nel13400801 Nel13400801 on Mar 14, 2018

    Mine is in the mudd room as you're entering the family room and it bothered me for a long time until I saw, while touring a model home, a framed picture was placed over the breaker box. So, I placed a canvas art work over mine and have not only gotten compliments, but It improved the looks of the wall. Tip: the cover doesn't have to be the exact size, just larger than the breaker box. Hope this helps.

    • Mary Rawlings Mary Rawlings on Mar 25, 2018

      I thought that would be easy to, but really having a tough time finding the right dimensions. Still on the quest. Thanks.

  • Dfm Dfm on Mar 14, 2018

    first see if your city will let you alter or cover the box. Some won’t.mine is one. Yup stuck with the grey.

  • Deborah Gorman Deborah Gorman on Mar 14, 2018

    I hung a nice mirror over mine! It made the hall look longer and my daughter in-law said it was a brilliant idea.

  • Jim Cox Jim Cox on Mar 14, 2018

    Per NFPA 70 code it can't be covered or hidden. I have seen many painted, but the interior labels must stay intact. If your house has an electrical fire, do you want the fireman looking for the breaker box to waste any time?


    Here is another discussion copied and pasted:


    Obstruction of the panel is covered in section 110-26 of the National Electrical Code (NEC): 1) at least a 3-ft clearance in front of all electrical equipment; 2) a 30 in.-wide working space in front of equipment operating at 600V or less; and 3) minimum headroom clearance of 6 ft or the height of the equipment, whichever is greater. Installations built before the 1978 NEC only require a minimum clearance of 2 ft in front of electrical equipment. The 30-in.-wide rule has been used since the 1971 NEC. Headroom clearance has been required since the 1965 NEC.

    Blocking electrical panels that house circuit breakers is also a violation of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and OSHA regulations.

    NEC 230.70(A)(1) also says that "Service disconnecting means & all electrical panels shall be readily

    accessible."

    NEC 230.70 (A) "The service disconnecting means shall be installed at a readily accessible location either outside a building or structure or inside nearest the point of entrance of the service-entrance conductors." Which is why the panels are so often in front hallways or near the kitchen.

  • Sharon Sharon on Mar 24, 2018

    this is a non functioning fuse box, new one is in the basement

  • Barb Barb on Mar 24, 2018

    Find a picture you like that with be just a tad bigger than the breaker box add a strip a wood at the top and bottom of the picture the width of the trim that sticks out from the breaker box so the picture will fit nicely out it.

  • Sharon Sharon on Mar 25, 2018

    A friend painted an oil painting on a stretched canvas, and I hung it over my fuse box to hide it.

  • Julie Julie on Jul 25, 2018

    Attach a curtain rod above and below panel. Add fabric/sheer panels pulling the material taunt so it appears to be a window.