How to Hide an Air Conditioning Unit

Every year when the good weather and heat come around, air conditioning unit sales skyrocket. Obviously, that’s even truer in places with especially high temperatures. That’s why we wanted to dedicate an article to how to hide an air conditioning unit, no matter where it is.

You might not have much of a choice on installing one. But unfortunately, it can really kill the aesthetic of your home. The same thing can happen with space heaters and radiators. But don’t worry: there are some simple ways to solve this problem.

There’s no need to lose your mind over this or make it more complicated than it needs to be. There are several ways to hide an air conditioning unit without it losing any of its effectiveness. There are even businesses nowadays that sell models with more interesting designs so that they can be part of your home decor.

How to hide an air conditioning unit

On the floor

Some people like to have an air conditioning unit that’s just on the floor, and portable. It takes up a good bit of space, even though it’s only a few feet tall. It can also throw your entire decor scheme out. 

So, it’s best just to hide it and keep it from being a problem. Because it’s rectangular you can put in a piece of wooden furniture to cover it completely. It just shouldn’t be a completely solid cover, because that would keep the air from flowing.

Wood is also the best material in that sense. It has small gaps that allow air to travel through it. You could also use a metal structure instead, and paint it whatever color you like. But our recommendation is to use wood, it’s the simplest and most effective material for this.

It also fulfills two functions: it hides your air conditioning unit, and is a decoration.

On the wall

Air conditioning units that go on the top of a wall are becoming more and more common. They are a long, rectangular shape and don’t take up as much space as floor units. In this case, the air comes from the upper part of a room, and the unit is visible from basically any angle.

• One way to hide it involves the same basic idea as the floor unit. You can put a kind of wooden casing over it, as long as it has gaps for the air to come out of. It would look kind of like a tiny chest.
• Another idea we like for its simplicity is to paint it the same color as the wall or put wallpaper on it. Doing this will camouflage it subtly and stop it from standing out so much. This doesn’t always work well though, because of its size.
• One of the most successful solutions to this problem is to pick out a model with an attractive, modern, innovative design. In this case, you’d want it to fit in with the style in your home, especially if yours has a minimalist or contemporary aesthetic.
• If you don’t like any of these ideas, you could also put the unit right above the door into the room. It’s the least visible point in the room and is out of your line of sight.

Air vents

The best, most direct and efficient way to hide an air conditioning system is through internal ventilation passageways. You might see them close to the ceiling, or even on the floor, and they blow air into the room through small grilles.

The size can differ a lot, but this is probably one of the best ways to have a hidden air conditioning system. This is probably why it’s so common in stores and hotels. Not only does it save space, but it also helps you maintain a room’s aesthetic.

There’s always an alternative in the decor world.

On the outer wall

A lot of air conditioning units are connected to a motor and fan contraption that is outside of the home or apartment. It’s there because it helps the system work more efficiently. You’ll see lots of these in cities with apartment buildings, especially in hotter areas.

One way to hide them is to put up a metal frame that’s weather-resistant. You could also a grille over it that would hide it some, and maintain the aesthetic of the building’s exterior.