Hidden message center? For conveying ulterior motives and passive-aggressive exchanges? ;-)

I installed a sheet of metal on the inside of the upper pantry door, and can use it for magnets and messages. I don't have any pictures of it, and actually find that we don't use it very much at all.

I can't remember who posted this but I liked the idea...message plus other storage. Mister didn't think we would actually use it after the newness wore off.

M

Angie LOL! I was going to put in a small desk but heard from many that it becomes an unsightly catch all. What do others do?
I thought we could have a white board for grocery lists, mail drop, and charging station in a cupboard (part of the pantry cupboard), so that it doesn't create any kind of eyesore or unrest;); similar to above posted by M but maybe at an easier to reach location (waist level) and little deeper for magazine mail and multiple electronics charging. I don't really need a sitting area so nixed the desk idea. Does this sound practical or am I just dreaming?

I had never heard of a message center before GW. DH and I just send each other Outlook appointments via computer for events we both need to know about.

I would like to find a spot for mail and cell phones beside the counter. DH nixed the idea of a charging drawer for our phones because he wants his out on the counter where he can hear it ring -- so I am stuck looking at that ugly cord plugged in every night.

kaysd - Have you thought about putting it in a charging valet/station. Although it is still out, the cords are mostly hidden and everything stays pretty organized.

Several different options, but here are some examples. The one we have has a power strip in the bottom that you plug all the chargers into. Then you just feed enough of the cord up through the top to reach your device. DH has a personal phone and a work phone and a MP3 player that he charges in ours.

{{!gwi}}

We're planning a hidden computer desk area for our new build. Something similar to the image below, only deeper so that the chair can fit inside. We expect that the doors will stay open most of the time but can be closed when company is over.

aa62579, yes, I am considering using a table-top charging station/valet to reduce the cord clutter. Thanks for posting all those pictures. It would also provide a nice drop spot for car keys and other pocket items that currently get dropped on the counter.

laurajane02 and anyone else,

What kind of hinges/hardware do I need to make doors open that way? I call this "armoire doors". I need them for another room.

TX!

At out house it wouldn't work. Out of sight, out of mind, indeed.

I saved this idea a while back. I may still do something like this beside my fridge if I have the energy.

MY refrigerator is plastered with messages. If I really want to get the message I have to put a neon-colored post-it note on the garage door or weave it through my keyring.

Hidden wouldn't work for us for messages, either, but it would be nice for a calender and things that usually go in these so-called "message centers".

Just for grins and giggles and a 3 year old (who was one when we started doing the kitchen) we put in a chalk board on the end of our island. It's one inch thick with the doors.

I'm going to do the same thing in this house but I'll be putting it up higher on the end of a run to use as a message center or menu board (DH likes to make one up to keep him on track when cooking a big meal). Anyhoo...closed it looks like this:

and open (this was taken while curing the board...it's normally cleaner):

In our new kitchen we had planned to carry the cork tile flooring right on up the wall behind the kitchen door, framing it to be the same size as the door so that it would be hidden when the door was open -- then we planned to pin notes and reminders and photos to that tiled cork board. But when push came to shove, we had enough tile to cover the entire wall, I was away in the office, and our contractor friend persuaded my husband to just finish the wall entirely in tile, which looked great. It probably is best this way, but every now and then I wonder what it would have been like to have a cork board there for a sort of real-life collage, that could be hidden when the door was ajar. It still would be possible to suspend a cork board from the molding on that wall, like a picture rail, and pin things on it. But no rush.
Lynn

I wanted a place to organize all the paperwork and junk that comes into the house. so I incorporated it into a cabinet so it would not be unsightly. Sometimes I do forget to look in there for coupons etc.

Ohhhh if only I could fit "all the paperwork and junk" in that cute little cabinet....sigh.