I don’t like clutter, and the cordless phone sets that have the on-board message machines make sense to me, especially when mounted on the wall. What bugs me is that you need to power them from a 120V receptacle by plugging in the transformer somewhere. Has anyone done a box recessed into the studwall, with a little hinged door flush to the wall on which is mounted the phone jack and the wallphone unit, with a power recep inside the box to do the xformer plug-in? Eliminates the wire dangle. I wonder if there is an electrical code issue.
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This is going to be tricky. A lot will depend on the particular phone you are working with. There is a specialized receptacle known in the trade as a clock receptacle. Imagine a receptacle face set back about 2" from the wall surface. (A day later - I checked the Leviton version and it gives you only about 1" so no great help.) This allows the clock to be plugged in and then hung directly over the receptacle. A neat installation but you need to plan ahead.
The same goes for the telephone. This will be simpler if the phone is a multiline or answering as they give you more to hide stuff under. Wall mount phone jacks are common and easy. Arranging the clock receptacle close enough to the phone jack to allow both to be hidden by the phone a bit harder. I'm thinking that placing the clock receptacle centered on the phone jack, installed horizontally and directly below it might work.
The other question: is there enough room in the clock receptacle to accommodate the plug mounted transformer and still allow the telephone to sit firmly on the wall? That, again, will depend on the model and brand of telephone you buy.
It might also be possible to route the low voltage power line, from the transformer, into the wall behind the phone and out again near a receptacle. The receptacle might be located below a counter or even in a wood cabinet. The cabinet might be similar to a medicine cabinet and occupy space between the studs.
The key to all this is finding the right phone and coordinating with both the carpenter and electrician on the job. A little brain storming and creativity should get you a solution that you like and can afford.
Edited to changed unit of measure, a 2' wall cavity is absurd, to a more reasonable 2" and added a note with a measurement from stock.
Edited 12/18/2002 10:01:23 PM ET by 4LORN1