Creative ways to disguise security cameras

The desire to protect your home can often lead to the decision to install security cameras. While this is certainly a smart choice, they're not always the nicest-looking addition to your home.

While it is important to ensure that you adhere to Australian law regarding the use of security cameras (particularly regarding consent), it is still possible to make your system look a little better within your home. You just have to get creative.

With that in mind, here are some of our favourite ways to disguise your new home security system.

Many outdoor lighting options can look surprisingly similar to bullet cameras at first glance. This makes them a great option for disguising your outdoor cameras while also adding some extra light to improve outdoor safety. Simply line your lights up however you please and pop your bullet camera in amongst them.

While this disguise is less effective at night, as your camera won't be throwing a light beam like all the rest, a would-be intruder will likely just assume that that light is broken unless they're particularly observant.

Because your eaves extend so far from your home, they can provide a great hiding place for a small dome camera. Simply install your camera on the part of the eave that is closest to your home, and watch it blend far more easily into the surrounding area.

Smart video doorbells have subtle-looking cameras that make them the perfect disguise. Plus, you'll get a good view of what's happening on your front porch without having to worry about breaching any laws or making things look messy.

This is one of our favourite options as it adds security to your home in more ways than one and is highly unlikely to land you in any legal hot water.

Need help choosing? Check out our guide to the Best Video Doorbell Cameras in Australia.

By placing your camera within a birdhouse, you'll have true hidden surveillance of your outdoor areas. This is ideal for situations where you don't want your camera to be seen, as most thieves won't think anything of this common outdoor decoration.

This disguise is also great for providing extra protection against accidental damage and the elements. However, it may have legal implications if done incorrectly, so be sure to know your local requirements and regulations before using this method.

Installing your interior security cameras close to windows is another great way to make them less obtrusive in your home. This is because you'll generally be looking out the window, rather than at the ceiling above it, so you'll be less likely to notice a small camera sitting nearby.

This one can also give you extra outdoor vision depending on the way your camera is installed, which is a nice perk. It is important to remember, however, that you'll probably be compromising your outdoor motion detection and night vision in many cases. Having said that, it is a great way to protect your camera from being tampered with, and some models are designed for this type of installation.

Plants, both living and fake, are an incredibly popular design element in homes at the moment. Not only do they help bring your space to life, but they can also provide other benefits such as improved air quality and a lovely aroma (if you add the living variety of course).

What you may not have considered, however, is that they can also work to reduce the eyesore of interior security cameras. If you don't want to go all out, we suggest simply hanging a couple of plants near your camera to distract the eye.

Another great option for those looking to really get into the greenery element of their space is to create a full green wall. In this instance, you can simply place your camera either on the ceiling above (where it could easily appear to be a grow light or watering device) or even integrate it into the plant wall if you'd prefer.

If you're looking for a creative way to keep either your general home security (or your standard baby monitor) from being too obvious in your little one's room, you could consider popping some teddies on a shelf near the camera. This allows it to blend into the decor without hiding the unit entirely.

It is worth noting that some people recommend placing your camera inside a teddy bear. We're not fans of this option as it can enter illegal territory very quickly so if you choose to go this way, be wary that you could be breaking the law should anyone other than a consenting household member enter its gaze.

If the purpose of your security camera is to keep an eye on your four-legged family member, hiding it could be a lot easier than you may think. By creating a bright and colourful hub where your pet's food, water, bed and toys belong, you can also blend your pet camera into the scenery.

This is made easier by the fact that many cameras of this variety naturally come in fun designs, but even if yours is basic, it will look much more at home in a pet-specific space.

This creative tip is best suited to either ultra-modern or eclectic-style homes but can provide great camouflage for your security camera. Simply mount a dome camera to your wall and surround it with similarly shaped art pieces. This allows your camera to blend into the overall design while still protecting your home.

For a more toned-down version of the above tip, consider getting two small spotlights and a bullet camera to create a DIY highlight for your favourite art which doubles as a disguise for your camera.

Simply place the spotlights so they shine diagonally onto your chosen artwork and centre the camera above it.

Much like the outdoor lighting trick mentioned at the start of the piece, this idea won't allow your camera to blend seamlessly, but if you select similar-looking spotlights, it will be disguised well enough to not be an eyesore within your home.

Although we always want our homes to be both beautiful and protected, certain things must be factored in when finding the balance between the two. If you choose to undertake any of these projects to disguise your security cameras, make sure that you have the express consent of any household members and visitors before recording, and always follow the appropriate local laws.

You'll also want to ensure that you don't decrease the effectiveness of your security cameras by hiding them. They're not going to be too good at their job, after all, if they're staring at whatever you've disguised them with, rather than what they're supposed to be watching. Plus, simply having them visible can be deterrent enough for some would-be criminals.

Other than that, have fun making your cameras part of your design.