One of these days, I'll figure out how to take a picture (or pictureS) of my system, and attach it to a post. For as long as I've owned a stereo system, I've tried my best to make it look attractive, without a mess of cables lying all over the place.
Currently, and for quite a number of years now, my equipment is installed in a wall unit, with all the wires carefully hidden in the back. I've been able to run power cords down along the supports of the wall unit so they're all but invisible, but there's no denying that the superthick Monster Z-Series speaker wire I'm using cannot be hidden, no matter what. Next to my right speaker is my sub, with two cables running into it from the pre-amp "out" jacks, along with the power cord for the sub as well. Fortuntely, all of that's lying on the floor, and not dangling from a countertop somewhere.
Someday....