How to do away with ugly radiators in your home

Are ugly radiators bringing down your interior décor?

Often, boxy, white panels of radiators can be a bit of an eyesore in the home.

Not only can they jar with dark colour schemes, they tend to look out of place with interior styles that are sleek and modern or charming and traditional.

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So, what practical ways are there to fix this problem? Here are some of the best and most affordable solutions!

1. Replace them with underfloor heating

By laying underfloor heating you can heat your rooms without the need for radiators at all. This also frees up valuable space in hallways, bathrooms and box rooms. So, it’s a really good move in small properties and family homes. It can also be safer for families with young children as it reduces the number of hot surfaces to worry about.

Underfloor heating also warms rooms evenly and can work at lower temperatures than radiators, making the home more comfortable and efficient. This type of heating is also ideal for combining with eco-friendly systems such as heat pumps. Electric underfloor heating is often easier and cheaper to install than wet systems but typically you’ll pay between £40 and £190 per square metre.

2. Move them to a discreet spot

If you don’t want to do away with your radiators, you could reposition them. Moving them to a different wall or more discreet space in each room will make them less noticeable. So, they’re not the first thing you see when you walk into the room but still warm the room effectively. For instance, you could move one from a chimney breast to a spot under the window or on a wall that sits behind your sofa.

On average, this will cost around £150 per radiator. Going with a different shape or size of radiator in each room can also make them stand out less. So, this is also worth considering.

3. Switch to more attractive radiators

Another option is to switch out your radiators for more attractive ones. To get the best result, choose ones that match the style of your home. So, reproduction cast iron or column radiators for period properties and modern designer radiators for more contemporary interiors. Pick matching valves and pipework to complete the look.

Some of the best designer radiators look more like wall art than actual radiators, which means you could put them higher on the wall, rather than hide them away. There are tubular, hexagonal and spring-like styles amongst others. So, your radiators could become the best feature in the room, rather than the worst. Depending on the style and size, this type of radiator costs between £150 and £600.

4. Turn them into a focal point

A high-end, designer radiator could make a great focal point but there are ways to turn your existing radiators into stylish features too. For instance, could use the fancy fretwork of gold grills or patterned screens to cover them. Some clip directly onto the panels while others work like conventional covers.

Another option is to pop on a magnetic cover. These cost between £50 and £100 and stick to the front of the radiator panel. They’re printed with designs or pictures – turning your radiators into decorative pieces of art. Of course, if you’re creative, you could paint on your own pattern or mural instead. But if you want a quicker and easier solution, you may prefer to paint your radiators in a bright colour to add a playful touch to your rooms.

5. Blend them into the walls

This isn’t the only way you can use paint to disguise ugly radiators. One of the most affordable and effective options is to paint them to match your walls. This will stop them from standing out so much.

However, it’s important to make sure your radiators aren’t rusty and to remove any flaky paint first – otherwise, they may end up looking rough and patchy. It’s also essential to paint them while they’re cool, so switch your heating off first.

A matt paint should flatten the surface of your radiator, so that’s usually a better option than glossy paint. But you also need to make sure you’re using the right type as it needs to adhere to the smooth metal surface and be heatproof. Specialist radiator paint costs £20 to £30 per can.

6. Merge them with furnishings

It’s not just your walls that you can blend your radiators into. You can also merge them with your furnishings. Building shelving, console tables and window seats around them will ensure they’re not so prominent.

You can also buy vertical radiators with built-in mirrors and shelves, meaning your radiators are not only less noticeable but have an additional use.

7. Cover them up

Finally, you could simply opt for the traditional method of using a radiator cover. MDF covers are the most popular as priced around £60, they’re budget-friendly and are easy to customise with paint. However, mirrored covers are an equally good option for covering ugly radiators. Not only are they the perfect disguise but they look chic and help to lighten up small, dark spaces.

But you needn’t stick to off-the-shelf covers as you can easily fashion your own. Wooden battens can be used to make a slatted cover and an MDF frame and cane webbing would work for a boho-style one.

This is a collaborative post.