Have you ever considered updating a room with a radiator cover?
I’ve spoken about our ensuite bathroom before and how I was desperate to give it a makeover.
Although it’s a nice sized room — with a lovely, old cast iron, roll-top bath — it was fairly bland; and uninspiring, to say the least.
It certainly wouldn’t be winning any prizes for the most attractive bathroom award, that’s for sure.
The base of the bath looked like it hadn’t been painted for years (and probably hadn’t, to be fair) and the sad old carpet has seen better days too.
As ever, time and money (or lack of it) have got in the way and the bathroom has remained untouched — and pretty low-down on the ‘to-do’ list.
I was in the bath a few weeks ago, thinking how lovely it would be to have a shelf at hand — to have candles and somewhere to put the shampoo — but due to the fact there is a radiator running alongside the bath, it didn’t seem very feasible.
Lying there in the bubbles, mulling over what we could do to improve it, I had a little brain- wave and decided a radiator cover would be the perfect solution!
I looked online for how to make a radiator cover; but as there are plenty of radiator cover kits to buy, this seemed like the easiest/quickest solution.
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Updating a Room with a Radiator Cover
We popped to our local Homebase, where they’ve got a fab selection of stylish radiator covers.
They’re available in all kinds of sizes and styles plus various finishes too, including wooden, pre-painted or unfinished MDF.
We decided on a Richmond radiator cover and bought a couple of tins of eggshell paint too; one for the cover and another to paint the base of the bath.
The cabinet was really simple to put together — no power tools required — it comes in flatpack form and you just need to screw all of the bits together.
Radiator Cover Decorating Ideas
Even in its unfinished state, it made the room look a million times better.
But once the radiator cover had been painted — and the base of the bath also given a fresh coat of paint — it looked like a different room!
The addition of the radiator cabinet has literally transformed the space; no longer old fashioned and sad looking, it’s given it a really smart finish plus we’ve now got a place for candles and other items.
And painting the base of the bath has literally given it a new lease of life.
Funnily enough, I chose a shade called Calamine by Farrow and Ball which is incredibly similar to Pantone’s ‘colour of the year’ for 2016.
These two little changes have made such a difference to the look and feel of the ensuite.
Adding a radiator cabinet is a fairly inexpensive way to really smarten up a room. To be honest, unless it’s a lovely traditional design — or a cutting edge, modern style radiator — they’re not particularly attractive are they?!
By installing cabinets, to cover them up, not only do you streamline your space but you also get a little extra shelving, which is a huge bonus.
I am thrilled with it! I’m thinking of adding some panelling to the wall next.
Watch this space.
There are so many decorative radiator covers available. Whether you’re looking for a more traditional style or modern radiator covers; you’ll be sure to find one to suit your decor.
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
