apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Can one actually buy the Natural Wave Radiator Heater? All I can find are design/gadget blogs cross-linking each other.

Is it safe to keep things on top of a working radiator? I've always wondered if I can put a shelf directly on top of the radiator near my bed and use it as a side table.

I live in a house with forced air heat, so I don't have radiators - unfortunately (b/c I think they provide a cleaner, more even heat).

But I think that many radiators are wonderful works of art themselves and should be a focal part of the room.

I would be worried about the shelf of books above the radiator, and the bag hanging in front of it - in my experience that kind of heat tends to dry out materials like paper and leather over time... books end up brittle and start falling apart. I don't have direct experience with bags, but i've had shoes shrink almost an entire size b/c of extended radiator proximity - so be careful.

question... I just did a whole re-do in my bedroom and now the dresser is very close to the steam pipe (2 inches on the bottom and 5 on the top). no other place to put it. Is there a 'suggested' space that things are supposed to be from a pipe or radiator? Also is there a material that can be put in between to diffuse the heat? My steam came up last night and it made me wonder if things could ever get hot enough to ever ignite (I know sounds a bit paranoid but....).

I'm very worried about the amount of heat too.
The steam pipes run up the wall behind my radiator. I don't want to put holes in a wall full of pipes.
Plus the wall is super-hot even with my radiator turned off.

Are there any heat-resistant SURROUNDS for radiators?

I'm not sure I would call most of these ideas "masks". Other than the clutter hanging in front of the one radiator, I feel more attention seems to be given than hiding.

Steam radiators can't ignite anything. They may get hot enough to melt things that can melt. Electric heaters can ignite things. Use caution even if there's a screen far enough from the element. Part of the problem there is that it's electric and it can spark if it's not in proper working condition, so don't set it near a pile of clothes or paper.

Some of these ideas seem to address dealing with a piece of your apartment that you can't really block with furniture, and can't easily or cheaply move or remove. I used to live in a forced air place and didn't know you can't put your sofa over the intake, or upstairs guy won't get enough heat.

One thing I worry about now in a steam heat apartment is putting my bed too close to the radiator, primarily for the leaking. Mine doesn't leak now, but I lived once below an apartment that had a leaking radiator and a big slab of plaster ceiling fell on my bed while I was at work. I wouldn't want water damage to my neighbor below or stuff I store under the bed. Can't get too afraid of stuff that hasn't happened yet, I guess. It's not quite inevitable.

I know it's not a radiator... but this gorgeous A/C cover-up was my first thought when I saw this new post.
Ugly AC Transformed Into Stylish Landing Strip

I absolutely love that last little mustached smoking radi-waiter.... sense of humor at it's best!

Why would you want to put an insulated surround over a hot radiator? ....you will get cold...

I should take a picture of the radiator in my bathroom I bought a thin board from home depot precut 2 feet long which was perfect (50 cents) and set it on top then covered it with smooth stones from michigan my old home. It makes me feel a little less gross in my dirty city apt by bringing in some nice clean nature and it makes a handy shelf when i need to set something down, since i have no counters in the bathroom. If it gets too dry and cracks oh well i'll buy another it was so cheap.

i actually like exposed radiators, so long as they are a neutral color. i don't know why, i think it gives a house more character. then again, i also grew up in russia and had a large, exposed radiator in every room of the flat.