apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I would not to anything to cover or block a radiator. Best I can think of is paint it a dark color to somewhat mask all the grating, and hang the art above it to draw the eye upward. I don't think leaving the objects on top of the heater is great idea in winter...

Get a thick plank to rest on top for a shelf. Buy a linen curtain panel to cover it. It's steam heat.

Think about painting the radiator. Look for inspiration in Olga's House Tour at http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/house-tours/inside-out-olgas-diy-like-youve-never-seen-diy-011333 .

Wow, I thought my radiators were ugly. How can that gigantic unit be even remotely neccesary. I would definitely paint it a dark color to make it less obtrusive. They sell these great wooden radiator covers which are perfectly safe--they don't even touch the metal radiator--but I'm not sure they would work for you. I'm assuming that is already a cover over some sort of heating unit. What's underneath? Maybe you can remove the metal outer cover and replace with a wooden one? That would be more attractive. Here's an example:http://www.woodenradiatorcabinet.com/english/home.html.

oops, sorry about the spacing. Here it is again in (hopefully) clickable format:

http://www.woodenradiatorcabinet.com/english/home.html

radiator covers
http://www.jali.co.uk/rcPhoto.asp

I went and viewed Olga's house tour and I loved what she did with the stencils and copper paint. Is that just copper colored paint...or is it actually made with copper so that it'd be safe of the heater? Where does one get something like that?

this is our solution to the radiator issue...my brother's a GC and built some bookshelves flanking the rad and then built a fully accessible/openable rad cover:

http://flickr.com/photos/kdkaboom/418413235/in/set-72157594582252178/

in the winter, the cats can always be found sitting on top, since he put holes in the top piece of walnut for the heat to escape. they loves it! the wood slats in front are poplar and also allow the heat to move out.



as to the heat paint issue, there is special paint for high-heat situations like rads, but i don't know about creative colors like copper. any hardware store will have high heat paint (spray or other)

Fabric curtains would somewhat block the heat. I say camoflauge it with paint (if your landlord allows) ... it is big, but it's not *that* ugly (as radiators go). I think if you paint it, then mount floating shelves above it that are the same color and width, the whole wall might play as one piece of furniture... and your eye would be drawn to the objects on the shelves instead of the radiator itself.

Hi,

Olga of the painted radiators here, the paint I used is regular good quality acrylic paint. I used Safecoat primer, black and white paint (the top is white) and Modern Masters (from Janovic) and/or Golden (Pearl Paint) acrylic copper paint and a stencil from

http://www.royaldesignstudio.com/index.asp?a=19510&gclid=CJnVh82XuY4CFRGCGgodZivRwQ

There is no problem with the heat because what you got there is a metal cover over the actual radiator which is inside. It's hard to find actual radiator paint here and not necessary for what you have.

One caveat: I wanted to paint the radiator grates black to make them disappear, but once the outside was black the grates took on a more gray hue because the radiator cover inside color is sort of grayish. So I took off the cover and painted the inside of the cover wall black too. These are only things that come up during the process of the thing, so i include that here. It was important enough for me to do. i also turned off that particular radiator (in my bedroom) cause it was too dang hot. Steam heat!

I have 2 more radiators to paint, albeit half the size, and I intend to paint and stencil them a totally different pattern and colors. I also intend to line the inside with insulation and aluminum tape (HD) -- and paint that, too.

Good luck, have fun and do it soon, before they turn on the heat!

kdkaboom - love your apartment. May I please ask where did you buy your mirror medicine cabinet? It looks like it's an inset thingy - is it?

Metropolitan Design Center (located in the Flatiron or UWS) fabricates wooden custom radiator covers. Very modern, beautiful stuff. Unfortunately I don't have any pricing... but their furniture is not terribly expensive...

anusha, yah, it's a Robern recessed medicine cabinet. i love it! here it is:

http://catalog.robern.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?item=578609&prod_num=PLM2030&module=PL Series Cabinets

While I have no suggestion for hiding your radiator, I would be thankful if my radiator fronts were in as good of condition as yours appear. I would very much like to replace my radiator covers front panels. Does any one know of a source for these radiator covers/panels from the 1950's? These radiator covers seem to be every where in NYC. No one I have asked knows where you can buy replacement covers.

kdkaboom - thanks a bundle

I have nothing useful to add about the radiator, but I just had to comment.

Your art collection is amazing! Are you a painter? Do you have a site where I can see more of your art?

I would enjoy seeing a post where your art is displayed.

given its painted the same colour as the room it kind of blends already?

The Art on top does Draw focus to it at the present

Hang the art (or shelve it, nice idea also) and perhaps find a screen that could be used to cosmetically block it. Since its your bedroom, you could play it up as a changing area perhaps with a nice screen and a slipper chair next to it....having other objects in the space should take the focus off the radiator and grates....if you like an asian or morrocan kind of look perhaps see if you could find a screen that had a woodcut similar to west elms headboards that could effectively allow air to pass through.

http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODp058&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1FRNBED&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1FRNBED

Love the art.....

i found an old radiator cover at a flea market and have been using it as a console table under my living room window. i love the intricate metal pattern on the front and i always get compliments on it.

why not see if you can find a vintage radiator cover or you could use a variation on the traditional fireplace screen?

I just stripped the paint off my radiator cover and love the way the bare metal looks.

That being said, they don't get that hot that you can't put furniture in front of it. Believe me, the heat will still find its way to you. And it is only on for a few months of the year.

kdkaboom - your apartment is beautiful! kudos on your work and thoughtful material selections.

I'd surround the whole thing with custom aluminum metal louvers/fins like are sometimes used to box in the "air space" above built-in refrigerators. Then you'd end up with something akin to a metal Sussex cabinet.

This Old House's website has a great how to for making your own cover. You could take out the cover and build one you like.
This how to is great because they have already researched the safety and it's cheaper than buying.

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,1582598,00.html