11 Brilliant Solutions to Make Exposed Pipes Chic

Exposed pipes and radiators—the bane of apartment, loft, and refurbished factory dwellers everywhere. As if it wasn’t bad enough that they prevent you from nudging your bed directly against the wall, they interrupt the look of a space as they sweep across the wall or ceiling. Here’s some inspiration to help you make peace with your pipes by painting them, wrapping them, even hand-knitting them a colorful cozy.

(Above) Try matching your radiator to your pipes in a high-contrast color that pops against the wall. Day-Glo yellow is eye-catching against deep blue-green wainscoting, spotted in Blueprint.

Loop lightweight pendant lights around overhead pipes, varying the lengths of the cords, as shown here from Skona Hem.

When Joanna Goddard of Cup of Jo decided to give her bathroom a nautical makeover, she wrapped the exposed water pipe with rope. Bonus: Insulating the pipe will make it safer if you accidentally brush up against it when it’s hot. Follow our tutorial here.

A flash of bright red paint on an exposed pipe is striking in this minimal New York City apartment from Loftenberg.

Painting under-the-sink pipes lime green adds color in the least likely of places. Find more daring color choices in Kristen’s Bluebird of Happiness House.

These dainty copper tubes that undulate along the wall are much more elegant than your standard water pipe—but they are still an inspiring example of how beautiful exposed pipes can be. Imitate the look shown here from Inside Out by coating pipes with metallic paint.

Spotted in the bathroom of Robert, a Small Cool Contestant, this bamboo-covered pipe seems like a stylish solution for renters. To make sure its safe, consider wrapping the pipe in a foam insulation tube first.

Painting the pipe in a color that coordinates with the hue on the walls—as seen here in teal and blush from House of C.—plays up a beautiful palette.

Turn a metal pipe into a vine that grows up the wall. Add leaves cut from thin metal sheets from the craft store, replicating the one above from Edwin Pelser.

Be bold and match your radiator to your molding. The richly colored room above is from Marianne Cotterill.

Who says yarn bombing is just for public spaces? Knit unsightly pipes some personalized covers, as blogger Tanja of Tiffies did for hers, above.