It's hard to find a more boring item in the house than radiators.
It doesn’t matter at all what style the interior of the room is designed in if the view is spoiled by the awkward structures placed in each room of the home. They can be covered with decorative elements, but if you have imagination, you can really come up with an interesting design for an integral attribute of the apartment.
If you have a stable financial situation, you can purchase elegant radiators from popular brands that will be designed in any suitable interior style (retro, art deco, hi-tech, modern, Provence). If your soul asks for something unusual, you can create radiator decor with your own hands.
Making a reading place above the radiator by the window To disguise an unsightly heating radiator, a reading bench is made. It will be a stylish detail in the bedroom. The best option for decorating the battery is to install a special neat grille directly under the window. Thus, the heating element will not be visible at all: instead there will be a neat decorative grille.
The advantage of this design solution is both aesthetic and practical: thanks to the battery under the window sill, you don’t have to worry about a cold seat in winter. The radiator will warm up the place to relax, so you can comfortably spend time with a book in your hands. The grille is selected to match the overall color scheme of the interior. White color will look best.
The decor of a radiator involves the use of various screens. It is important not to block the flow of warm air and use materials that do not lose their basic qualities due to constant exposure to high temperatures.
The structures can be suspended or supported on the floor covering. An effective design solution is to use a screen-box in the form of a cabinet with doors. It can become a kind of table. A decorative screen is needed to make the room look aesthetically pleasing.
Most of the available radiators are not aesthetically pleasing and have some problems due to functional features. A radiator is a product that has a complex design and is necessary to ensure high heat exchange rates between the battery case and the environment. This interior element has two significant disadvantages.
The first is sharp corners, which can hurt you, tear clothes, curtains, expensive curtains. The second is an inconvenient design that is constantly clogged with dust. Because of this, it is difficult to clean the radiator, and with an impressive accumulation of cobwebs, it looks ugly. There are two criteria according to which they can be divided into the following: by type of construction and the material from which they are made.
If you pay attention to the principles of division into categories, you get the following: By design, screens are:
Flat
Such decorative elements are more often used for batteries in a niche, when they are located in the area under the window sill and framed by a wall. It should immediately be noted that ventilation holes must be installed in the window sill itself. This is necessary for air circulation from the radiator. Otherwise, the feasibility of mounting the battery will be minimal. At the moment, this type of screen is considered the simplest and most accessible.
Mounted
Used for radiators that are installed on the plane of the wall. The screen is mounted on the radiator itself and acts as a so-called housing. A significant disadvantage of this design is that the radiators must also be designed for the weight of the screen. When choosing such a design, you need to pay attention to the fact that the plane of the screen must have holes. This allows warm air to circulate better.
Attached
The more advanced, complex screen design actually frames the battery body. The cost of such a design is high, due to the complexity of execution and expensive appearance. It has several significant advantages, one of which is the independence of installation relative to radiators, when there is no need to install special hooks.
Based on the material, screens can be made of plastic, metal, MDF, wood, and glass:
plastic - affordable designs that are not environmentally friendly. During operation, the material will constantly release harmful compounds. After a certain period of time has passed, the structure will lose its original shape. In addition to other characteristics, the screen will change color to a more faded, unattractive one. White will eventually turn yellow. This is facilitated by heating of the entire structure. The only positive aspects regarding the purchase of this decorative element are accessibility and resistance to moisture. You can safely dry wet items of clothing on this design after washing.
metal - the advantages of this material include lightness, rigidity, strength, environmental friendliness, and durability. Screens are suitable for people with average incomes. They are made of special stainless steel. If desired, you can give it any desired color. You can dry wet clothes on them. Among the significant disadvantages: if the protective coating is damaged, the structure will quickly begin to rust and lose its former attractive appearance.
MDF - you can use it to create any interesting shapes that will become an interesting addition to the interior. The material is cheap. Contains glue. When heated, the toxic substance will evaporate and enter the air in the room. MDF is afraid of moisture, so it can become deformed over time.
wood - screens have an impressive design, but they are short-lived. This applies to cheap designs. Cons: wood cannot come into contact with a humid environment. glass - the designs look impressive. Due to the fact that they are hardened, the likelihood of cutting yourself is reduced. Among the disadvantages of such screens is fragility.
When deciding to create a battery screen with your own hands, you should not forget that plastic is not the best option. It is a poor conductor of heat and tends to change its original shape when exposed to high temperatures.
Budget cardboard false fireplace for apartment decoration
The easiest and fastest way to “try on” a decorative fireplace in an apartment is to make it from cardboard boxes. This imitation is suitable for decorating premises for the New Year or a themed party. Investments are minimal and even a child can handle the installation. There is a minus - a cardboard fireplace has only a decorative function. Simply put, you can’t put a stack of books on it, at most a couple of photo frames.
Cardboard false fireplace in the New Year's interior
In order to make a cardboard fireplace, you will need several boxes of the same shape (the number of boxes depends on the shape, size and design of the fireplace, whether there will be a chimney, etc.). Cereal boxes are often used for pedestals. And the finishing depends on your imagination - imitation stone from painted cardboard, paint, whitewash, etc.
Cardboard false fireplace in the living room
Cardboard imitation fireplace made from crockery boxes
Painting to match the room
Decorating the battery by painting it in the same tone as the room will complement and create an original style.
Do not forget about its main task - heat transfer, so the layers of paint should not be large.
First you need to remove excess layers of old paint from them, sand and clean them. Therefore, the old coating is first removed and then cleaned with sandpaper. Next, the surface is degreased and primed.
Then comes the paint application stage. For these purposes, special paint products are used that are resistant to temperature heating.
You need to paint them based on your personal preferences. You can listen to competent specialists in this industry, but the choice of color is your personal prerogative.
A simple fireplace portal instead of a bookshelf
Another simple, but more durable option for a decorative fireplace is an imitation of foam or wood with a thin stand. Such a fireplace does not require a niche or a special plasterboard structure. Because of this, it does not take up much space. Inside the fireplace opening, you can install bookshelves or place books in stacks, tying them with hemp rope.
False fireplace with a stack of books inside instead of a bookcase
Place Voltaire armchairs on the sides of the fireplace. Such furniture will create the best furniture group with a fireplace. A ready-made solution - a fireplace portal in a furniture store. So you won’t need to waste time on independent construction.
False fireplace with a stack of books inside in the living room interior
IMPORTANT: Styrofoam, cardboard, wood are flammable materials, so replace real candles with electric ones.
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Fireplace portal "Tuileries" white
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Fireplace portal "Jardin Gray"
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Wooden black fireplace portal
DIY painting ideas
Updating the radiator decor is carried out in compliance with the interior style. Designs painted in the same color as the walls look impressive. With proper design, you can divert attention from the shortcomings of the interior. As for painting ideas, multi-colored sections are used, giving the radiator a piano look, and applying a modular pattern.
The main thing is that the type of coloring fits perfectly into the overall concept of the room. To paint a radiator “to look like a piano,” you need to think through everything so that the resulting pattern resembles the keys of a popular musical instrument. You will need two colors of paint: black, white.
Decoupage - step-by-step master class It will help give the radiator a certain chic. Decoupage involves selecting drawings and then gluing them onto the surface to be restored. The resulting image is fixed with varnish. Today in stores you can buy special multi-layer napkins with a pattern.
Step-by-step master class:
- The battery is cleaned using detergents. Areas with peeling paint are cleaned with sandpaper. The radiator is coated with paint.
- You need to start applying the drawing after the coloring composition has completely dried.
- Unroll the prepared napkins and cut out the required fragments. Excess layers of paper are completely removed. The image is coated with PVA glue and applied to the radiator sections. Gently press the napkin onto the battery. Air bubbles are removed. After the layer of paper has dried, you can complete the missing elements with your own hands.
- The completely dry image is covered with two layers of varnish.
Decorative fireplace duct to disguise defects
Uneven walls, protruding pipes, errors in finishing - all these defects can be hidden behind a plasterboard niche. And it, in turn, will be trimmed with decorative stone and a false fireplace installed. This way the composition will look like a real fireplace with an air duct. However, remember that such camouflage will “eat up” the area.
TIP: By the way, to make the opening look more believable, paint it black - this creates an additional illusion of depth.
False fireplace duct to disguise defects in the living room
Decorative fireplace duct to disguise defects
Where did the idea come from?
Inspecting the ribbed heating radiators in the form of an accordion, you wonder why heaters with a fireplace effect did not appear earlier. After all, central heating has been a key idea for a long time. The answer lies in the use of reflective thermal insulation in space since the 60s. There was simply no reason to save electricity; people were satisfied with the real state of affairs. When the pursuit of cost reduction began, we remembered to modernize the design in the right direction.
False fireplace made of plasterboard, like a real one
Firstly, a plasterboard fireplace looks as realistic as possible. And secondly, unlike a ready-made portal, you adjust the size of the structure yourself to fit the area of the room. In addition, due to the durable metal frame, such a structure can be finished with relatively heavy materials - decorative stone, wood, tiles, etc.
TIP: When choosing decor for the fireplace, associate it with traditional furniture groups. So, hang a mirror in a three-dimensional frame above the fireplace, place a couple of logs in the fireplace opening, and use a poker bucket as a floor vase.
False fireplace made of plasterboard in the living room
Decor using screens and grilles
When decorating batteries, screens, grilles or panels can be used.
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The most important thing is that they do not block the air flow and do not lose their qualities due to heating of the battery. They can be of two types - mounted or based on the floor.
An original design option for the battery is the use of a screen-box, which is spacious and allows you to place things not only in the cabinet, but also on top.
It is worth noting that when creating such a decor, it is better to use a solid mass, and the front and top parts should allow air to pass through well.
You can purchase materials to create an original design in specialized stores.
Corner raised fireplace for small spaces
In small apartments or rooms, the recreation area can be moved to a corner, and a false fireplace can be installed there. And on both sides of it, instead of a large sofa, put a couple of poufs. By the way, for corner fireplaces, choose a semicircular firebox (a hole inside the fireplace), and for fireplaces located in the middle of the room, choose a rectangular firebox.
TIP: Instead of brickwork inside the fireplace, install a mirror. This technique will help to visually enlarge the space, and if you place a candle or floor lamp near the mirror, then there will be twice as much light in the room.
Corner false fireplace in a small room
False fireplace with mirrored fireplace opening and candles
A few final tips
If you want to make the portal more natural, you can place artificial logs on the steam generator. Some models support this, while ensuring safe operating conditions. It is not recommended to use natural wood, as it can become damp from constant contact with moisture.
As an additional decor, you can install a poker or even a forged woodpile next to the fireplace. On top of the portal you can decorate with souvenirs brought from abroad, pots with fresh flowers or a small aquarium, but first make sure that the surface itself does not get very hot from the radiator.
If purchasing a steam generator does not fit into your budget, then you can use an ordinary Christmas tree garland. We roll it up into a ball and place it in the hearth, and put a few logs on top. After connecting to the outlet, you can adjust the intensity of the glow using the built-in remote control. This will also help create an imitation of smoldering coals.
Pepper's Ghost
In other technologies, a technique called Pepper's ghost and used by theater directors and magicians comes to the rescue. For example, mirrors are used that are installed in a niche at different angles. In this way, it is possible to combine individual objects into one three-dimensional picture. The Opti-Virtual series allows you to combine a virtual image of a fire with sparks with a dummy of logs. Using this technology, you can achieve extraordinary realism. The hearth looks very natural.
Installation
First you need to make a frame. When working with plywood, it will require wooden slats, and when using drywall, metal profiles. The second option is preferable because:
- consumables are cheaper;
- all components are available for free sale;
- working with profiles is extremely simple and does not cause any difficulties;
- A minimum set of tools is required.
Assemble the decorative hearth portal using a hydraulic level. It will help ensure that each element is fastened accurately and evenly. Then install the walls and process the joints. Regular gypsum putty is quite suitable for this.
