If you're not sure how to make unsightly radiators work within your design, we can help. According to queen of interiors Kelly Hoppen, we should simply paint them the same shade as our walls and be done with it.
Related: Kelly Hoppen says we're all using paint samples wrong - here's why
No fancy radiator covers, no white paint making them stand out against patterned wallpaper, because a lick of paint is all you need. During a recent appearance on This Morning, Kelly gave viewers some tips and tricks for choosing the right paint colour, how to use paint samples correctly and whether or not to paint radiators.
'Forget the radiators exist!' she says, calling in from her West London home. 'Paint them in exactly the same colour [as the walls]. Often, people spend a lot of money covering their radiators but you can get really great, modern ones now.'
The same goes for skirting boards and doors -unless they are really beautiful, veneered doors, former Dragon Kelly Hoppen advises painting them all in the same colour as the walls. This will provide a uniform base for your room. Then you can add lighting, furniture, flooring and decorative pieces – introducing different colours and textures on top of your chosen foundation colour.
'You paint them the same colour as the wall and they just disappear, they just give heat and that's all you want them to do,' she adds.
Opting for a dark paint such as Dulux's 'Almost Black' pictured above looks sleek and stylish, drawing the eye away from the radiator to other areas of the room.
They're not the most aesthetically pleasing fixtures in our home, but are essential for keeping us warm in the winter months (or throughout the year in many parts of the UK). Making them blend in with our walls with paint is a good way to go, as they're not usually something we want to make a feature of.
That said, designer radiators are one option and can look really striking within a room decorated in a more industrial and contemporary style. Our expert guide to how to clean a radiator will keep them looking their best.
Alternatively, radiator covers painted in the same colour as the walls in a hallway provide an extra place to place keys, photo frames, trinkets and candles.
Related: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen reveals why you should never put furniture against the wall
But, as Kelly says, this can be an additional expense compared to slapping on some leftover paint from your walls.
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