For many of us, there’s no denying that our homes serve as extensions of our personalities and individual tastes, with many homeowners going to great lengths to create the perfect home décor scheme that tells visitors and guests who they are without hitting them over the head with it.

An eye-catching radiator can be a great way to do this. It doesn’t need to simply be a utilitarian piece of furniture that heats your home. With a little work and imagination, your radiators can bring as much style to your home as they bring the heat.

Start with the location

More often than not, in older homes, you’ll find radiators positioned beneath the window, but that’s because they didn’t have double glazing back in the day. Take a look at the space and pick the best place to position your radiator, depending on what you want to do with it.

Do you want it to be the centre of attention, or do you want to have it hidden away? Do you want to add shelving over it or maybe a towel rack to keep towels warm? These are certainly questions you want to be asking yourself before settling on a final position. Because once they’re installed, moving radiators isn’t particularly easy.

When it comes to locations that should be avoided, we’d always recommend avoiding locations where they might be blocked. Under heavy curtains, for example, or behind large furniture. You want to give the radiator room to breathe so it can really spread the warmth.

Choose a design that matches the room

Every room is going to have a slightly different aesthetic, of course, but you still want your radiators to have a similar design so you have an element of cohesion in your home design. The first consideration should be size. Today’s radiators are more efficient, so you might be able to get away with smaller designs than in the past. Don’t forget about the depth either, as you might need to consider a more slimline design that doesn’t protrude too far into the room.

Then you’ll have to consider the material. Stainless steel is the most common material and is perhaps the most efficient long-term investment. Cast iron, meanwhile, was more popular in Victorian times and has grown in popularity thanks to Instagram in recent years. They do look incredibly ornate but be warned they take longer to heat up. Once they get going, they are excellent at retaining heat though. Aluminium is another potential choice, but they are significantly more expensive.

Finally, think about the shape and colour. You don’t have to settle on the conventional rectangular silver design. Shop around, and you’ll find circular radiators, vertical radiators and even ones that bend into awkward corners. So don’t settle for a generic radiator style if you think you can get away with something more exciting!