The boring – but functional – radiator has come out from behind the furniture and is now making a style statement all of its own. Gabrielle Fagan feels the heat.

RADIATORS, once the ugly ducklings of the home and usually ignored unless they didn’t work, have undergone a transformation. They’ve been given a radical makeover by designers and have evolved from functional metal slabs into virtual sculptures and wall art that can blend elegantly into the background or make a dramatic statement.

“Radiators used to be the forgotten element of interior design and there was no alternative to the standard, white panels that dominated our homes, but that’s no longer true,” says Barbara Payne, head of product development at Bisque, which specialises in the funky through to the functional.

The company’s founder, plumber Geoffrey Ward, was at the forefront of the radiator revolution in 1979, but it all happened by accident.

Casting round for something unusual to display in his shop window instead of the usual taps and boilers, he chose a fancy, but damaged, radiator that he’d picked up while on holiday in Europe. Within weeks, to his astonishment, he was being inundated with people wanting to buy it.

“Geoffrey realised there was a potential market for similar radiators in the UK,” says Payne.

“Bisque began importing sculptural radiators from Switzerland, which combined ‘wow’ factor and performance and found itself at the cutting edge of a new market. Over the past few years there’s been a further explosion of choice in radiators as people have become more designsavvy and want even the functional aspects of their home to impress.”

Textured slabs, coils, ladders, poles, mirrored radiators, and even wooden radiators are just a few of the choices offered by today’s radiator companies.

“You can choose from show-stopping designs that are a feature in themselves, to spacesaving compact models in unusual metallic finishes,” says Payne.

And radiators are no longer only made in metal, points out Marcus Orchard, managing director of The Radiator Company.

“Different materials are being used, including reconstituted stone, and granite as well as ceramics and new finishes, are being applied to metal to create stunning effects.

“Etched copper and stainless steel covers, as well as a variety of brushed finishes, are now popular.”

So if you still have clunky, clanging radiators, surely it’s time you joined the radiator revolution.

DESIGNER DIVAS
 THE cost of sculptural radiators may make you go hot under the collar, but will speak volumes about your taste and design awareness.

“Radiators often occupy prime locations in rooms so it’s surprising that they’re often overlooked as potential elements to enhance or complement a style,” says Orchard.

“You should consider the design of furniture you will be putting in the room and how the radiator will complement it.

“They can have the impact of a piece of art and you may want them to be a feature, or simply want one to be an under-stated, functional but handsome addition to a space.”

RED HOT RADS: A Metacrylic radiator, from £2,068 from The Radiator Company, with its black box frame, wouldn’t look out of place in an up-market art gallery.

A Hose radiator, from £941 from MHS Radiators, is really unusual. It’s made from more than 20 metres of double-lined steel braided hose which is rolled over a polished stainless steel hook.

Make a talking point with a Leaf electric radiator, from £2,398 from Bisque, made from laminated wood. It has a radio-controlled programmer for temperature and operating times.

TURN UP THE HEAT
COLOUR’S taken rooms by storm, and there’s no reason why radiators can’t follow the trend.

Some companies offer a bespoke colour finish service for radiators so they match walls and furnishings and blend seamlessly into a scheme, while others have a kaleidoscope of colour choices for individual models.

“Colour remains a strong feature for the designer market, with traditional, conservative colours still the main choice,” says Orchard.

“Mottled copper and textured dark greys are a favourite for more conventional, period settings, but increasingly we’re seeing requests for more dynamic colours and special finishes.”

If you’re stuck with existing radiators, give them a makeover. Hammerite’s Radiator Paint costs from £9.99 for 500ml.

It’s possible to match a radiator to walls if you paint it with emulsion and then apply International Radiator Clearcoat, which prevents emulsion cracking when put under stress from the radiator heating up and cooling down. It costs from £9.49 for 500ml.

RED HOT RADS: If all that DIY is just too tiresome, and you want to make impact with colour and shape, look no further than a slim, horizontal Tif radiator, from £831.90 from The Radiator Company. It’s available in 22 shades including a punchy red.

Alternatively, La Scala, from £2,262 from Bisque, is eye-catching with its geometric zigzag shape and has a dazzling colour choice including a zingy lime green.

SHAPELY ADDITIONS
IF you’re after a sleek, steely, slightly industrialised look, there’s plenty to satisfy you both from specialised companies and on the high street.

Choose your shape to suit your space, advises Orchard. “Use tall, narrow radiators to maximise a small space. In most cases, double or even triple options are available to increase output without using up more room. If you have more space, long, low radiators look sleek while tall, vertical options provide a stronger, visual statement.”

RED HOT RADS: B&Q’s range has real ‘va-vavoom’ appeal. An Accuro-Korle Focus radiator is a vertical pole of brushed stainless steel, £699, while a Lara chrome-plated radiator, £499, resembles an African warrior’s shield.

Frontline Bathrooms’ range includes a boldly curved Anthracite Pajero Designer Radiator, from £385.

An Arigato, £591 from MHS radiators, made from solid tubular pipes, can be hung vertically or horizontally.

BATHING BEAUTIES
Radiators are a must in bathrooms and it’s standard to have heated towel rails, but nowadays these can come in all shapes and sizes.

RED HOT RADS: A steel towel rail, the Archibald, £578.40, which mimics the shape of three coat hangers, was the clever idea of Italian designer Leo Salzedo, who created it for Bisque. “I called it Archibald because I think of it as an English butler helping with the laundry,” he says.

Drummonds has a new dual-fuel towel warmer/radiator, made from brass. When the heating’s off, the towel warmer switches over to electricity. Its range of radiators starts from £2,022.

B&Q’s Slab radiator features a mirror effect chrome front, £499.

OLD-SCHOOL STYLE
THOSE heavy cast iron Victorian-style radiators might be regarded as metal dinosaurs by those looking for something sleek and skinny, but they’re hugely popular with vintage fans and definitely add instant character to a room.

Many companies offer modern versions of these old classics or originals can be found in reclamation and salvage yards, but make sure they’ve been reconditioned before you buy as they can have cracks that aren’t visible.

RED HOT RADS: Bisque’s Classic radiator is available in more than 2,000 colours – there’s a colour matching service so radiators can be matched to virtually any colour. It comes in a wide range of sizes including made-to-measure, and starts from £490.80.

Ornate detailing – a scrolling leaf design, features on a Burlington radiator, which starts from £590 from MHS Radiators.

RADIATOR SOURCES
B&Q: 0845-850-0175/diy.com
Bisque: 01225-478500/bisque.co.uk
Drummonds: 01483-237202/drummonds-uk.com
Easy Heat: 01422-231943/easy-heat.co.uk
Frontline Bathrooms: 0845-470-2427/ frontlinebathrooms.co.uk
Hammerite: 0870-444-1111/hammerite.co.uk
MHS Radiators: 01268-546700/mhsradiators.com
The Radiator Company: 01342-302250/ theradiatorcompany.co.uk