The popularity of designer radiators is generally at a premium across America. As such, there’s no longer a need to opt for a standard radiator on the basis that there aren’t any viable heating alternatives.
There’s a massive array of radiators available to buy online nowadays. At Hudson Reed USA alone, there are more than 500 models to choose from.
Home heating has evolved to such an extent that practicality and functionality are not the sole considerations of prospective buyers in recent times. More and more, the aesthetic appeal of various heating options is being factored in to the purchase decision. That’s how it should be, too!
Designer radiators come supplied in an extensive selection of sizes, shapes and styles, with both modern and traditional components available to suit any interior layout. Basically, every taste is catered to with regards to providing an essential home heating solution that will deliver a premium performance and stunning looks.
In this piece, we’ll explore how to select the ideal designer radiator for a lounge area.
How to choose your Lounge Radiator
Of course, choosing a lounge radiator based purely on the appearance aspect isn’t the best idea. You could opt for the best-looking radiator in the land, but it still needs to deliver an adeqaute heat output to warm up your space effectively.
So don’t be hasty. Take your time to work out the exact size and type of radiator that will be perfect for your lounge area. Using our BTU Calculator could prove a helpful starting point. Obviously, it’s important to select a radiator that you love the look of, but there’s many advantages to be reaped from taking the time ot make a considered decision concerning other elements. Long-term energy costs, for example, can be reduced, and the efficiency of your home heating improved.
Lounge Decor & Designer Radiators
This rule of thumb doesn’t only apply to lounge spaces. But in general, decor is the first factor to consider when assessing your designer radiator options. Your radiator choice, in theory, should line up with the already established themes and nuances of your home, yet provide the necessary functionality and heat output you’d expect from a home radiator.
Barring a scenario where the lounge or living room is being transformed or undergoing a full renovation, your designer radiator should serve to suit and enhance the existing interior design ideas you’ve implemented. The fact that our selection of designer radiators is so vast means you can be confident of finding an appropriate heating solution for your space, regardless of what sort of patterned wallpaper, brickwork or paint is currently on display.
The Making of a Designer Radiator
The manufacturing properties of your lounge radiator will also play a part in confirming you are getting as much as you can out of it. As you can probably imagine amidst incredible technological advancements made in all sorts of vocations, contemporary radiator materials can vary immensely.
In terms of heat conduction, aluminum radiators are an excellent choice – they’ll heat up and cool down in rapid fashion. Similarly so, stainless steel radiators are too brilliant conductors.
Contrastingly, cast iron radiators take longer to warm up and cool down, in doing so delivering a more gradual and longer lasting level of heat.
Your decision on what material radiato to select will largely depend on the style and layout of your house in addition to your personal heating requirements. However, it is vital to think about what sort of impact your choice will have on your energy costs in the short term, and over a longer period.
With steel and aluminum radiators heating up quicker, they need less water to operate to their full capacity in turn. That makes them cheaper to run.
Cast iron radiators will typically incorporate a bulkier design and take longer to deliver heat. They are also usually a lot heavier than counterparts of different construction, meaning that strong and sturdy floors and walls are a necessity to cope with their weight.
These are all factors and elements that must be closely considered prior to your living room radiator purchase.
Positioning your Designer Radiator
After coming to a decision on the material, you can start to think about where you would like your new designer radiator to be installed.
The size, shape and layout of lounge spaces will differ a lot from house to house, so it can be a tough task selecting the ideal radiator and where to position it.
Even before surfacing upon this guide, you’re likely to have had at least an idea of what type of radiator you were thinking of investing in, and whereabouts it would be placed in the home. However, a quick look at the vast array of available designer radiator options online could lead your head to be turned by a fanciful model.
So don’t rush your decision – take your time and carefully consider the installation process, and the long-term effects that the location of your radiator will have on the property on the whole.
In a perfect world, your ideal point of installation won’t have to be adjusted to suit the radiator design you opt for.
Furthermore, with regards to budget, it is best to utilize your existing pipework if possible, and place your new radiator nearby the position of the existing or old model. Otherwise, you’ll need to commence with a far more complex radiator installation, which will also drive the overall cost of the project up significantly.
Smart and Sensible Radiator Positioning
As our Ultimate Guide to Radiators details, the most common place for a lounge radiator to be installed is underneath the window. It’s also probably the smartest and most sensible location.
It’s very possible that your current radiator is already placed there, and with good reason too. Namely, natural convection.
The radiator’s warm air combines with cold air entering from the window and is released into the room, raising the temperature.
Prior to the rise in popularity of more modern designs, radiators positioned elsewhere did not benefit from the draught entering through the window.
In the absence of double glazing, leaving space beneath your window could have a huge effect on the overall temperature of the room.
Essentially, cold air enters the room via the window, combining with the radiator-generated warm air, and circulating around the room.
You need to think carefully if you are planning to keep the space beneath your window clear, because cold air will infiltrate the room no matter if there is a radiator positioned there or not. So, be wary of any incoming draughts and make sure your window is insultated accordingly, in order to avoid blatant cold spots.
Furthermore, there can be aesthetical advantages to placing your radiator underneath the window. From a visual standpoint, there shouldn’t be any need to adjust the position of furniture already in place within the lounge area.
Unconventional Lounge Radiator Design Ideas
Placing your lounge radiator on the wall opposite from the window will affect the amount of cold air that enters the house. That said, it shouldn’t prevent you from being a touch unconventional,, and positioning it there if you desire.
The investment in a designer radiator is typically a significant one, and as a result, you’ll want your chosen component to be a prominent living room feature to show off to visitors. Opting to use the radiator as a lounge centerpiece, therefore, could be a wise move.
Provided you aren’t put off by paying a bit extra for the rearrangement of some pipework, you can find adequate wall space to populate, and it won’t majorly disrupt your existing furniture setup, it’s all systems go! You can be well on the way to earning a moniker as an interior design guru, rather than simply ‘that person that did up their heating.’
Designer Radiator Options for your Lounge
Regardless of whether you love ultra-modern, cutting edge design traits, or are more partial to vintage aesthetics, all tastes are catered for within the extensive range of designer radiator options on offer. Contrasting colors, styles, sizes and finishes are available in abundance to provide you with as much scope as possible to achieve the look you want in your lounge.
Below is a summary of some of the best designer radiator styles we offer in each category, and the rooms they best suit…
Vertical Designer Radiators for the Lounge
If you wish to fit a radiator with stunning looks that won’t necessitate the adjustment of existing furniture and fixtures, a vertical designer radiator could very well prove the perfect solution.
Smaller lounge areas can especially benefit from the installation of a vertical radiator. Our selection of vertical designer radiators are designed to help maximize space.
Vertical radiators are ideal for rooms without sufficient floor or wall space to house a horizontal radiator. The likes of cloakrooms, hallways and compact en-suites are all minimalist space alternatives to lounges that can benefit from the addition of a long narrow radiator. But they remain an excellent heating option for a lounge as well.
Horizontal Designer Radiators for the Lounge
If you have a preference for traditional home heating, horizontal designer radiators might be a tempting proposition.
Whilst much attention has been paid to the progression of vertical radiator designs in recent times, horizontal radiators have seemed to slip under the radar somewhat. But there is a massive variety of trendy horizontal options on the market, as our own product collection exemplifies.
Incorporating sizeable surface areas for a superb heat output, horizontal designer radiators will help you to quickly create a warm and inviting space wherever they are situated in the home. Our array of fanciful horizontal radiator designs ensures that there’s a big difference between the modern models and standard panel radiators that would be previously commonplace in many a property.
Slimline or Bulky?
One of the biggest concerns for prospective radiator buyers must be whether to opt for a slimline or bulkier design? Should you stick with single-panel radiators or go for a double-panel component instead?
As earlier alluded to, it’s pointless purchasing a radiator solely based on its aesthetic appeal.
That notion is a factor in us providing such a wide-spanning variety of designer radiators – something to suit any lounge area. We even offer electric designer radiators, so you can enjoy luxurious home heating even in the absence of a central heating system.
Shop Lounge Radiators online from Hudson Reed USA
Browse our full radiator collection today, and find your dream lounge radiator to upgrade your home! Hudson Reed USA offer a sensational choice of designer radiators perfect for any living room space. If you would like any more help choosing rhe right design for your home, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. You can contact us via our website, or give our friendly team a call on 1-877-778-8460.
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