Hot Stuff!

Style and heating your home haven’t always been synonymous with elegance. The last few years have seen change in the way we heat our homes and the products that are available to use. Many people now opt for underfloor heating, either electric or part of the house heating system. This form of heating allows for uncluttered walls and zoned areas of heat. Going around the design shows this autumn I was aware of the many new exciting and stylish ways there are of heating your home and it doesn’t have to be hidden underfoot. Starting in the bathroom, heated towel rails have come far from the chrome ladder of yore. Eskimo heating have designed a towel rail for the hanging towel! It features fins of heated metal large enough to allow one to ‘hang’ the towel enabling the full length to be gently heated and dried. Or perhaps the fabulous towel rail from Living House that looks like a paperclip or hangers?

There are some smart new alternatives to the conventional wall radiator. The hard to see, but very clever Clear Glass radiator by The Glass Radiator Company is a minimalist design feature that people are sure not to notice. Another sleek and stealthy option is the mirror radiator by Agadon.

▲ Gordon Flash towel rail by Eskimo Design

▲ Hanger Chrome Towel Warmer by Living House

▲ Transparent radiator by The Glass Radiator Company

▲ Panio Silver Mirror Radiator by Agadon

Fireplaces are still a popular household feature, a centre point for conversation, comfort and relaxation. Historically used for heat and cooking, fireplaces are now much more of an aesthetic feature, whether traditional, oversized or modern. There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a fireplace including fuel, size, placement, design and materials.

Fuel will be a deciding factor when choosing a fireplace. Traditional fireplaces use wood or coal – remember they will need feeding, the wood or coal will need storing and the basket will need filling, these being the downsides of a traditional fuel-burning fireplace.

Gas fires are far more convenient with flames at the click of a switch. These fireplaces have improved over the years and with their glass faces they do throw out a lot of heat. If you don’t have space or access to a chimney or flue, a bioethanol or electric fire are options.

Traditional fireplaces allow for mirrors or artwork to be hung above, allowing the eye to be drawn into the room. If your living space is more contemporary and open plan, a fireplace can be a striking architectural feature. It can be a glass box dividing two rooms or an orb suspended from the ceiling. Applying innovation and technology to standard household features allows them to become far more interesting and efficient than their traditional counterparts. If you don’t have space or venting for a real fire place, Decoflame or Diligence have a bioethanol fuel options that allow you to have the effect of real flames without the necessity of a chimney or flue. Gorgeous sleek long lines of flame to flicker in your basement room, giving warmth, texture and interest to what can be a rather lifeless part of the home.

The variety and imagination of the heating elements that one can now choose from make selecting radiators and fireplaces for the home more fun and interesting than ever before.

▲ Ellipse fire place by Decoflame

▲ Excellence 60 by Grate Expectations

▲ Fire place in Yeldham Road by RJV Designs