radiators. I have a love-hate relationship with it. Yes, I like to heat my house at a nice temperature in the winter, so in that sense I feel 'love'. But oh boy do I think they are ugly! Admittedly, radiators are getting better and better, but in principle they just aren't pretty. However, you can do something about that! I would like to give you some inspiration to make your own radiator conversion. A great way to determine for myself which conversion it should be for us, because we are also going to work on this!
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Why would you make your own radiator conversion? The answer to that is simple for me. I don't like the ready-made conversions that you can buy at the DIY stores. They seem a bit old-fashioned. You can go in all directions with a home-made conversion for your radiator. Just look at the examples below. Nice and fresh and modern, don't you think?
Making a radiator conversion yourself is actually not that difficult. Of course it depends on your wishes, and how precise you are in making it, but in principle it is doable. It has therefore been in my head for a long time to make a number of conversions at home for our radiators and this one below is in any case on my list.
For the above radiator conversion you just use pine slats. These are not that expensive to buy and easy to work with. First of all, you need to make a frame against which you attach the slats, as shown below. Then you can make the slats on top and at the front. If you want a nice sleek finish, make sure that you saw the slats in miter so that you get a nice angle. You can opt for a flat plate for the sides, but you can also work with loose slats as above. Very beautiful right? By leaving openings between the slats (you can decide for yourself how wide the opening should be), the heat from the radiators can escape well, which is important of course!
Do you want to work more easily and have a more robust appearance? Then you simply place the slats at right angles to each other. You then look at the end side of the wood. Prefer to work with a different type of wood? There is plenty of choice! In any case, it is ideal because you can purchase radiators that are not too expensive. It doesn't really matter what they look like if you make such a conversion. Just keep an eye on the correct dimensions and the power of the radiator.
A similar conversion has been made above, but from blond birch wood. Also very beautiful!
The conversion above is a bit more complicated to make yourself, I think. In addition, it should of course also fit in your living room. Not everyone has room for this. But I personally think the combination between the conversion, windowsill and seating area is very nice.
If you're a fan of modern and abstract, then the above radiator conversion might be just what you're looking for. You can make this radiator housing from MDF where you cut a figure yourself in the front panel. Paint it afterwards and you have a beautiful sleek copy that is also very unique.
I am going to choose to have our radiator housing go down to the floor, but I also think a floating model is very chic!
I also find the above solution very attractive. A number of planks over the full width (mounted on a frame of course) provide a pleasant width to sit. You can finish the front of the radiator with all kinds of slices of wood from chopped tree trunks. Make sure that there are openings between the discs (which you glue on a panel) so that the heat can also escape from the front.
Do you want to be ready even faster and easier? Then arrange a pallet (for example via Marktplaats) in the correct dimensions. Paint the pallet and place it over your radiator. You are ready! The above solution is a very simple one that I may already apply until we start the real conversion. Because for the last one I need Frank's help and he has more chores on his list 😉 . The new Jaga Strada radiators in the office are not in much of a hurry, but the old ugly yellow radiator from the previous occupants can already get a more modern look!
While looking for various examples, I also came across the above radiator housing, made by a furniture maker. Now I don't have the illusion that I can do this myself, but I like the idea of combining two different materials or shades, so I wanted to show you that too.
A balcony screen made of bamboo mats also goes a long way if you want to make a radiator housing that is not too expensive. The example above is still painted white, but you can of course also keep the natural shade.
However you want to design your radiator housing, a good frame as a basis is important. In the photo above you can see how you set up such a frame. Very simple, but also very important. Especially if you still want to use the conversion to set up something, or to sit on it.
