Radiate a little colour

Left: Stelrad Concord radiators – vertical, horizontal and coloured. Below: Concord Slimline.

“There’s never been a better time for people to add a little colour to their décor, with the trend to utilise coloured radiators taking off in a big way here in Ireland,” says Chris Harvey, Head of Marketing, Stelrad Radiators. “There was a time when you could get a radiator in any colour, so long as it was white, but the trend to utilise coloured radiators – either in one particular room or across the home – is very definitely on the increase.”

White is still the most often selected colour for new-build properties but the move towards colour has come about as a result of the “rise and rise” in popularity of the towel rail radiator for bathrooms and en-suites, according to Harvey. This trend has grown to include replacement radiator projects with decorative or designer radiators featuring in bathrooms, wet rooms and cloakrooms.

However, it was the advent of vertical radiators, again influenced by the towel rail options available, that has seen these designer radiators featuring in rooms other than the bathroom. In particular, they are now featuring in kitchens, hallways, entrance halls, landings and master bedrooms.

Vertical radiators have become quite popular for use in homes with renewable heating systems, the taller radiators offering increased metal surface areas to heat the rooms. They can also be used in rooms where wall space is at a premium – narrow but taller radiators can do the job of sharing heat around the home from nooks and crannies, and on walls that only offer narrow areas for the installation of radiators.

Vertical radiators, along with K3 radiators with three panels and three sets of fins, are particularly effective at providing the additional heating area that lower temperature heating systems require to keep homes cosy.

While the selection of coloured radiators often means a delay in delivery – six to eight weeks is a typical timeframe – manufacturers like Stelrad now offer a wide selection of coloured radiators from stock, with delivery in 72 hours. Most popular are radiators in a variety of dark grey finishes which offer stand-out radiators for use around the home, particularly against white walls.

As time goes by, more and more coloured radiators and coloured versions of designer and decorative options will become available, including as ex-stock items. It’s only a matter of time before we see coloured radiators used on a wider scale across all Irish homes.

Contact: Stelrad Radiators Group. T: 0044 844 543 6200; E: marketing@stelrad.com; www.stelrad.ie