Radiator product manager at Zehnder Group UK David Lorrison
With garden centres and DIY stores among the first businesses to have reopened fully as the lockdown relaxed, the focus on home improvement looks set to explode. Many eager homeowners can’t wait to get renovation projects started. One report goes as far to suggest that gardening, decorating and home improvement could help to revive the economy.
There has never been a better time to start planning a bathroom renovation. As people have more time on their hands, they seem suddenly more engaged with the small details and that includes bathroom heating. There are now stunning ranges of decorative radiators and heated towel rails on the market. And a radiator in the bathroom is no longer just a practical necessity; it adds a purposeful touch of character to any bathroom style.
A design statement
Bathroom fittings are probably the most important aspect of any bathroom renovation. Your choice of bath, shower, basin and radiator form the sculptural artistry of your bathroom theme. Tiling, blinds, lighting and furnishings accessorise, complement and highlight your dream bathroom plan.
In recent years, radiators have become much more of a focal point in interiors, with many innovative designs on the market. Stylish radiators are making an unexpected design statement, bringing that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ to any luxury bathroom project.
Whether a new bathroom design is modern or traditional, the type of radiator adds an extra layer of luxury to the chosen theme. A statement radiator or heated towel rail is the easiest way to lift style and bring a specific bathroom theme together.
Decorative radiators, such as those from Zehnder, have been created to meet both today’s innovative design ideals and energy efficiency standards.
Colour ingenuity
Radiators don’t have to be a bland functional aspect of bathroom design; heat emitters can be made a colour-popping feature, as with the Zehnder Roda Spa and the Zehnder Metropolitan spa radiators.
On bathroom trends for 2020, the Ideal Home Magazine picks out this year’s trend for sumptuous dark colours and black ceramics, along with metallic finishes. Neutral colour schemes also remain popular.
Game-changing design
While the focus here is on bathrooms, it is worth considering the design impact of radiators throughout the home. Upgrading radiators is a great way to modernise interiors. Standard radiators rarely fit comfortably with either modern or traditional décor and in many cases stand out like a sore thumb.
Elegant and classic radiators offer a sophisticated heating solution and whilst particularly suited to older buildings with a high heat load, perform equally well in modern homes and can add a vibrant pop of colour to any room in the home.
Of note is Zehnder’s Roda Mirror radiator which incorporates a full length mirror to provide a heating solution with enhanced practicality. Sleek in design, the Roda Mirror radiator is suitable for narrow hallways.
Character and efficiency
A further consideration, along with design, when selecting radiators for a bathroom or any room in the home, is the issue of energy efficiency. With climate change at the forefront of everyone’s minds, now more than ever clients want to know they are selecting a heat emitter that complies with future energy efficiency standards. Cost efficiency is another factor that is especially important now that we are spending more time at home indoors.