Archive for the ‘Heating Solutions’ Category

Typically the fireplace is the focal point of any living room, but as the popularity of open fires dropped (they’re messy, tricky and expensive to maintain) most fireplaces were boarded over and homeowners relied on central heating systems to heat their homes.

Radiators are therefore a very popular method of heating homes across the UK, but you do not need to make do with the run of the mill white radiators that are offered by the nearest DIY depot.  There are now an impressive range of traditional cast iron radiators and contemporary designer radiators available, and if you shop around online you can get some great deals so you can afford to update your radiators across your whole home.  The design of radiators has developed greatly and you do not need to limit yourself to the standard shape, I particularly love the wall-mounted flat radiators, which are available in a range of colours.  They are truly spectacular and if you are after something a little different and have the space in your bathroom then you can now buy bench radiators, a seating solution for your bathroom and a heating solution, the perfect marriage of space-saving design, function and practicality.

Another favourite home heating solution of mine is the wood burning stove.  The popularity of these stoves have soared recently as they can be fitted in existing fireplaces (please get a professional to fit these stoves).  These stoves again come in traditional and contemporary designs, and are super stylish as well as being very effective heaters for the room.  The Westfire Unig 18 Black stove is a lovely little stove and ideal for a small room, as the size of the room increases you will need to increase the heat output of a stove, so please bare that in mind as you shop around.

My final home heating solution is a new one for me, and I have to confess that I have not tried it out yet but have one ordered and on its way.  My final alternative are flueless fires, these are fires which can be placed as room centre pieces without access to a flue as they emit a mixture of water vapour and carbon dioxide.  My favoured flueless fires are bio ethanol fires as they burn an environmentally friendly liquid fuel, bio alcohol, and I believe are a much better option than traditional coal fires, and as we become more aware of our own personal carbon footprints I think the popularity of bio alcohol fuelled fires will increase.

There are some fantastic designer solutions for heating your home out there, so get imaginative and get shopping!