Hilla built radiator covers in just a few hours for under one hundred euros, inspired by a Danish carpenter’s creation

Hilla, how did you come up with the idea for these radiator covers?

We renovated our single-family home three years ago. I wanted to hide the electric radiators. At first, we looked for off-the-shelf radiator covers in stores, but the selection was limited. I found maybe one model in our local hardware stores, but it didn’t fit our radiators’ dimensions. Covers from foreign online stores were expensive. We figured building our own covers couldn’t be too hard.

The DIY radiator covers were constructed from wooden slats (10 × 9 mm), laminated veneer lumber (39 × 66 mm), and pine shelf boards (28 × 200 mm).

The lower part of the radiator cover frame is made of laminated veneer lumber, while the sides and top are shelf boards. This approach leaves as much open space below and around the radiator as possible. Thanks to this design, the cover is lighter, making it easier to move for cleaning.

How did you settle on this particular design?

I wanted covers with a timeless, classic look. I saw some beautiful covers made by a carpenter on a Danish Instagram account and used them as a guide.

We planned the covers’ dimensions to give the radiators plenty of space, allowing air to circulate inside the cover and preventing overheating. The cover is also spaced away from the wall so air can flow in between, and it can be easily moved aside for cleaning.

The radiator cover is deep enough to act as a windowsill. You can place a lamp, small decorative items, or spring seedlings on top. For many seedlings, it’s actually the perfect spot since they get both light and warmth right under the window, above the radiator.

The front panel of the cover was made with wooden slats. They were fastened to a strip behind them at 1.5-centimeter intervals, positioning the slat panel about 2.5 centimeters behind the frame’s front edge.

Strips were added to the top and bottom edges of the slat panel to conceal fasteners and saw marks.

How much time and money did it take to make the radiator covers?

It took about three hours to build one cover, plus painting time. Each one cost around 70 euros.

We first made two covers, then added two more later on. Now I’d like a few upstairs as well. Naturally, it makes the most sense to buy all the materials for every cover at once and cut them to size in one batch, which saves time and effort compared to building them individually.

Hilla painted the radiator covers the same color as the wall, and the white baseboard at the bottom ties the look together so the cover blends into the background. You can find Hilla on Instagram at @hillasblog.

All but one of Hilla’s radiator covers are 20 centimeters deep, so they can serve as windowsills for small decorations. “One of them ended up even deeper because we built them one at a time. When you buy supplies by memory alone, you can expect a bit of error,” Hilla says.