Our Five Favourite Stylish Heating Appliances
If you want to be prepared for the gradual change in seasons, or for a sudden cold snap, it’s worth investing in a heating appliance well before the mercury starts plummeting.
But while heaters and similar warming appliances are certainly practical, they aren’t always the most stylish additions to your home’s décor, usually being designed primarily with utility in mind.
To help you stay fashionable as well as warm this winter, we’ve selected the following eye-catching appliance models for your consideration:
Faux-fur electric throw
Many electric blankets aren’t really blankets at all – they’re often more of a fitted sheet, heating your bed from the mattress up. As such, their appearance tends to be nothing super-special, generally looking like nice and basic white bedsheets.
Heated throws on the other hand – those can have a bit of flair to them. And while basic grey and reversible black and white are among the available options, Sunbeam’s polyester number is one of our favourites, thanks to its faux-fur appearance. Even when it’s switched off, it can still help to keep you warm… or at least LOOKING warm.
Bright red radiator
Remember that rattling old oil heater you had growing up? That classic design can still appeal (the retro look is ALWAYS in, somewhere), even if many of the newer designs have done away with the oil in favour of more eco-friendly materials.
Dimplex OFRC24TIR Electric Eco Column Heater
This heater from Dimplex is one such model. Oil-free, the eco-friendly design includes a digital timer, so you can set a 24 hour program to suit your schedule and heat your home more efficiently. Plus, it sports an eye-catching red colour scheme, sure to inject your living room with a dash of pizzaz.
Balmy bladeless breeze
Fans are available from several different brands that not only create a refreshing breeze, but also offer the option of using a heating element to blow warm air around your home.
Dyson AM09 Hot + Cool Fan Heater Black / Nickel 302644-01
But Dyson is renowned for its sense of style, and its bladeless designer hot and cold fans help your home to look spectacular while providing exceptional performance. Plus, they’re super-easy to keep clean, and with no external blades, they’re that little bit safer for any homes with tiny, curious fingers.
The quest for fire
Fireplaces have an undeniable old-world charm, but sadly most urban homes aren’t designed with fireplaces in mind, for a mixture of safety and air pollution reasons. Even if you are able to add a fireplace and chimney to your home, you still need to shovel coal/chop wood and clean up soot… all for a source of heat that’s ultimately not as efficient as an electric heater!
You could try to recreate the cosy effect of a heater in a modern home by watching one of those Fireplace DVDs on your TV, or using your Smart TV to watch one on YouTube. But while this will give you the look and feel of a fireplace, you still won’t get the warmth.
Dimplex has an alternative – their range of flame-effect heaters are a powerful and efficient source of heat for your home, while using a cunning system of lights and water vapour (almost literally smoke and mirrors) to create convincing illusions of crackling flame that are completely safe for your home (as much as any other electrical appliance).
Dimplex RONDO Electric Flame Effect
Plus, as they don’t need to worry about such mundane concerns as “fire safety” and “smoke ventilation”, these heaters are available in a wide variety of different designs and styles, such as this ultramodern round version.
Original aircon designs
Reverse cycle air conditioners are typically found toward the upper end of the pricing scale. Many are split systems, which require professional installation, making them serious investments in your home’s climate control. That said, portable reverse cycle air conditioner designs are also available, offering simpler heating and cooling.
In terms of design, most air conditioners look fairly similar, with split systems consisting of a boxy outdoor unit and a streamlined indoor unit, window box aircons looking like… well, boxes in windows, and portable aircons resembling miniature versions of the monolith from A Space Odyssey. If it ain’t broke, amiright?
Atlantic DADOS40 4.0kW Portable Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner
But there are a few notable exceptions, such as this model from Atlantic that trades in the rectangular obelisk shape of most portable aircons for a more squat, boxy shape. While it still shares most of the common features of portable reverse cycle air conditioners, the simple fact that this cube looks a bit dfferent from the pack can help it stand out in your home, while still keeping you cool in summer and warm in winter.