Think this fancy wall art is just high-end eye candy? Think again. The ornate concrete sculpture is actually a radiator designed by Dutchman Joris Laarman. Its filigreed curves and swoops are not only attention-grabbing—they also maximize the radiator’s surface area to give off heat efficiently. This sculpture-like radiator is made of modular pieces that snap together.
Laarman's creation, like many others, is helping radiators once again become a room’s focal point. This was the case back in the 1850s, when the very first cast-iron models for early central heating systems were developed. But these workaday devices lost their prominence as central heating became commonplace and new technologies made radiators cheaper (think baseboard heating). Whether your taste runs to contemporary, traditional, or eclectic, check out the models on these two pages, which make a room toasty and spark conversation at the same time.
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