radiator cover – Francois et Moi

DIY Radiator Cover Plans

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 20:08:53 +0000

Want to build a radiator cover? Learn how to create a beautiful, pre-war inspired radiator cover with our downloadable radiator cover plans! Well it’s been 2.5 years since we made this radiator cover for the foyer, I’m FINALLY sharing plans on how to create one yourself. Omg. Finally! I can’t tell you how many inquiries I’ve gotten about this project and so I’m really happy to finally get them in your hands! This is an intermediate to advanced project that requires some experience with building furniture. I’ve noted our dimensions, but of course, adjust them to your radiator size or if you don’t have radiators, perhaps build this cover as a table that gives the illusion of an old radiator in your space. We had to get a little (ok, alot!) creative, with the trim pieces on this piece. Ken spent weeks (I’m not exaggerating!) looking for a curved hardwood piece for the corners before finally going with MDF. If we could’ve done hardwood we would’ve but we’re not in the business of steam bending wood. This is the curved MDF piece we used. The radiator cover only uses 10″ total of curved or radiused corner moulding. However the only length […]

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How to Restore a Radiator Cover

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Sat, 24 Jul 2021 14:19:07 +0000

Expert DIY tips for how to restore a radiator cover! Plus, what to do if you suspect lead paint and how exactly to achieve that near flawless paint finish! Hot water radiators are one of my favorite features in older homes. Sure, they take up extra square footage and require minor annual maintenance (bleeding air bubbles, etc.), but there’s no denying their antique charm! In most areas of our 1930’s Tudor, our radiators live uncovered in all their exposed pre-war beauty. However, in other areas we use them as an opportunity to bring added function to the space, such as with a radiator cover that doubles as a console table in the foyer. In an effort to carve out some soft seating in our bedroom (which in true old home form is too small for a chair), I snagged an old radiator cover on Facebook Marketplace that happens to be the same dimensions as our bedroom radiator—the luck! I’ve refinished it with Rust-Oleum Universal Spray Paint and topped it with a bench cushion for a cozy window seat situation. Considerations When Restoring an Old Radiator Cover Since the radiator cover was likely made before 1978, we tested for lead paint […]

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Modern Tudor Foyer Reveal

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 18:56:18 +0000

Look around the modern Tudor foyer of Erin Francois, and hear the key updates that made all the difference in their duplex entryway. I’m excited to tell you our summer-turned-fall-turned-late-fall foyer side project is finally finished!! When I think back to where we started in here with the cheap, dirty carpeted stairs and plastic runner over top, naked radiator, and beige walls, the room was functional, per se, but it didn’t make a good first impression–and that, my friends–is the first thing a foyer should do! It’s the first experience someone has in your home, and you want it to be representative of you. Needless to say, this room didn’t flow with the rest of our ‘modern Tudor’ style. However, we did love the original dark woodwork, the black slate floor the previous owner had installed, and the original front door we refinished a few years ago. Scope After nailing down the room’s design direction, we got to work on the scope: Paint all walls Behr/Home Decorators, Whisper White in eggshell finish Remove carpet/refinish stairs with Varathane, Dark Walnut to match existing woodwork. Read about the foyer mid-renovation. Install indoor/outdoor runner — Read more on our decision-making process below. Create […]

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How to Paint a Radiator Cover

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 15:18:56 +0000

This post was sponsored by Rust-Oleum and contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Continuing on with our foyer remodel, you may have caught an IG story or two of Ken and I building a radiator cover to dress up the bare heating unit in the front entry. The plans for the cover itself are coming soon (I promise!), but in the meantime, I’ve painted this bad boy, and I can hardly hold back to show you guys how it turned out! (It’s gooood.) In the past, I’ve used a paint brush application to paint furniture, but this time around, I knew I’d need to look to spray paint for the intricate metal panels of the radiator cover. I’ll admit I was a little nervous whether I would be able to apply the spray paint evenly. Ken and I worked really hard designing/building the cover, and I wanted to make sure my paint job would do it justice! I went with Rust-Oleum spray paints for this project, because I’ve been using their products for YEARS, my dad used Rust-Oleum growing up, and I always know their paint (not to mention the spray nozzle) is going to be […]

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Lattice House Shelves

francoisetmoiblog@gmail.com — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 17:41:30 +0000

Fall is quickly approaching (tear!), so I decided to take a little hiatus from blogging and social media last week to enjoy what’s left of the season–our Minnesota summers are just too short and our winters are too brutally long not to! But I did still work on a few projects, so I guess I didn’t totally shut off. Check out these fun ‘house’ shelves perfect for displaying small plants and curiosities on the wall! Materials: 12″x24″ Sheet of Union Jack radiator cover Scissors Industrial Strength Adhesive Ruler Marker Spray paint Draw a house shape 3 ‘squares’ up from the bottom of the screen, 3 ‘squares’ in from the left and 3 ‘squares’ in from the right. Use a dotted line for the bottom of the edge of the house. Extend the dotted line horizontally to the sides of the screen. Draw a parallel line 1/2 of a square down from the dotted line. Repeat on the other side. Then extend the vertical lines of the house down to the bottom edge of the screen. Draw two notches flanking the apex of the roof. Then extend the vertical sides of the ‘house’ up by 3 squares, and at the top […]

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