Thermostats and the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that they control are a great modern convenience, allowing us to stay toasty in the winter and cool in the summer. But not every thermostat was designed with aesthetics in mind. If you have a wall driving you to despair because of an ugly thermostat, try one of these methods to reclaim the space.
Top image via Flickr by StarsApart
Paint the Walls
Take a good look at exactly what it is you don’t like about your thermostat. If you think the color of the panel clashes with the wall around it, try changing colors or patterns on the surrounding wall. Houses tend to get painted in neutral colors when they are being sold to help visiting customers picture themselves living in the space; although these colors aren’t a bad thing, they aren’t always chosen with a match for the thermostat in mind. Of course, this works only if you like the color of the device, as repainting a wall a color you dislike is no help to anyone.
Hide it With Art
If your thermostat sticks only out a little, you can try to surround it with decorations to draw the eye away from the device. Well-chosen paintings on the wall keep visitors from noticing your control panel and don’t block your access to its settings, which can be convenient. Alternately, you can put a shelf on the wall around where the thermostat is and place knickknacks in front of it to hide it from view. Make sure the shelf is backless, however, so that you can still use your cooling and heating systems when needed.
Look at Newer Models
If what bothers you is the dated look of your thermostat, you might want to take a trip down to the nearest appliance shop for a look at newer models. Thermostats have changed a lot in recent years, and the neutral colors and gentle curves of the latest devices look far more pleasing than the blocky varieties more common in times past. Moreover, newer thermostats tend to have useful features such as programmable settings or smart device interactivity that can help you save money on your utilities if deployed correctly and carefully.
Fake Front
If you really, really can’t stand the idea of having a visible thermostat on your wall, the ultimate solution is to simply cover it up with something. You can put a hinged panel on the wall to hide the device while still allowing access when necessary. Of course, then you have a big panel sticking out from the wall in the middle of nowhere. Putting a painting or other piece of decorative art on the visible side of the panel solves that problem neatly. This way is more labor-intensive than the other methods, but the result is nearly perfect.
Decoration is all about expressing your personality, and thermostats should be no different. The right thermostat can be just as revealing of your personality as the most expensive painting in a gallery.
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