DO IT YOURSELF: Make Your Ugly Steam Heater Look Like Furniture

Although charming, San Francisco apartments have a few downsides, one being that they are, well, old. Many of them (mine included) will leave you stuck with very few options for furniture arrangement due to steam heaters, lack of space, or that solitary outlet that forces you to hook up your home entertainment center right in front of the beautiful bay window you always wanted.

The problem with my apartment is the steam heaters (yes, there is more than one) can be such an eyesore. But, I was able to find some extra trinkets laying around that added some charm to the heaters. I was lucky enough to have a little "fence" built around my heater, which allowed easy placement of my trinkets. I have also seen people paint an accent wall around the heater and match the heater to the wall so it blends in. They also work very well as funky bookshelves.

While decorating the bedroom heater, I removed a folding mirror from an old vanity and leaned it against the wall, making the heater look more like it's own little vanity station. I then added just a couple items: a picture frame, candle, and small plant. You don't want to clutter the heater, just like you don't want to clutter a dresser.

In the living room, my husband came up with a great idea to put our ipod docking station on top of a tray (to eliminate overheating) and create a quaint little music station. I added some craft paper to the top of the tray for color. We then accented it with a lamp and small plant to tie the music station into the room.

Now if I could just get my heaters to quiet down! They are constantly noisy even when turned off. Ahh SF "charm!" Any suggestions?