How to Hide (or Decorate) Your Home’s Vents
Look around any home with forced air heating or cooling systems and you will see vents everywhere. Most are “supply” vents that send heated or cooled air into the home, but some are “return” vents that draw air into the system. Either way, it’s a universal truth: most vents are unsightly.
Even if a vent spoils your carefully crafted interior design, it should never be covered or blocked. These vents are critical to the proper functioning of your HVAC system and the health of your living spaces, and typically require at least a foot or so of space in front of them for proper air flow. This means that no matter how much you hate the floor and wall vents you’re stuck with, there are a few things you can do to make them as invisible as possible.
Paint and wallpaper
The easiest way to make a wall vent disappear is to paint it to match the surrounding color or pattern. You may need to take a color sample to your local hardware store to get paint that matches the color of the vent material (metal, plastic, etc.), and you may want to consider using a primer to keep the paint from peeling. turned off, but painting the vent is the easiest way to hide it.
If the wall is covered with wallpaper, you can cover the ventilation cover. Some companies will send you wood blanks that you cover with wallpaper and return, and then send you a custom cut vent cover using your wallpaper to fit perfectly. But this is a project you can definitely DIY; If you’ve been able to wallpaper yourself to some degree of precision, cut a piece to use on the vent cover and then cut out the holes with a little patience.
Custom vents and decorative covers
If you’re not so concerned about hiding your vent but want to make it something more attractive, you can order custom vent covers from a long list of companies. From flush mount covers to custom metal covers , you have many options. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly solution with a custom design, you can buy acrylic cases with custom cutouts for just a few dollars. And if you’re handy, you can use some decorative sheet metal, tin snips, a few screws and scrap wood to create a super cheap DIY cover that looks a lot better than the standard ones that are currently plaguing the place.
Tile
If you have a tile floor, the Chameleon floor register is designed to fit flush with the floor and the tiles fit into its grooves, allowing the vent to fit perfectly into it. All you need is a wet tile saw (you can try cutting ceramic tiles, but it can be very frustrating when it comes to cutting small pieces) and basic tile cutting skills.
Framework
When it comes to wall vents, sometimes even after painting they still stick out because they are the only thing on the wall. Try surrounding the vent with artwork and framed photographs to create a gallery effect. To further darken the vent, you can add a faux frame around it or repurpose a charming old window frame. It’s amazing how well this works to make a wall vent look like another piece of art, especially if you also use a decorative cover. Just be sure not to block the vent when you frame it.
Furniture
Finally, while you shouldn’t block a wall vent or cover a floor vent, you can still strategically use furniture to hide them. Anything that is open at the bottom, such as a table, can easily be placed above a floor vent or in front of a wall vent. Shelving can also be used in front of wall vents—surround the vent with knick-knacks or potted plants to hide it. If the air flow is not affected, everything is fine and the vent is hidden.