Period sitting room, colour & radiators

[dontcallmemam]

We're doing up an old C17 house.
It's mostly UFH in the renovated bit but we can't touch the sitting room as the fireplace & floor are part of the Listing.
I'm ordering radiators & have decided on old fashioned style (but actually new so heat efficient). The company I'm considering will paint them any F&B colour.
Shall I go for the colour or keep to the metallic brown/grey that I'd always imagined? If so what? The room is large & light with stone flooring & a lot of rather ugly but immoveable brown panelling.
Any help would be welcome, I'm paralysed with indecision.

Personally I would want the radiators to be white...

Don't say that, DH has ordered standard white radiators for upstairs but I was adamant that only fancy period style ones would do for this room

Same colour as the wall?

That's what I'm wondering Lagoon. What colour though? I haven't even thought about paint charts.

We used Stelrad for a similar age property. They spray paint the rads for you and they look old though are brand new. We had an off white colour all over the house even in the living room which had a large inglenook and stone floor.
The walls were off white too in that room.
We now have gun metal grey rads in this house. They are much chunkier and more school radiator looking than the others. This is an early Victorian house with high ceilings so they fit the room better I think.
We have plain normal radiators upstairs but have always wanted to change them -we're hoping to move so

sorry, posted too soon!
Hoping to move soon so won't change them now but would go for similar to the Stelrad ones at our old house.
The large cast iron ones are lovely to look at but not sure they would go in the room you describe. Also they are very heavy! So, not much help but I would go for a lighter colour as I think it would look better against the panelling.
HTH.

Thanks Can't. It hadn't occurred to me that they came in pale colours, I suppose it's more neutral.
Houzz etc don't really show period properties so it's hard to get an idea.

Have you looked at houses on right move on areas that might have similar age properties to yours? Could get some ideas from there.also magazines like country living and country homes and interiors always feature houses like these! Not that I am obsessed with buying these kind of mags at all!
Good luck to you and if you'd like any more ideas I could pm you some pics of our old place to see an example of the rads against the background etc.

castaway I could probably build an extra house with the paper from all the homes magazines and certainly fund the ridiculous radiators with the amount I've spent on them. But seeing them in a stage setting and then again in my filthy, dusty builders yard room is a tricky one.
If you had any photos I'd love to see them, thank you.

Not white in a panelled listed house. Charcoal or wall colour.sounds a great house

I have period radiators in Victorian house and have painted the all metallics.
Silver in kitchen, gold in living room and the sitting room is being changed from gold to copper. Seems to work.

Got lots of photos but can't seem to post them to a pm or normal message!

I live in a grade 2 listed house. Got period style radiators (modern so efficient etc) in gun metal colour, so a metallic very dark grey. Looks great. Dont go white, it would look odd. I have parquet floor and can confirm that colour works well near wood colours.
We did go white in bedroom, where decor is lighter, but also this same period style rad. Living rooms want more oomph.

Thanks for the comments. I've ordered some quite chunky, but simple column radiators in a darkish metallic brown. The floor is grey stone but the panelling dark brown & I've ordered to match that.
You've given me confidence to go with my gut feelings, thanks.