Ideas for Disguising a Water Heater

Curtains

• Disguise your water heater with curtains. Choose a floor-to-ceiling window or cloth shower curtain that matches the decor or color scheme of the rest of the room to make it a seamless addition to the space. To hang the curtains, use a tension rod, a shower curtain rod or even a wire screwed into the walls a foot or so in front of the water heater. Curtains disguise the heater and act as a decorative accent while allowing for easy access to the appliance for servicing and troubleshooting.

Screen

• Cover up the water heater with a decorative screen. A shoji screen or a bi-fold screen is an ideal way to disguise a water heater in a corner, as it can easily be moved to allow for access to the heater. Stand the chosen screen in front of the water heater to hide it from view, placing the screen about 2- or 3-feet away from the water heater to allow for air flow.

Bamboo Fencing

• Use a roll of bamboo fencing to cover up the water heater. Bamboo fencing stands up and is easy to manipulate, allowing you to curve the material to completely disguise the water heater. Like the decorative screen and the curtains, bamboo fencing can easily be moved to allow access to the water heater, if needed. Stand the fencing up about 2 feet away from the water heater and position it so that it hides the heater, but keep an opening at the end of the fencing to allow air to flow through the area. You can secure one end of the fencing to a wall for more stability, if desired.

Plant

• Disguise your water heater and add greenery to your room by using a plant to cover up the appliance. A large banana leaf plant, a peace lily, bamboo or a fern are all options to consider for covering your water heater from view. Set the plant of your choice in a large, decorative urn and place it on the floor about a foot away from the front of the heater. Any large plant with a lot of greenery will make a good screen to disguise the water heater from view.