Help me cover my air conditioner, please.

October 4, 2014 5:43 PM

I can already feel cool air coming through the wall-mounted airconditioning unit in my apartment. Please help me cover it for the winter. Bonus if I can make it not ugly.

The inside and outside of the unit can be seen in these two pictures: http://imgur.com/fTs17g1

Will some sort of cover on just the outside work to block drafts? I'd like to put a shelf/box type thing over the interior but it doesn't look like I can do that without drilling into the unit itself. (I never turned the a/c on this summer, so I wouldn't mind covering it completely and gaining that space for plants.) This would be my first choice and I would love ideas on how to make that happen.

Everything I've seen for both outside and inside is sort of ugly grey upholsterish looking or ugly green plastic. Snowflake Princess wants pretty. The interior is mostly mid-century modern. Suggestions appreciated!

posted by 2soxy4mypuppet to Home & Garden (5 answers total)

My parents typically had only an exterior cover on their window AC. To at least block drafts on the interior side, take the grill off, and put a trash bag over the interior of the grill. Tape the sides if you have some tape. Put the grill back on. Alternatively you could spread the trash bag over the filter after you take the grill off, and then put the grill back on over the trash bag. But that would be unsightly. I only have the idea for blocking the draft, I don't have any suggestions about building a shelf or interior cover for you.

The only AC covers I have seen have been as you describe. There is a Facebook group called Mid Century Modern Kitsch, maybe you could join and ask about AC covers compatible with MCM style there. I joined just because I like looking at MCM things, and people there seem really friendly.
posted by Rob Rockets at 6:01 PM on October 4, 2014

Aside from an insulated cover for function, how about a small freestanding table for style?
posted by Madamina at 6:58 PM on October 4, 2014

I lived in an apartment building that for the inside had wood box covers about the same color as the wall, lined on the inside with foam rubber, and they slid tightly over the A/C in the off-season. No hardware. It was light and the foam kept it on. If you're crafty at all, you could build something similar with cardboard or wood, contact paper or paint (to pretty the cardboard/wood) and foam rubber.
posted by quarterinmyshoe at 7:31 PM on October 4, 2014

How much do you want to spend and how much work do you want to do? I second the idea of building something out of wood, except make the face of it a series of small cubbies, like Joseph Cornell piece, and fill the nooks with plants or lego minifigs. Here is a pinterest group or whatever they are called devoted to covering the *outside* which may provide inspiration.
posted by mecran01 at 10:06 PM on October 4, 2014

Could you put heavy drapes to the floor in the window? If you don't want to drill, you could hang them with a tension rod.
posted by mchorn at 6:12 PM on October 5, 2014