The radiators might make you feel warmer despite not actually making the air in the room warmer: the black body radiation from the big warm radiators affects your perception of warmth in a not insignificant way.
I have a gas furnace and infrared heating panels (glassheat). The panels make you feel warm when you're standing in their path but they are no where near as comfortable as furnace heated air.
Basically the idea behind infrared (and far infrared) heaters. I'm really curious about them, but there's no good way to trial them without buying and installing.
