. We love it when we spot an upcycled furniture idea that undergoes such a good transformation that it looks like an entirely different piece – and this one is a great example of how a little bit of vision and creativity can go a long way.

When Instagrammer Jen Rothbury, aka @crack_the_shutters, bought a secondhand broken cabinet, she knew she was going to turn it into a modern and unique piece without spending a fortune. In fact, the project cost just £160, which is a fraction of the price Jen would have paid for a cabinet of this size and style – had she bought it new.

Clever cabinet makeover

Searching for a unit to go in her bedroom, Jen scoured Facebook Marketplace and finally found what she was looking for. ‘I was after a glazed cabinet and then I stumbled on this one, when was up for sale for just £40’ she says. ‘There weren’t many pictures of it and the description was brief, but I thought it had good potential so I went to pick it up.’

Before

Image credit: @crack_the_shutters

The cabinet had an oval shape to it that Jen liked, along with two drawers and glass doors – however, she also discovered a few defects. ‘When I picked it up it was dark and I just hauled it into the car without checking it over,’ she recalls.

‘Once I got it home I| found that it had two holes in the back board and the glass was cracked around one of the hinges – it probably explains the bargain price! Thankfully the repairs were fairly minor and I still managed to make the best of it.’

Starting the prep

Image credit: @crack_the_shutters

To get the cabinet ready for painting, Jen began by glueing the crack in the glass and then filling both of the holes. Next, she sanded and cleaned the outside of the unit, giving it a good base on which to paint.

Image credit: @crack_the_shutters

Then it was time to prime the cabinet, before painting it both inside and out. ‘I used Farrow & Ball’s Borrowed Light for inside the cabinet and the outside I painted in Oval Room Blue,’ says Jen.

Buy now: Zinsser B-I-N Multisurface matt primer, £43 for 2.5 litres, B&Q
Buy now: Borrowed Light Modern Eggshell, £77 for 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball
Buy now: Oval Room Blue Modern Eggshell, £77 for 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball

Updating the glass

Image credit: @crack_the_shutters

‘I wanted the cabinet to have reeded glass doors,’ says Jen. ‘So I bought a reeded glass film for £80 from Glass Films Europe, which I added to the glass. It  also helps to hide the crack!’

After

Image credit: @crack_the_shutters

The end result is pretty spectacular, with the cabinet a far cry from the sorry-looking wood unit that it was before. A sleek blue painted finish has transformed the wood. The reeded glass film looks like the real thing, and decorative gold handles ensure the piece has an expensive, luxe vibe.

‘I added new handles from Etsy as a finishing touch and it’s now a lovely cabinet in our bedroom,’ says Jen.

Buy now: Semicircle handles, £11.47, Etsy

What do you think of this furniture hack? To see this and more, follow Jen on Instagram at @crack_the_shutters.

Share your own upcycled creations with us, here at Ideal Home we’re always looking to celebrate creativeness.

The post Instagrammer turns a secondhand broken cabinet into a modern and unique piece – for just £160 appeared first on Ideal Home.

Stuck for kitchen floor tile ideas and inspiration? Deciding which floor treatment to go for in practical spaces like kitchens and utility rooms can be tricky. Choosing a kitchen flooring that is hard-wearing, durable and easy to keep clean is key, but you want flooring to look great too.

Tiles are top of the list, both in terms of style and practicality. Kitchen tile ideas are plentiful, whether it’s classic porcelain tiles in an elegant pattern, rustic country-style flag stones or punchy terrazzo tiles adding a bright pop of colour.

The colour and pattern you opt for will have a big impact on your kitchen too. Opt for bold shades and busy patterns if you want flooring to be the focal point, or stick to neutral tones and subtle patterns if you want flooring to blend in.

Kitchen floor tile ideas

‘Flooring is a key element to any room. As it’s unlikely to be changed for a long time once installed, it needs to suit the décor and be hardwearing, comfortable and practical,’ says Sarah Escott, Design Manager at Amtico. ‘Choosing the right floor for your home can be overwhelming, especially if you’re not quite sure what will work for you.’

1. Match floor and wall tiles in on-trend terrazzo

Image credit: Trend Terrazzo floor and wall tiles, Tile Mountain

Add pizzazz to plain kitchen cabinets with on-trend terrazzo tiles bringing a splash of punchy colour. Matching floor and wall tiles creates a sleek seamless look throughout that will give flow to an open-plan kitchen-diner.

Terrazzo is a composite material made by mixing marble, granite, quartz or glass chips with a resin binder which creates a colourful fragmented effect. Ultra hardwearing and easy to wipe down, terrazzo tiles are a practical choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

Choose terrazzo floor tiles that complement your kitchen by matching the colour flecks to kitchen cabinets, work tops or kitchen splashback ideas for a fun colour co-ordinated look.

2. Go faux with rustic wood-effect floor tiles

Image credit: Tav wood tile, Topps Tiles

A real wood floor is hard to beat, but when it comes to kitchen floor tile ideas, natural wood has its downsides. If real wood gets exposed to water, it can warp and buckle, so isn’t the most practical choice for kitchens or utility rooms.

The good news is that there are some pretty convincing alternatives that offer all the appeal of a natural wood floor, but with none of the disadvantages. Wood-effect tiles come in a wide range of colour choices and wood grain finishes, from blonde Scandi styles to warm and mellow dark woods.

Easy to lay, these plank-effect tiles are super hardwearing, easy to clean and can cope with splashes and spills without getting water-damaged. Lay plank-effect tiles lengthways as you would a real wood floor to mimic the look of timber floor boards.

3. Add character with an elegant pattern

Image credit: Havana tiles, CDT Tiles

Make your kitchen floor the focal point with a standout pattern taking centre stage. Be lead by the style of your kitchen or period of your home for inspiration, whether you opt for traditional Victorian geometric tiles or a modern chevron effect.

‘One of the quickest shortcuts to a cohesive and chic design is to pick out one central colour with one or two accent shades to add depth,’ says Amanda Telford, Marketing Manager at CTD Tiles.

‘Choosing a patterned floor tile that picks out a central wall colour (or cabinet colour) will create a really stunning backdrop to your space, if your tile has several secondary colours it can also be really effective to mirror these in kitchen accessories.’

4. Go for all-over pattern in a small kitchen

Image credit: Hoxton tiles, Wickes

Small-scale geometric patterns can create an illusion of depth that is perfect for small spaces, such as narrow galley kitchens or long, narrow hallways. Link floor and walls by extending the pattern and colour onto a tiled splashback for a more cohesive look.

‘Opting for boldly patterned floor tiles can create a unique look,’ says Paul Bangs, Head of Tiles and Flooring at Wickes. ‘In a small kitchen, pair patterned tiles with a lighter wall colour to make the space feel larger and more expansive.’

5. Beat the chill with luxury vinyl

Image credit: Umbra Eclipse flooring, Amtico

Dark and dramatic, a natural slate floor is the perfect addition to a modern, country kitchen. The downside though, is that real slate can feel cold and hard and be unforgiving if china and glass is dropped on it accidentally.

LVT flooring (luxury vinyl tile) offers a compromise between real and fake, with realistic slate effect designs that feel warmer and less-harsh to the touch. High-end LVT flooring also comes in tile and plank formats that create a convincing layout that looks super authentic and much like the real thing.

‘When it comes to choosing the right colour for your home, it’s important to take into consideration the building’s age and the feel you want to create, as well as the size of the room you’re decorating, says Sarah Escott, Design Manager at Amtico. ‘Classical style products, such as distressed and reclaimed woods, tend to suit older properties or those spaces where you want a warmer, homely feel.’

‘When deciding on a laying pattern, scale is possibly the most critical factor. The size of the space and size of the pattern should be compatible. A narrow kitchen will suit a smaller scale pattern, such as basketweave, while a larger space will adapt well to bigger designs, such as a flagstone-style pattern.’

6. Invest in solid stone

Image credit: Stone flooring, Quorn Stone

Stone flooring will last a lifetime and is a sound choice for a busy kitchen that has lots of hustle and bustle and comings and goings. While aged flagstones will complement a rustic, country-style kitchen, tumbled limestone or honed marble tiles will create a more polished look that’s perfect in a modern property.

‘A smaller kitchen requires careful thought and consideration to give the illusion of a larger space,’ says Isabel Fernandez, Director at Quorn Stone. ‘Contrary to belief, we often find a larger tile can work well at achieving this.’

‘A smaller tile results in lots of grout joints which can enclose the space and detract the eye from the tile. We often suggest a 900 x 600 tile as it is a versatile size that works well in both smaller and larger areas. And if you choose a complementary grout colour it makes the grout less noticeable which again helps to open the space out.’

7. Change the pace with flooring

Image credit: Tailor flooring, Amtico

A change of flooring is a clever way of creating different zones in an open-plan living space. To make the transition between kitchen and dining area, try teaming patterned tiles with plain or use contrast colours to visually separate the two areas.

‘Using floor tiles to create zoned areas helps to differentiate between spaces and is a fantastic way to mark out boundaries,’ says Amanda Telford, Marketing Manager at CTD Tiles. ‘Plus options are endless when it comes to flooring in your zoning areas – use distinctive tiles to draw the eye to a key feature in the room, or different shades of tiles to create the illusion of more space.’

8. Bring the outdoors in

Image credit: Woodland Glade tiles, Ca’ Pietra

Floor tiles are often a background feature, but a decorative tile like this can be the starting point for an entire scheme. Using tonal plains and a delicate mix-and-match flora and fauna pattern, the design grows from a simple floor panel to an allover treatment that takes in walls and splashbacks too.

Hexagonal tiles are also a great way of working pattern into a scheme if you don’t want to commit to busy patterns and bold colours. Plain-coloured tiles with contrast grout can be used to create a chic honeycomb-effect or try mixing it up with several tonal shades used together to create a multi-coloured mosaic look.

9. Fake a tiled effect with colourful vinyl

Image credit: Madaboutmidcenturymodern

For comfort and warmth underfoot, vinyl flooring is hard to beat. Hardwearing, soft to walk on and low-maintenance it’s a great choice for family kitchens where little ones are often toddling around in bare feet.

Where vinyl might once have been frowned upon, the latest tile-effect designs look just like the real thing but for a fraction of the cost. Suitable for DIY fitting, choose super-easy self-adhesive vinyl tiles (like these), or opt for sheet vinyl on a roll.

10. Mix and match with playful pastels

Image credit: Miami tiles, Original Style

Go for a fun Miami-inspired theme in a modern kitchen-diner. Match patterned floor tiles, cabinets and furniture in a playful pastel palette, picking out two or three key colours and repeating them across the scheme.

Make a kitchen island the focal point by tiling the outward facing side for a sleek, streamlined look. Mix it up by using different format tiles to the flooring, but keeping to the same soft pastel palette throughout.

What tiles are best for kitchens?

Tiles are hard-wearing, durable, impervious to water and low-maintenance so are a practical choice for kitchens and utility rooms. The type of tile you choose depends on the look you want to create and how big your budget is.

The size of kitchen will obviously have an impact on how much your chosen tiles will cost. The larger the room, the more square meterage you’ll require and so costs will be higher. With large kitchens and open-plan spaces, large format tiles are a cost-effective option and are quicker and easier to lay so fitting costs will be less too

Which colour is best for a kitchen floor?

The biggest consideration is to choose a floor colour that complements the colour of kitchen cabinets, whether they are a solid colour or a natural wood finish. Floor tiles that co-ordinate with worktops is another way of bringing a kitchen colour scheme together, as are matching floors and splashbacks.

‘In terms of trends, we always advise customers to steer clear of ‘trends’ and go for a classic style in the kitchen area,’ says Isabel Fernandez, Director at Quorn Stone. ‘Purchasing a stone or porcelain floor is an investment for the home and one that often takes careful consideration – our advice is to always go neutral in your chosen floor covering for ground floor spaces and instead inject colour through paint colours and accessories. A lick of paint is far easier to change in years to come than a different floor!’

The post Kitchen floor tile ideas – 10 ways to make flooring the focal point appeared first on Ideal Home.

To date, over one million people have made an enquiry on the Share to Buy website. Thousands of properties which can be purchased with Shared Ownership mortgages are currently listed on the site from the UK’s largest housing providers. With ever-increasing property prices in the UK- it’s hardly surprising.

If you have looked into Help to Buy options and want to buy a percentage of a home, you’ll need to secure a Shared Ownership mortgage. Shared Ownership is a great scheme for those struggling to afford to buy on the open market due to lack of a deposit.

‘Saving up a 5 per cent deposit for a full 100 per cent of a house price can be too much for some people,’ says Nicola Schutrups, Managing Director at The Mortgage Hut.

‘But, if you’re buying 25 per cent share of a house, you only need five per cent of that 25 per cent to make up your deposit. So, it can be more like £2,000-£3,000 deposit, which is a much more achievable amount,’ Nicola says.

Shared Ownership mortgages – the best rates and lenders

Read on to find out what Shared Ownership Mortgages are, how they differ from other types of mortgages and where to find the best rates and deals.

Image credit: Future PLC/ Robert Sanderson

What is a Shared Ownership mortgage?

It’s specifically designed for someone buying a Shared Ownership property. ‘A Shared Ownership mortgage differs to a residential mortgage as, instead of buying the whole property, you’re only buying a portion of the property,’ says Brian Murphy, Head of Lending at Mortgage Advice Bureau.

‘Therefore, you will only pay mortgage repayments on the share you own and will pay rent on the remaining part of the property to the housing association that owns the rest of the home.’

Typically, buyers purchase between 25 per cent to 75 per cent of a property, and take out a Shared Ownership mortgage to cover this amount. The rules changed in April 2021, so the minimum share is now just 10 per cent. However, if you can buy a larger share it’s advisable to do so.

How do I find the best Shared Ownership mortgage?

It’s quite a specialist product which will have its adapted specialist rates and criteria. Therefore, not all mortgage lenders provide Shared Ownership mortgages.

‘You can try and find a mortgage yourself however, as Shared Ownership is a specialist scheme, I would recommend getting a mortgage broker who has experience in this particular product,’ says Chelsea Kennedy, Specialist Property Mortgage Advisor at Pure Property Finance.

‘They can liaise with the new-build site directly and assist with the housing association forms’ she says.

You might also find that the housing provider you are buying through offers to help as well. ‘At St Arthur Homes we have financial experts to provide support and advice to our buyers. This ensures they understand the whole process and which mortgage product is best for their circumstances,’ says Louise Mills, Sales Marketing Director at St Arthur Homes.

Image credit: Robert Sanderson

How can I apply for a Shared Ownership mortgage?

The application process is exactly like a standard mortgage application. ‘You’ll need to apply directly to your lender or via a mortgage broker,’ says Brian. ‘They’ll ask for detailed documentation such as proof of identity and income. Then, also evidence of your right to live in the UK, and details required for a credit check,’ he says.

You will need to be able to prove that you can afford the deposit, too. You typically only need a deposit of five or ten per cent of the share that you are buying.

So, if your share was worth £40,000, you’d only need to put down between £2,000 and £4,000.

What is a Shared Ownership Leasehold?

The leasehold agreement will need to be considered too. ‘Your lease sets out everything, for instance, the amount of share you’ve bought, how long you can keep the house for (usually 125 years), how much your monthly rental payments are, as well as your responsibilities while living there,’ says Brian. ‘Make sure you take the time to thoroughly read the lease and ask your solicitor any questions you have,’ he says.

What costs need to be considered?

‘You’re actually buying only part of a house. Although, you’ll still have all the associated costs that come with buying a property,’ says Brian. ‘This includes mortgage arrangement fees, survey costs, and charges from your solicitor.’

What are the best mortgage comparison websites?

Some of the online mortgage finder tools you can use to find the best lender to suit your needs are:

• Go Compare
• Share to Buy
• Money Supermarket
• Uswitch

‘There are a few comparison sites out there. But, they aren’t always the best route to use as there are several different factors to consider when looking at affordability,’ says Nicola.

Image credit: West Kent Housing Association

‘You’ve got the price of the full property, then you’ve got the price of the share that you’re buying, which then works out how much rent is left on the remaining share.

There will also be a service charge added to the ground rent. It’s quite a complicated calculation compared to a regular mortgage, where affordability is based on just roughly four-and-a-half times your annual income.’

Where do I find the best rates and deals?

Not all mortgage providers offer Shared Ownership mortgages. So, you will need to do your research and shop around for the best deal.

‘Speaking to a mortgage adviser will help you identify potential lenders that would suit your circumstances,’ says Brian. Nicola agrees: ‘They’ll have access to a wider range of lenders and rates to help find the best deal for you,’ she says.

*Ideal Home and Go Compare are part of Future plc.

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