The ceiling is an essential part of any decorating scheme, but it’s an area that often gets overlooked. Rather than simply painting the ceiling white, why not treat it as a design opportunity with a bold paint colour or eye-catching wallpaper treatment that’s guaranteed to spice it up.

Elevate the decor

Image credit: B&Q

Including the ceiling in your decorating scheme is a great way of giving any room a new dimension and it’s a trick that’s much-loved by designers who often describe the ceiling as the ‘fifth wall’. Colour on the ceiling will draw the eye up and can visually change the proportions of a room – dark shades can make a ceiling feel lower, while paler colours can make it feel higher. Finish off the space with statement lighting – try a grouping of the Diall Balloon warm white LED filament light bulbs, £24 each, B&Q.

Make an impact

B&Q is working with a team of Changemakers to transform one of the spaces in their home, using B&Q’s incredible range of interior products. B&Q is inspiring the nation to pick up their brushes and create the change they’ve always dreamed of in their homes.

Clever Hayley from @Townhousediaries transformed the ceiling of her son’s bedroom with a bold paint treatment. ‘It was an incredible experience to work with B&Q as a Changemaker and create a totally new look for my son’s bedroom,’ she says. ‘All it took was a bit of careful measuring and some brightly coloured paint to transform the ceiling with a special circus theme – he loves it!’

Incorporating focal point lighting into the scheme is another great way of enhancing a decorative ceiling. Hayley opted for the GoodHome Dacite brass and glass statement pendant (£24.99, B&Q), teamed with the GoodHome Menonry floor lamp (£45, B&Q) and the GoodHome Mulanje table light (£28, B&Q) to create a layered lighting effect.

Add wow with wallpaper

Image credit: B&Q

Small spaces like hallways and box rooms can often feel uninspiring, so put the focus on the ceiling by wallpapering it in an eye-catching design. An on-trend geometric (like the Colours Mosaic metallic effect wallpaper seen above, £16, B&Q) or busy all-over print will grab the attention and add instant wow in a small area. With over 500 styles to choose from, B&Q has got a wallpaper that you’re guaranteed to love, from jazzy geometrics to on-trend botanicals, such as the stunning leaf design used on Superfresco Easy Flow multicoloured leaves smooth wallpaper, £30, B&Q.

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The Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is a mighty vacuum cleaner that’s hands-down one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners I’ve ever tried. Shark claims that it’s as powerful as a corded vacuum, and I couldn’t agree more. I put this cordless vacuum to the test for a few weeks on carpets and hard floors, and took into account its battery life and smart features.

A part of Shark’s latest lineup of vacuum cleaners, this is also one of the more expensive options on the market. It has PowerFins, Powered Lift-Away, Anti Hair-Wrap, and a tool for pet hair, so while it is a premium option it is packed with great features. Many of the best Shark vacuums will also offer many of these perks, but PowerFins is a new feature that made a profound difference when it came to deep cleaning the carpets.

Ideal Home rated: 5 out of 5 stars

Reasons to buy:

• Excellent on pet hair
• Lift-away is great for stairs
• Easily toggles between hard floors and carpet
• LED display
• Very powerful
• Steers without hassle

Reasons to avoid: 

• Battery life is good, but not as good as Shark claims

Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

• Maximum power: 450 W
• Dimensions: ‎25 x 26 x 108 cm
• Weight: 6.2 Kilograms
• Dustbin capacity: 0.6 litres
• Attachments: Dusting Brush, Wide Upholstery Tool, 20cm Crevice Tool, Anti Hair Wrap Pet Tool
• Battery life: 60 minutes (on a non-motorised tool on eco mode)
• Speeds: 3

Getting set up with the Shark ICZ300UKT

The first thing that won me over with the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner was how it was packaged, which was entirely in cardboard. That made me feel a lot better about taking the packaging out to recycle it, as opposed to binning a lot of single-use plastic.

Assembling it was easy to manage, and there is a chunky instruction book included with the Shark ICZ300UKT to help you get to grips with all the attachments. As a powered lift-away model you can easily remove the main unit from the wand to carry it up the stairs or out to the car for portable cleaning.

Other features to note are the DuoClean, which allows you to toggle between a brushroll for hard floors and a roller for carpets. The carpet roll features PowerFins, which is a rubberised fin that sits between brushes to prevent hair from building up on the roller, and to dig deep into carpet fibres to pick up deeply-rooted pet hair.

While I reviewed the Shark ICZ300UKT, which has the pet attachment, you can also buy the Shark Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner with PowerFins & Powered Lift-Away ICZ300UK for the same features but with no additional pet attachment. Everything else is still the same, so if you don’t have pets it may be worth opting for the ICZ300UK instead of the ICZ300UKT.

Using the Shark ICZ300UKT on hard floors

I tried the Shark ICZ300UKT on my hard floors first, using the LED controls to switch the DuoClean brush into the hard floor setting. I used the Eco setting first, which is very powerful for the lower end of the power on offer with the vacuum, and then put it onto the mid-power mode. The display also shows the battery power level, which is very useful for knowing when to switch battery or put the battery onto charge.

The Shark ICZ300UKT made quick work of cleaning the tiles in my kitchen, and while the brush head is quite large, it puts the roller brush out in front so it is able to reach into the underside of cupboards or along skirting boards.

When it comes to reaching underneath the sofa, the Shark ICZ300UKT isn’t the most flexible thanks to the powerful LiftAway design at the front of the machine. It will struggle to reach under things and unlike other models I’ve tested such as the Beko PowerClean it doesn’t have a hinge at the front of the vacuum to drop down and reach under and around obstacles easier.

You can then lift away the main unit to empty the bin, which is attached to the battery holder and the filter, too. Using an easy switch at the bottom of the vacuum I was able to easily shake out the dust from my kitchen floor.

Testing the Shark ICZ300UKT on carpet

I must confess, I didn’t realise my carpets were in such a bad state until I reviewed this vacuum cleaner. I took to my office where my dog likes to nap while I’m working, meaning there is a lot of fur that I’ve allowed to build up for the purpose of testing. The perfect test for a powerful cordless vacuum! The dog is a black labrador who loves to nap on our cream carpets, so removing her hair from the floor is a full-time job that I sometimes struggle to stay on top of.

The Shark ICZ300UKT left an embarrassingly visible line of clean carpet after just one pass, so after a few minutes of cleaning, I was very impressed to find the 0.6 litre dustbin completely full of fur. This wasn’t even using the TruePet attachment, either, and clearly, the PowerFins design is excellent in reaching into the fibres of carpet to pull our deep-rooted pet hair.

Another thing to know about the Shark ICZ300UKT is that it has lights on the brush head, which illuminates the path ahead while cleaning. This was a big perk when cleaning under the desk, which is quite dark even with the lights on. I was able to peer and make sure that there was no area I had missed.

One issue I encountered was how quickly the bin filled, exceeding the Max Fill line after doing just one (admittedly very neglected) carpet. This is one drawback if you’re looking for the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair, but for how deep it reached into my carpet, I’m willing to overlook the smaller bin size. After all, it’s still a cordless model.

Battery life

The Shark ICZ300UKT claims to have a 60-minute battery life, but this is only when used in ECO mode and on a non-motorised tool. I put it to the test on the medium power level on the carpet mode to see how long it would last when cleaning a more demanding space.

While it was far off from the 60-minute claim, the Shark ICZ300UKT still lasted an impressive 31 minutes when cleaning the carpets. That gave me enough time to clean most of my house thanks to the powerful design which required only one pass on most floors.

Other attachments

With the Shark ICZ300UKT you’ll also get a removable battery which lifts out of the unit and slots into an external charging base. This is very satisfying to use and it simply clicks into place on the main body of the vacuum

There is a dusting brush, a wide upholstery brush to work on sofas and on the interior of cars, a 20cm crevice tool to clean hard-to-reach areas, and with the Shark ICZ300UKT you get an anti hair wrap pet tool. Like I said, you don’t get this when you buy the Shark ICZ300UK, which is otherwise the same.

Should you buy the Shark ICZ300UKT?

I give this vacuum cleaner an easy five stars thanks to its impressive power levels and smart features. It stands upright when you lock it into place thanks to the low-lying centre of weight on the vacuum, which makes it easy to store, and it also has a decent battery life, especially when used on the Eco mode.

One of the best things about the Shark ICZ300UKT is how powerful it is on carpets. Using the LED panel to switch from hard floors to carpets couldn’t be easier, especially when compared to other vacuums from Dyson which require you to remove one brush head and add another. This and its amazing results on hard floors and carpets is why it is one of the best vacuum cleaners I have tried.

That said, it is an expensive choice, so if you live in a home with only one type of floor you may not need to invest in something with DuoClean or the power to clean different two types of floor.

About this review, and the reviewer

Millie Fender is small appliances editor at Ideal Home. She reviews everything from coffee machines to robot vacuums from her own home, meaning these tests have been carried out in the same conditions that you’ll be using the vacuum cleaner.

The Shark ICZ300UKT was kindly sent to Millie by Shark, and she tested for two weeks before writing this review. This gave her the chance to test all of its functions and check for any troubleshooting.

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A change of colour is one of the easiest ways to give a tired interior a bright new look. The latest trend for creative colour blocking sees colour being used in imaginative new ways with dynamic combinations taking colour scheming to a whole new level.

Create a break-out zone

Image credit: B&Q

Painting a large block of colour in a key area is a clever technique for breaking up a large open-plan space and creating a smaller, cosier zone within. Start with a neutral background colour and then add a feature panel in a bold contrast tone. Maximise the effect by extending wall colour to the ceiling and out over a dining table or a bed to create a focal point feature. A statement pendant light such as the GoodHome Pegmati pendant light accentuates the colour blocked area. 

Use paint creatively

B&Q is working with a team of Changemakers to transform one of the spaces in their home, using B&Q’s incredible range of interior products. B&Q is inspiring the nation to pick up their brushes and create the change they’ve always dreamed of in their homes.

Talented @Miafelce got creative with colour in her Victorian terraced home, using B&Q paints to re-work the conservatory and create a cheerful WFH desk space and colourful reading nook.

‘Working as a Changemaker for B&Q, I created two new areas in our conservatory. I did this by zoning with colour, which was really easy to do. I’ve gone for Nautical Charm (Valspar V700) for a calm, relaxed look. The desk space has been painted in Rhubarb and Custard (Valspar V700) a warm pink that adds a cosy touch, and I chose Midsummer Night (Valspar V700) for the reading nook. It’s improved how we use the space tremendously and I’m so happy with how it looks!’

While colour is a brilliant way of brightening up a space, working in a few accent pieces here and there can make the perfect finishing touch. Mia chose the striking Frula chair in shapely rattan (£110, B&Q) to make a statement, teamed with the Mali matt oak desk (£110, B&Q).

Get the perfect match

Image credit: B&Q

Colour blocking is all about enlivening surfaces with contrasting tones, whether bold colours, subtle neutrals or calm soothing shades. You can colour block pretty much any surface you please, from walls and ceilings to furniture and floors. Go for a tropical mood with Valspar’s Fresh Artichoke paired with Flamboyant Flamingo, or cocoon yourself with a combo of Warm Nutmeg and Terra Cotta Blush.

Find the right colour combination with B&Q’s wall and ceiling paint range, with thousands of different colours to choose from, you’re guaranteed a perfect match. Or why not use the Valspar paint mixing service at B&Q to create the colour that’s right for you.

The post Add impact with dynamic colour and give your rooms a bright new look appeared first on Ideal Home.

Timber wall panelling has a timeless appeal that will bring character to just about any space. Although it’s been around for centuries, wall panelling is more popular than ever right now, with new timbers, smart colour treatments and easy-to-install DIY options that make fitting it at home a breeze.

Think about practicalities

Image credit: B&Q

As an easy way of giving featureless rooms a facelift, timber wall panelling is a brilliant option for new builds or rooms lacking in architectural details. Panelling is also a great way of covering up uneven walls, bumpy plaster and unsightly pipework, as well as providing extra insulation in chilly spaces. Paint your panelling in on-trend green – we love GoodHome Durable Kilkenny matt emulsion (£17 for 2.5l, B&Q).

To find the colour that’s perfect for your space, why not try the Valspar paint mixing service at B&Q. So whether you’re inspired by your favourite T-shirt, a record sleeve, or a stylish piece of furniture you can choose from over 2 million colours, mixed to find your perfect match.*

Set the scene

B&Q is working with a team of Changemakers to transform one of the spaces in their home, using B&Q’s incredible range of interior products. B&Q is inspiring the nation to pick up their brushes and create the change they’ve always dreamed of in their homes.

For Sarah from @peas.in.my.pod, panelling the hallway of her home has transformed the once-plain space and given it bags more character. ‘I revamped my boring hallway by adding mid-height panelling on the walls and painting the floor. Gentle Shadows (Valspar V700) gives it a warm, relaxed feel that is perfect for calming a busy hallway.’

‘I wanted the lighting to feel quite luxe but low-key, so chose the glam GoodHome Dacite Pendant ceiling light (£30, B&Q) teamed with the Harbour Studio Iris ribbed matt grey table lamp (£40, B&Q) set on the hallway console. I worked as a B&Q Changemaker to bring the scheme together, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out, it was really simple to do myself.’

Work in some wood

Image credit: B&Q

Wood-toned flooring is the perfect choice to complement wall panelling, with its warm tones that will work in any scheme. Create calm in a busy zone with pale oak planks in a soft-sheen finish or go traditional in a hallway with classic herringbone. From solid timber and engineered wood to practical laminate, B&Q has a flooring that’s a natural fit.

*Colour matching service provided by Valspar®. B&Q are unable to scan anything that’s too shiny, doesn’t provide a solid enough colour to match or is smaller than 1 inch sq 

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