Fitted Kitchen & Bathroom Installation, Slab Doors, Glass Splashbacks, Bespoke Kitchen Styles

Two vacant sites in Sandridge and three in Batchwood that were formerly garages are being transformed into affordable housing. The £5.6m scheme is being delivered by St Albans City and District Council, and will provide 48 much needed homes in the form of flats and houses. The garage blocks were demolished a long time ago, and the sites have stood empty since. The homes are due for completion later this year and will assist St Albans in it’s commitment to deliver affordable homes in the area.

St Albans is seeing quite a bit of building of this kind including the recent announcement of a £720,000 grant from Homes England, to redevelop Wavell House in Cell Barnes Lane. This used to be a sheltered accommodation block for elderly residents and has been empty for some time. It is destined to be demolished and replaced by flats and parking spaces for the over 55’s.

Councillor Brian Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “I am delighted that Homes England has agreed to provide this very substantial grant.” “Wavell House was no longer fit for purpose and we have carefully considered our redevelopment options.” “By developing the block in this way, we are showing our strong commitment to meeting the demand from our community for affordable homes.”

Carol Cairns, Homes England’s Head of Home Ownership and Supply for the South East, said: “This funding is an excellent example of our commitment to increase the supply of affordable homes, helping older people in the St Albans community through the delivery of high quality new homes.”

There are other sheltered housing blocks being redeveloped in St Albans which are becoming unfit for purpose and showing their age. Homes England, has replaced the Homes and Communities Agency, and will work to provide new housing across the UK.

Bespoke Hand Made Fitted Kitchen Collection, Colours & Finishes. Traditional, Classic, Modern, Rustic & Contemporary

Kitchen splashbacks are a perfect example of how kitchen planning and interior design have become connected. Going from a purely practical role – protecting the walls from hob and sink splashes – these days, the kitchen splashback is also more of a statement piece. For a sleek and modern style, glass is an attractive splashback choice.

In addition to worktops, it’s quite often the first element that’s noticed when walking into a kitchen. So, what’s on trend for kitchen splashbacks? Brightly toned toughened glass is very popular and what’s more, almost any bold colour looks stunning from bright and vibrant red to smart and sophisticated navy blue, or maybe give your neutral kitchen a touch of freshness with a lime green sleek glass splashback. Using accessories in matching shades will draw the eye to the splashback, making it work even harder as a star feature of your room too.

Pairing metallics, such as copper or gold, with crisp marble work surfaces is proving popular. Similarly, black and grey stone splashbacks are becoming more prevalent. Maybe opt for a graphic print or photo imaging on a splashback to make an impact. Use it to create a feature wall in a neutral kitchen scheme and it will instantly make your sink area stand out from the rest of your kitchen.

Another idea is to add illumination, use backlighting or down lighting to make the most of texture and fine stone patterns.  If you are using glass ask your glass supplier to add a slim prefabricated frame for LEDs. Opt for lighting that will change from cool white light when you’re cooking to ambient warm tones when you’re dining or relaxing afterwards.

Changing your splashback is an easy way to breathe new life into a kitchen without breaking the bank. So what are you waiting for?

You can find a wide range of kitchen and bathroom splashbacks from companies like G M Glass.