Leah Sigsworth, 24, a content creator documenting her English cottage renovation on TikTok, struck gold when she peeled back a layer of adhesive vinyl tile on the centuries-old fireplace to discover the beautiful original tile underneath.
Sigsworth and her partner moved into the quaint Northamptonshire cottage in December 2024. She revealed the ornate floral tile design in a Nov. 3, 2025, TikTok video that has since racked up over 200,000 views.
The tiles, hidden under a previous owner’s updated decor, could be as old as the cottage, which dates back to 1826. People commenting on the video echoed Sigsworth’s excitement and expressed relief that the previous owner chose a non-destructive way to update the space.
“Round of applause for the person who just used peel and stick rather than demolishing 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼.”
The hidden tile was perfectly preserved under the modern decor.
In her video, Sigsworth peeled back a layer of vinyl adhesive tile to reveal original tile decorated with authentic, vintage botanical designs framing a small fireplace. She wrote, “Look what we uncovered in our little 1826 English cottage today!!!!” in onscreen text, adding, “I’M OBSESSED” in the post’s caption.
The video included clips that showed the perfectly preserved, full-color original tile in comparison with the simple black and white faux tile design that a previous owner covered it with.
@leahsetherealcottage I’M OBSESSED
♬ original sound – Hollie Freeman
“Jaw is on the FLOOR.”
“I’m so glad they used something non-destructive to cover it. You can dislike something while still preserving it 🥰”
“I’d cry of happiness because how stunning are they💕.”
“Why would you cover those beautiful tiles?”
“I had these exact awful stickers stuck to my beautiful tiles in my Edwardian house! The mind boggles!!”
The young homeowners obviously plan to leave the original tiles exposed in their kitchen. “They’ve just complemented and lifted the room so much,” Sigsworth told Newsweek. “I shared it on TikTok because I couldn’t not,” she said.
“I love watching home videos myself, from organizing pantries to painting bedroom ceilings—so I had a feeling others would love the tile reveal as much as I did.”
Leah Sigsworth did not immediately reply to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
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