Since the pandemic, a lot more people are working from home, and having a peaceful office space is essential.
Creating a quiet and comfortable place to work while you’re at home isn’t easy, but one mum from Cardiff has created her own “rustic” home office for just £250. Sharnene Jewell, 45, a housekeeper and mum of four, has used bargains from The Range, TK Maxx, Dunelm and more to keep costs low.
Sharnene also found herself some second hand furniture on Facebook Marketplace and did her own upcycling. As reported by LatestDeals, she told money-saving Facebook group DIY On A Budget: "The room was originally my youngest daughter’s room, but she had an upgrade when my middle daughter moved out.
READ MORE: Mum transforms 'boring' staircase using bargains from B&Q, IKEA and car boot sales
"We decided to use the room as an office because my husband works from home a few days a week. I started by drawing two to three-foot rectangles on the wall, also leaving space for the faux grout. I used a Tesco kitchen sponge, and matte grey emulsion paint with a bit of water to create the concrete effect and then I used matt black emulsion mixed with a bit of the grey for an off black colour for the faux grout.
"I added a small amount of salt for a bit of texture and I painted the rest of the room matte black. The floor was whitewashed, but I wanted it darker, so I stained the white to brown and then scraped matte black floor paint into the grain. I finished it off with clear matte yacht varnish.”
Sharnene found a second hand desk from Made.com on Facebook Marketplace for £75. She continued: "I sanded the top and applied satin black wood paint with a cloth for a rustic effect and I did the same effect on the window frame.
"The clock was from TK Maxx and cost £8, and it was black originally. I painted it with white paint and then applied teak wood stain to the white to create the rust effect. The wall canvas was from The Range. I painted the outer edges black and then random areas with white and then I went over the white with teak wood stain for the rust effect.
"The ceiling loft hatch was white. I painted it black with Rustoleum matt black paint and then I used teak wood stain for the rust effect. I had the leather chair for free from Facebook Marketplace, which I blacked just in the creases for an aged look and the swivel chair was second hand from Facebook Marketplace for £50. It was originally orange, but was a little bit faded due to sun damage, so I dyed the fabric black, but not perfectly. I wanted a grungy look so I left some of the orange showing through.”
The bullet lamp Sharnene bought from a boot sale. She explained: “My husband re-wired the lamp with the green fabric cord, then I just added an Edison style bulb. The green vase is an old demijohn carboy, I bought that second hand for £5 from Facebook Marketplace. The top was slightly damaged, so I bought dial rope from B&Q, and attached it with a glue gun.
"The tray that it sits on was from Matalan and so was the black plant pot on the desk. The rug was £60 secondhand from Facebook Marketplace, but is originally from IKEA. The glass sweet jar I bought from a boot sale for £2. The monstera plant was from Morrisons and the artificial leaves were from IKEA and Dunelm.”
Overall, the home office cost Sharnene £250. She said: "I definitely achieved the look I wanted for the walls and floor, but slightly compromised for the chairs and furniture. However, for the money it cost me, I couldn’t be happier.
"It’s so much easier just going into a shop and buying items that go together, but it’s a bit more challenging when your only choice is things other people are selling. I managed to put my own stamp on everything to make it my own and unique.
"I highly recommend upcycling, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment. I actually up-cycled the floor once before this time to a whitewash finish and then again for this look. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out and it was a lot less work than replacing it and obviously cost next to nothing to do.
"If I’d had to buy everything from new I guess it would have cost me about £2,000, so I’m so happy with everything I managed to find second hand and all the things I was able to upcycle. I think the great thing about sourcing items second hand, is that I don’t mind altering it to make it unique."
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