I was quoted £2K to transform my box room into a rustic office – I did it myself with TK Maxx bargains & saved a bomb

AFTER the pandemic, more of us than ever are now working from home.

Some of us are still doing our week at our dining room tables, or many on a small desk shoved in the corner of their bedroom.

But one creative mum wanted to create a stunning space to carry out her work from home, and has put our WFH setups to shame.

Sharnene Jewell, 45, a housekeeper and mum of four from Cardiff, transformed a plain bedroom into a stunning, vintage-inspired office for just £250.

Sharnene kept the costs down by buying furniture secondhand on Facebook Marketplace and upcycling everything from a wall canvas to a clock.

She also used clever painting techniques to do everything from giving the walls a concrete effect to painting the desk for a rustic look.

Sharnene estimates the room would have cost £2,000 to do if she had paid full-price for everything.

Sharnene told money-saving Facebook group : “The room was originally my youngest daughter’s room, but she had an upgrade when my middle daughter moved out.

“So we then 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. 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 revealed that she was able to keep her costs down, by buying cheap furniture from Facebook Marketplace, TK Maxx and The Range.

She continued: “The desk I bought second hand from Facebook Marketplace for £75, and it’s originally from Made.com.

“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.

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“The clock was from TK Maxx. It cost £8, and it was black originally. I painted it randomly 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 randomly 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 I bought from a boot sale and my husband re-wired it 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.”

Sharnene was very impressed with her office transformation – and even more impressed at her total spend.

She explained: “It cost me £250 in total.

“I definitely achieved the look I wanted for the walls and floor, but slightly compromised 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 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.”