This vintage gentleman’s club style home office was created for £250

With more of us working from home than ever before, it’s not always easy to find a place for an office, which is why transforming another room can sometimes be the answer.

Sharnene Jewell, a mother of four from Cardiff, did just that when she transformed a simple bedroom into a vintage-inspired study with tons of home office wall decor ideas. Cutting costs by buying used furniture from Facebook Marketplace and upcycling everything from a canvas wall art to a clock, Sharnene managed to bring the makeover to under £250!

“It’s so much easier to go into a store and buy items that go together, but it’s a little harder when your only choice is what other people are selling,” she says.

Vintage Gentleman’s Club Style Home Office

Before

The room was empty, having previously belonged to one of Sharnene’s daughters. “It originally belonged to my youngest daughter, but was upgraded when my second daughter moved out,” Sharnene told Latest Deals. (opens in a new tab). “So we decided to use the room as an office as my husband works from home a few days a week.”

The room itself wasn’t the only thing getting a makeover – Sharnene also put a home office idea into practice by upcycling this desk she bought from Facebook Marketplace for £75.

“It’s the origin of Made.com,” she says. “I sanded the top and applied satin black wood paint with a rag for a rustic effect and did the same effect on the window frame.”

Let’s take a look at the finished results…

After

Can you believe it’s the same room? This new office gives us the air of a serious gentleman’s club, with its leather armchairs and whimsical decoration. The walls have also been given a concrete effect thanks to clever painting techniques and the office looks completely different now that it has been recycled.

“I got the dark brown leather chair for free from Facebook Marketplace, which I blacked out in the creases for an aged look,” says Sharnene. “The swivel chair was also second hand on Facebook Marketplace and cost £50.

‘It was originally orange, but was a little faded from sun damage, so I dyed the fabric black, but not perfectly. I wanted a grungy look so I let some of the orange show through.

So how did Sharnene go about transforming the walls with her creative painting idea? “I started by drawing two to three foot rectangles on the wall, leaving room for the faux grout,” she says.

‘Then I used a kitchen sponge and matte gray emulsion paint with a little water to create the concrete effect. I added a small amount of salt to it for some texture. For the faux grout, I used a matte black emulsion mixed with a bit of gray for an off-black color.

The rest of the room is painted matt black and Sharnene estimated the room would have cost £2,000 if she had to pay full price for everything.

While the walls have been given an industrial look, other parts of the room have been treated for a more rustic effect. “I painted the outside edges of this canvas wall art from The Range black and a few random areas white, then coated the white with teak wood stain for the rust effect,” says Sharnene.

“The attic hatch you can see on the ceiling was originally white. I painted it black with Rustoleum matte black paint (opens in a new tab) then I used the same teak wood stain for the rust effect.’

Sharnene bought the bullet lamp at a garage sale – her husband rewired it with the green fabric cord, then she added an Edison-style bulb.

Turning her attention to the floor, Sharnene knew that the light wood flooring that had previously been in the bedroom wasn’t going to work with her new office look.

“The floor was whitewashed, but I wanted it darker, so I colored the white to brown, then scraped matte black floor paint in the direction of the grain,” says- she. “I finished it with clear yacht varnish.”

Along with other second-hand purchases, the rug was £60 on Facebook Marketplace, while the green vase was £5 because it had a damaged top. “I bought a rope from B&Q and tied it with a glue gun to hide it,” says Sharnene.

“I definitely got the look I wanted for the walls and floor, but slightly compromised on the chairs and furniture,” she continues. “However, for the money it cost me, I couldn’t be happier. I managed to put my own stamp on everything to make it unique and I highly recommend upcycling, it gives a feeling of accomplishment.