GENTLEMAN’S CLUB IS FIT FOR A LADY

JENNIFER HUGHES, 33, is a brand sales partner for a hospitality consultancy and lives in Knutsford, Cheshire, with her partner Lee. She says:

With nowhere to go and nothing else to do, we’ve spent the pandemic immersed in DiY to add character to our four-bedroom, 1960s house. the highlight has been transforming the conservatory into a dark and moody cocktail lounge.

it is reminiscent of a gentleman’s club, and instead of flopping on the sofa to binge-watch Netflix, we now chat at our wonderful bar, drinking bourbon old fashioneds.

Working in hospitality, i had lots of ideas, and when lockdown was announced last March we set to work on the conservatory. After painting the white UPVC black and creating wood panelling for the walls, Lee made the bar from scratch using MDF that he painted a dark blueblack, which cost around £500.

We added suede bar stools and for Christmas i bought him an old school bar pump with a wooden base. the keg of beer is boxed so sits neatly under the wooden bar top. Quirky, goldframed pictures of animals wearing smoking jackets and cravats add to the members’ club feel, as does the gold monkey ice bucket.

there’s also mood lighting, disco lights, a smoke machine, heating, DJ decks and my beloved piano, as well as a Sonos music system.

And there’s no shortage of booze! We have 50 gins alone.

For my birthday last June, Lee filled the bar with candles and we sat and drank champagne, gazing at the stars through the glass roof. it was magical.