One Room, Four Looks

PHOTOGRAPHS Micky Hoyle PRODUCTION Liezel Norval-Kruger WORDS Ilze Hugo

Bridging the divide between work and living space, these four divergent open-plan offices give dull grey cubicles a run for their money.

GARDEN VARIETY
Bring the outdoors in by combining natural and contemporary elements to chic effect in this tranquil botanical den.

GET THIS LOOK: 

• Paint the front wall with Plascon Double Velvet Cape Cliffs (G7-E1-1). Add a natural, yet modern twist by covering the back wall with a sheet of plywood.   
• Throw traditional wall art positioning notions out the window by layering two-dimensional images to create a wallpaper effect and mixing in more three-dimensional, framed images on top.   
• Fill empty glass jars with interesting images instead of plants. When choosing natural elements, go for cleaner, more contemporary materials such as plywood. By using wood with a cleaner, more modern finish, you’ll get a look that’s natural, yet graphic and modern.  
• Collect old boxes and crates to stack against the wall for an eye-catching sculptural arrangement that doubles as a storage solution.

Accessories:
Plywood sheet wall covering, Baltic Timber. Wall-mounted pot-plant holder, Thingking. Succulent, Stark Ayres. Selection of storage boxes, Coco Karoo, Continuum, Mid-Century Modern and The Treasury. Hanging succulent, Opus. Pressed plant (framed), Coco Karoo. Botanical print (framed), L’Orangerie. Botanical print (canvas), Block & Chisel. Diesel with Foscarini Duii lamp, Créma Design. Green Wonki Ware jug, Blink. Glass jar (with print inside), o.live. Vintage green glass vase, Prêt-à-Pot. Wooden chest of drawers, Artefect. Succulents in drawers, Stark Ayres. Glass dome, Obelisk. Succulent in terracotta pot, Opus. Green chest, Continuum. Leather journal, Baraka. Wooden log, Nap. Side table, Saks Corner. Chair, Weylandts. Green carpet, Gonsenhausers Fine Rugs. Model wears: Panama hat, Baraka; Uno linen dress, Habits; Rare Earth belt, Poetry; Ida Elsje brass-and-stone ring, Olive Green Cat

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
Industrial doesn’t have to mean drab – bright colours and fun décor elements bring a fresh new look to this nine-to-five haven.

GET THIS LOOK: 

• Paint the back wall with Plascon Double Velvet Gold Finch (Y4-B1-2), while keeping the front wall white to offset the rest of the palette.   
• Draw barcode lines on the wall with a laser or spirit level, mask the lines with masking tape, then paint them using Plascon blackboard paint.   
• Create three horizontal rectangular blocks below the barcodes with a spirit level and masking tape, then carefully fill in the blocks with Plascon Cloud Terrace (P6-B1-1), Go Go Red (R4-A1-1), Sunset in the Desert (O3-B1-1) and Gold Finch (Y4-B1-2).   
• Photocopy barcode numbers to size and cut the numbers out with a craft knife, creating a stencil. Attach the photocopies to the wall on top of the different-coloured rectangles and paint over the stencil with a sponge roller using Plascon blackboard paint.   
• Finally, paint the repurposed door-turned-tabletop in Plascon Velvaglo Cloud Terrace (P6-B1-1).

Accessories:
Fire extinguisher box, Vamp. Bicycle, Woodheads. Skeletor sway bench, JesseJames Design. Trestles, LIM. Doorframe used as tabletop, Baltic Timber. Mezzadro stool, Mid-Century Modern. Urban Steed cruiser skateboard, JesseJames Design. Clock, Mid-Century Modern. Humanscale Horizon LED task light, Créma Design. Robot pencil holder, Abode. Stationery (wrapping paper, pencils, eraser, sharpener, notebooks), The Deckle Edge. Red “Keep Calm & Carry On” tin, Quirky Me. Black cabinet on wheels, @home. Dolly chair, Kartell. 

PATTERN PERFECT
A trendy geometric wall design and eye-catching chandelier give this fashion-forward workspace the edge.

GET THIS LOOK: 

• Liven up the front wall with a geometric Moroccan pattern in Plascon Double Velvet Rafter (P6-E1-1), Nautilous (B6-D1-1), Stony Field (R6-E2-1) and Ivory White (Y4-B2-3). Draw straight horizontal lines with a laser or spirit level, add vertical lines at 45-degree angles, then fill in the shapes with the different colours. Wait for one colour block to dry before painting the adjacent block, using masking tape on the dry areas to create perfect sharp edges.   
• Paint the back wall in Plascon Double Velvet Rafter (P6-E1-1). The warmer tone in the background will offset and highlight the pattern in the foreground while differentiating the two spaces.  
• Paint the repurposed hollow door-turned-tabletop with Plascon Velvaglo Rafter (P6-E1-1).   
• Offset the busy wall pattern with clean-lined accessories. 

Accessories:
Grey chandelier, Weylandts. Bed, Tafelberg Furnishers. Linen pillowcase, Aldona Pure Linen. Scatter cushion, The Fabric House. Linen throw, Aldona Pure Linen. Linen sheet, Artefect. Silk carpet, Fibre Designs. Clothing rail, Weylandts. Black hangers, Swift Dry Cleaners. Clothing on rail: Aldona Pure Linen and Isabel de Villiers Clothing. Trestles, LIM. Doorframe used as tabletop, Baltic Timber. Wooden shoemaker moulds, Vamp. Selection of linen, The Fabric House. Purple shoes, Kingdom. Antique scissors, Artefect. Comback chair, Kartell. Model wears: aubergine jeans, Ronald Sassoon; watercolour print tank, Jo Borkett; ring, Imagenius; Daniella Michelle boots, Queue Shoes; model holds Aldona Pure Linen dress.

CRAFT CORNER
Shrugging off their former girly image, pastels get a new lease on life in this crafty home studio.

GET THIS LOOK: 

• Paint the back wall with Plascon Double Velvet Fat Alley Cat (B7-E1-2) and the bar stool with Plascon Velvaglo Mystic Copper (O3-C1-1). The front wall gets a coat of You’re My Sweetie (O4-C2-2).   
• Cut hardboard into interesting shapes and paint in You’re My Sweetie (O4-C2-2), Fat Alley Cat (B7-E1-2), Mystic Copper (O3-C1-1) and Happy Ending (Y5-B2-3). Stand them upright along the floating shelves for an offbeat alternative to traditional wall decorations.  
• By layering and combining elements within a contained space – like these floating shelves – you can achieve an interesting visual effect without making the space look too cluttered.   
• Upcycling has never been more on trend. Give new life to antique furniture – like this deconstructed armchair – by reupholstering it. 

Accessories:
Gert Hulme paintings, Coco Karoo. Armchair, Artefect. Silk carpet, Fibre Designs. Scaffolding planks used as shelving, Ross Demolition. Belinda Ormond black ceramic vase, Blink. Printed jar, o.live. Wood and metal moulds, Artefect. Painted zebra skull, Africa Nova. Karen Henstra ceramic vase, Wunders. Belinda Ormond clay men, Blink. Selection of confit jars, Artefect. Wooden baboon skull, Africa Nova. Trestles, LIM. Doorframe used as tabletop, Baltic Timber. Rice paper rolls, Nap. Belinda Ormond black ceramic vase, Blink. Michael Guy copper candleholders, Haas. Antique paintbrushes, Artefect. Copper skull, Imagenius. Large confit jar, Artefect. Terracotta Wonki Ware crockery, Melissa’s. Wooden stool, LIM. Stacked paper, Block & Chisel. Vintage chair, Continuum. Mid-century copper lights, Mid-Century Modern.

For more handy tips, visit plasconspaces.co.za