Interior specialist Dawid Augustyn transforms a teenager’s room with little more than the strategic use of grey and brights. 



The designer

Dawid Augustyn is a Cape Town-based quantity surveyor whose passion for architecture and interiors gave rise to his own design and furniture company – called ESTABLISHMENT– more than eight years ago.



“I’m inspired by many things,” he says. “Nature mostly, but also the evolution of modern fashion, architecture and design. In the past couple of years, with the economic situation changing, design has evolved to embrace these times.” 



The project
The teenage owner of this space, Alexander Luyt, wanted something comfortable and practical, but unique. The first step was to get rid of the clutter, in particular the cumbersome bunk bed in the middle of the room. This made the room look and feel far bigger. Plus it turned the walls into canvases for Dawid’s clever use of colour.



After stepping in and stripping down the space, Dawid filled it with a striking, but simple palette of all-natural colours. The walls pair Plascon Cashmere Rocky Ridge (B5-E1-4) and Dancing in the Rain (B5- E2-1) with pale blue Cashmere Athena’s Dream (B4-A2-1) and a splash of Plascon Cashmere Lavish Lemon (Y5-A1-1).



“Grey for the mountains and rainy days; yellow for the sun and flowers in the back garden,” says Dawid. “At the moment I’m very into all shades of grey and it is a strong colour trend.

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Dawid’s advice for this look is to brighten the colourful bits to the maximum for even more impact and contrast. “Brights are very big for summer,” he says, “but I still prefer using them in contrasting elements that can easily be changed so that your space can evolve with time.

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That’s not just nature. It’s human nature too.



Style tips

• Paint adjacent walls in complementary shades of grey – the contrast of dark and light adds visual interest to the space.
• Hang black-and-white photographs on your walls and paint your ceiling white (with black beams if you have them) for a high-impact, monochromatic look.
•  Use Plascon’s blackboard paint to create blackboard panels beside a work desk for to-do lists, reminders and scribbles.
• Finish the look with linen and scatter cushions in grey, white, and a bright citrus shade to match the colour of your feature wall.

ESTABLISHMENT

info@establishment.co.za