GQ South Africa — May 2017

RETROFIT

YOUR RENTAL

Senior designer

Brian Sawyerof

Sawyer Berson

helps you upgrade

without losing

your lease

Switch your focus from

lights to dimmers

Designershateoverhead

lighting, but if you’re

stuck with it, installing

dimmers can make a

huge difference. The

samegoesforfloor

lamps.‘Ifthere’sno

dimmer on the switch,

youcanjustaddoneto

thecord,’Sawyersays.

Get plastered, but

use paint

Thepaintjobyourplace

got the week before

you moved needn’t be

permanent. To add

some texture, use paints

andglazestocreatea

decorative effect, like

usingastippleroller

with heavy body paint

to imitate a plaster wall.

The key to shelves

is to disappear them

Shelves–andthestuff

youputonthem–arean

underrated design

element. ‘The simpler the

better,’ says Sawyer. You

want to place the focus

on the objects the

shelves are supporting:

art...intheformofaprint,

books, or your Jordans

collection.

MAY 2017 GQ.CO.ZA 67

THE

FUNDAMENTALS

Don’tbeafraidof

glossy paint

On ceilings, it brings in

more natural light and

serves as a cheat to give

the appearance of a

higher ceiling. And on any

surface, the refl ections –

of sunlight, city lights,

water, your neighbour’s

dog – create a kind of art.

Pull furniture away

from the wall

Just a few inches.

The room will

feel larger. Trust us.

Ignore the

dimensions of

your windows

Window size doesn’t

need to determine how

big the window

appears. So never put

a window treatment

inside the window. If

there’s space above the

window, hang a curtain

rod or Roman shades as

close to the ceiling as

possible (and allow the

sides to go beyond the

width of the window) to

create the illusion of

a larger window and

higher ceiling.

Fewer things

on the wall

One thing. Maybe two.

Think of your house as

a museum. If you’re going

to the trouble of hanging

something up, it should

be showcased. The spot

on your wall is almost

more important than

what you place on it. Feel

free to swap things in and

out as an easy way to

reboot your interior.

2.Lamps

There is no better

way to set the

mood and make

any space feel

comfortable

and relaxing.

Bendi fl oor

lamp R1 299

1.Quality

combos

Choose bedding in
crisp, fresh cotton
and timeless colour
combinations.
Neutrals are easy
to accessorise with
just a few accents.
Don’t be afraid of
the lived in look
either: toss some
cushions around
the room and
drape a blanket
over the bottom
of the bed. It’s an
effortless and
dreamy effect.
100% cotton
reversible duvet
set R599

3.Compact

speaker

The Stanmore

speaker from

Marshall is a real

show stopper.

This is a must have

for any guy’s

bookshelf; it shouts

sophistication.

Stanmore bluetooth

speaker R5 999

4.Rugs

Rugs pull

everything together

and make a space

feel warm and cosy.

Go for a natural

material, like cotton

or wool.

Sixth Floor striped

100% woven cotton

rug R999

5.Art

Art is a great

conversation

starter, so go

for something

unexpected or

a work that says

something about

who you are. A case

in point is this

quirky travel series

by US artists Lyn

Nannce-Sasser and

Stephen Sasser.

R99 per print

INSIDE STORY

FIVE APARTMENT ESSENTIALS

Superbalist.com’s apartment buyer

Chevaune Morrison takes us through

a modern man’s must-haves. If you have

an empty apartment, start with these