Category Archives: Events

As shared in my last post I’ve been working like a demon, my mind and body are tied up in 101 creative endevours and in the middle of last week I decided to say ‘enough is a enough’ and on Wednesday I cleared my schedule, cancelled a bunch of meetings and grabbed Nathan and headed off into the countryside for a much-needed break, which turned into a lazy long weekend.

My folks stay out in Franschhoek, their home tucked away at the base of the mountains, off the hustle and bustle of the main drag, the perfect place to unwind and catch-up with myself and family.

We ate like kings at Leopard’s Leap, Pierneef à La Motte and Babel, a firm favourite. It wasn’t overly indulgent though, we took a walk through the La Motte garden with chef Chris Erasmus, picked some veg, which I in turn roasted up in a honey glaze, just one of several home cooked meals over the weekend.

I spoilt myself by buying an iPad and downloaded several back issues of Trendenser, drank loads of coffee and took in the amazing views.

Nathan and I went for long forest walks, pranced around Babylonstoren, fed the donkeys, picked lemons and literally stopped to smell the roses.

The last weekend break I had was in November last year, it was beyond refreshing and I’ll be doing it more often, starting with a weekend away at Babylonstoren

I attended Decorex Cape Town ’13 yesterday as an invited media guest.

I’ve been attending in a personal capacity for over 7yrs and in that time I’ve noticed a large shift in exhibitors. When it started it was smaller and niche, it’s growing into being more of a ‘on-stop’ shop, much like Homemakers is/was, which in my opinion makes it harder to find new, up and coming creative talent, many of whom are squirreled away between stands selling LED lighting or the latest flooring options.

My hope is that this brief whirlwind tour will give you a few of my personal highlights and keep you design focused, unless your thing is ogling at scantily clad lederhosen wearing models? Incidentally, you’ll find a few of over at the Afrox Gas Stand.

Right, so in no particular order, here are my show picks.

Revered stylist and interior designer, Tracy Lee Lynch chose to interpret this years theme, “Bliss”. Her dramatic and beautiful entrance installation, showcases the worldwide revival of cross-stitch as a design trend, with her unique sense of whimsical nostalgia.

French artist, Frederique Morrel’s up-cycled tapestry pieces are truly breathtaking. I was introduced to her work in the latest issue of VISI Magazine, but no image can do justice to her remarkable works. A MUST SEE!

My dear friend, Lauren Fowler was out in full force, showcasing her line of all-consuming crafty goodness, from self-stitch cross-stitch kits to her adorable animal prints. She shares her stand with decor from one of my favourite local furniture/homeware designers, Dark Horse.

Make your way over to Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour, Jess is serving up a special blend of tea just for the Decorex, tying into their “Bliss” theme, a blend of Rooibos, lavender and dried strawberries.

Grazia Magazine joins forces with Vamp Furniture to showcase this beautiful mid-century modern living room, complete with the Tretchikoff and J.H. Lynch prints. I’m loving Skinny Laminx new “rough cuts” patterns, they blend timelessly into most settings.

As always, Stefan Frylinck from Space For Life has outdone himself. Visit his designer Scandinavian Room over at Volvo’s #MADEFORYOU Designer Pods.
 

Kraftisan are joint exhibiting with Design Times, paying homage to Pantone’s colour of the year, Emerald. Take a peek at their latest Flapstand offering and stock up on Honest Chocolate and limited edition cover prints.

I’ve long admired Crosley turntables, a US brand that has been creating and selling low-cost turntables since 1920! They’ve not been available to local consumers, but have just landed a local distributor and will be hitting our shores at the end of the month.

Head on over to the The Cape Craft & Design Institute’s stand and take a peek at some of the best local, small-scale artists and craftsmen. The show stopper for me has to be Indigi Designs, based in Woodstock they offer a wide range of textile design and bespoke steel homewares.

Lastly, Woodlam, everything is fantastic, but my highlight is their latest offering, a portable panel heater called the VARME, encased in a natural birch ply these heaters are not only functional, but aesthetically pleasing and a modest R1,500 each.
Decorex offers something for everyone, the design lover, avid DIY’er and tradesman.

Even though I combed the floors for 2hrs, I’m sure I missed a few gems, so feel free to comment and share your own show highlights.