A design-led pause within the exhibition journey, the Bubbly Bar positions hospitality as spatial experience. Through atmospheric lighting, tactile finishes and a gentle rhythm of movement, the space encourages visitors to slow down, connect and recalibrate. It reflects the Soft Life ethos through lightness, sociability and the intentional design of ease.

THE LIQUID TABLE An Immersive Dining Installation

For the first time, the 100% Design Restaurant at Decorex is conceived not simply as a place to dine, but as an installation in its own right: an immersive environment where dining and design become one experience.

Inspired by the current revival of stainless steel and liquid-metal finishes across contemporary European design, the space explores a tension between the futuristic and the tactile. Mirrored surfaces, liquid-metal fabric, raw concrete and sculptural metallic forms create a cool, reflective architectural shell, while sheer white curtains soften the space and introduce intimacy, movement and a subtle sense of home.

The restaurant is organised around a single, monumental six-metre communal table, transforming the conventional dining layout into one immersive, shared experience. Rather than introducing scattered tables and seating, the oversized table draws guests into a dramatic, installation-like setting. Burgundy fur ottomans add warmth, richness and tactile contrast against the cool metallic surfaces and raw concrete floor. Three-dimensional mesh forms emerge from the wall like suspended sculptural clouds, simultaneously ethereal and architectural. The result is a restaurant that becomes part of the exhibition experience itself, inviting guests to sit, gather and engage with design rather than simply observe it.

Klay is coming to Decorex Cape Town—not with a stand, but with a seat at the table.

Created in collaboration with interior designer Zarah Riley, Klay Bistro is a café concept designed to showcase Klay materials in a setting that feels lived-in rather than displayed. Moving beyond the traditional trade-show format, the space invites visitors into a warm, functional environment where products are experienced in context.

A palette of terracotta, dune, clay and greenery is layered with tactile finishes, screenblock detailing and bespoke furniture by Unfold Events, creating a space that encourages visitors to slow down, explore and linger.

Less a stand, more a destination. Pull up a chair—we'll see you at Decorex.

Featuring Zest & Co

A calm, functional café environment demonstrating how high-traffic spaces can still embody clarity and restraint. With a focus on intuitive flow, balanced visual rhythm and material simplicity, the space shows how everyday service environments can support a softer pace without sacrificing efficiency.

Curated by The Academy Art

Curated by The Academy Art, Cultivating the Soft Life is an immersive art-led environment designed to restore, inspire and encourage connection. Featuring lounges, a wine bar, live artists and flexible workspaces, the space transforms the energy of the show into moments of reflection, conversation and new ideas.

By UNFOLD events

A composed arrival experience that frames first impressions as a design responsibility. Calm, confident and refined, the lounge introduces the exhibition through spatial clarity, material balance and quiet anticipation. Positioned in the foyer, the space also serves as a waiting point for visitors with booked Lexus concierge drives - offering a comfortable, design-led pause before continuing their journey through the show.

featuring interior designer, Tshepo Sealetsa

A conceptual installation exploring future mobility through a human-centred lens. The feature reimagines the garage as a considered living interface rather than a purely technical environment, integrating softness, fluid spatial transitions and material sensitivity into the narrative of tomorrow’s home.

Designed as an immersive expression of modern living, the Woolworths Home installation invites visitors to experience homeware beyond the product - calling attention to the quiet rituals that shape everyday life.

Inspired by a global return to tactile, human-centered experiences, the installation encourages interaction through a deeply sensorial experience. Using texture, scent, sound and light, the stand invites visitors to connect with their senses and, in doing so, with simple everyday rituals.

Rather than simply showcasing objects, the space explores how thoughtful design transforms everyday moments into something that connects us to our humanity.

A celebration of South African design as soft power, 100% Local 2026 showcases the country’s leading product and furniture talent in Cape Town and Joburg. Evolving from a single curated installation into a constellation of designer-led displays, the pavilion features a series of curved plinths, each uniquely interpreted by a different designer. Together, they create a cohesive yet diverse narrative of contemporary living, creativity and craftsmanship - reflecting Soft Life values through authenticity, material intelligence, and design made to support daily life rather than spectacle.

Celebrating LRNCE as Designer of the Year, this feature recognises a practice defined by sustained contribution, cultural influence and design integrity. Known for their thoughtful, human-centred interiors and commitment to material honesty, LRNCE embodies Soft Life principles - where success is measured through longevity, purposeful evolution, and the creation of spaces that support daily life, rather than excess or fleeting trends.

100 best designs of 2026

Ten x Ten is both a showcase and the seed of a growing Design Library - an evolving archive of materials, craft and cultural connections across Africa and beyond. The installation traces trips, encounters and inspirations from Morocco, Egypt, Milan, Lagos and South Africa, revealing how materials, makers and stories interweave across continents. At its heart, it celebrates the everyday objects shaping design, presenting global influences through deeply local narratives - inviting visitors to touch, see and reflect on the creativity and care that define our design landscape.

FloodLight brings light into focus at Decorex 2026 — a new feature celebrating the best in local lighting design through the lens of this year’s theme, The Soft Life. More than illumination, FloodLight explores light as soft power: shaping atmosphere, emotion and wellbeing within a deeply immersive experience.

Developed in collaboration with spatial lighting designer Martin Döller, the feature transforms the exhibition space through mood, depth and theatre, revealing how light can completely change the way a room is felt. Showcasing leading South African lighting talent including Mash.T, TheUrbanative, MOS Lighting, Joe Paine, Mema and LDA Lighting, FloodLight reflects the strength, creativity and innovation shaping South African lighting design today.

A kitchen environment centred on nourishment, presence and everyday ritual, the installation celebrates Soft Life principles through curved layouts, flowing forms and tactile surfaces. Ergonomic planning, material warmth and thoughtfully layered textures shift the focus from performance to lived experience, presenting the kitchen as a supportive, inviting backdrop for daily life where movement, touch and ritual are elevated.

At the Capitec Design Market, the shopping gets very good.

From Life & Death Gallery, Mzoe and Ador to Cape Masai Leather, Handpicked Leather, Cocoon, Darling Sweet, Rio Largo, Fijnbos, Margo, WDN Works, and Shaden Craft, this is where Decorex gathers the smaller brands, makers and discoveries that fit right in your bag.

Come for art, fashion, craft, gifts, sweet things, and all the little finds that make the Capitec Design Market almost irresistible.

The Soft Life Pods are a designer-led showcase bringing Decorex Africa 2026’s annual theme to life. Each micro interior offers the opportunity to interpret, design and display a vision of wellness-driven living, demonstrating how layout, tactility, lighting and furniture choices shape environments that prioritise comfort, adaptability and human experience.

Theme Focus: Atmospheres of Joy

Decorex Africa reimagines the bedroom as part of The Soft Life theme, transforming it into a retreat designed to slow down, soothe the senses, and celebrate moments of joy. Through acoustic softness, layered materials, playful textures, colour and thoughtful details, designers create spaces that blend everyday luxury with restorative comfort. In collaboration with a leading mattress brand, each installation demonstrates how the perfect sleep experience enhances wellbeing, positioning the bedroom as both an architectural refuge and a sanctuary of sensory delight for residential and hospitality living.

At the heart of every home lies the kitchen - where design, ritual, and connection converge. For Decorex Africa 2026, the collaborative Kitchen Project showcases two distinct kitchen installations interpreting The Soft Life. Created in partnership with premium sponsors, including Cosentino, these immersive spaces highlight how surfaces, durability, and thoughtful detailing shape daily interaction, demonstrating how material choice and design thinking enhance ease of use, longevity, sensory comfort, and the overall Soft Life experience.

Future Talks, Decorex Africa’s live platform, explores how The Soft Life shapes contemporary design. Across interiors, architecture, hospitality, craft, wellness, food, materials, retail and technology, leading voices from Africa and beyond share insights on comfort, tactility, beauty, care, sustainability and ritual. Blending inspiration with industry perspective, the programme shows how softness influences spaces, objects, brands and ways of living - designed for trade, creatives, media, students, buyers and culturally curious audiences seeking thoughtful, future-facing design dialogue.

A live, interactive space celebrating the ritual of cooking as part of The Soft Life, the @home Cooking Studio combines inspiring chef demonstrations with beautifully curated homeware, cookware, kitchen accessories, and tableware from @home.

Designed, furnished, and styled by @home, the space showcases how thoughtful design can elevate everyday cooking, entertaining, and connection. The kitchen and outdoor dining scape have been created in collaboration with Sprung Outdoor Living, featuring the latest outdoor colour range from Infinity Surfaces and premium solutions from Franke, including the HydroTap. The space is completed by Ceramic Industries and Newport Lighting, while the interactive AV experience is brought to life by The Solutions Company.

The chef lineup, curated by the talented Food Jams team, promises a vibrant and diverse culinary showcase, with a special Saturday session hosted by acclaimed chef and Zola Nene.

A destination where food, design, and entertaining come together to inspire life at home.

An interactive build-and-learn space combining practical DIY demos with expert advice from Discovery Bank Home Loans on accessing and activating your home bond. Visitors can explore paint, surfaces, tiles, flooring, glazing, outdoor living, lighting, smart home upgrades and more, learning hands-on tips to transform their spaces. Framed through The Soft Life, the studio empowers people to create homes that support wellbeing, comfort, and everyday ritual.

A hands-on making environment brought to life by Clayheart Ceramics, specialists in handmade functional and decorative pottery. Visitors can engage with clay through hand-building techniques and ceramic painting on bisque pieces, creating their own unique objects. Through material exploration and process-led learning, the studio highlights craft as a form of design understanding, reinforcing Soft Life values of tactility, patience, and meaningful connection to objects.