By Happinest

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.

A contemporary dining environment where food, identity and spatial design meet. Rooted in the Soft Life philosophy, the restaurant reframes dining as ritual rather than transaction - prioritising comfort, generosity and meaningful social engagement through thoughtful layout, material warmth and layered brand storytelling

KLAY

A material-led dining environment showcasing the spatial potential of architectural clay. Designed and constructed using KLAY’s terracotta surfaces, tiles and screen blocks, the bistro demonstrates how natural clay products can shape atmosphere, texture and spatial rhythm. The installation highlights the brand’s legacy of craftsmanship and innovation, presenting clay as both structural and sensory material. In alignment with the Soft Life theme, the space emphasises warmth, tactility and durability - illustrating how honest materials can support slower, more grounded everyday rituals.

Featuring Jozi Customs & 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.

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.

Home isn’t just where we live — it’s what we feel.

Shop the Look brings Woolworths’ vision of winter living to life, where comfort, craft and thoughtful details take centre stage. Through four immersive pods representing Fire, Earth, Air and Water, visitors engage with tactile, timeless home products - from soft throws to enduring ceramics - designed to slow the pace, spark reflection and transform everyday spaces into moments of care. This curated experience celebrates clarity, emotional focus and mindful engagement, showing not everything, but everything that matters.

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.

A platform for emerging designers exploring new material narratives and evolving craft languages. The feature frames innovation as thoughtful progression - where experimentation supports meaning, tactility and future-facing relevance aligned to softer modes of living.

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.

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.

An exploration of lighting as emotional infrastructure. Moving beyond illumination as function, the feature considers how light shapes mood, rhythm and spatial perception - positioning lighting design as a fundamental tool for creating environments that support wellbeing.

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.

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 Cooking Studio pairs chef demonstrations with @Home’s curated kitchen accessories and table-setting products. Visitors can explore how layout, tools, materials and styling choices shape the experience of preparing and sharing food, highlighting how thoughtful design elevates everyday rituals into moments of comfort, care and connection.

An interactive build-and-learn space combining practical DIY demos with expert advice from Discovery Homeloans 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. 

A live, on-site podcast studio capturing Decorex 2026 in real time. Shaped by The Soft Life — a design movement prioritising wellbeing, comfort, tactility and restoration — the studio creates a dynamic content layer for the show. It features visitor and designer vox pops, select highlights from Future Talks panels, and a branded studio set that doubles as a destination and hospitality moment. Episodes are recorded live and later shared as edited podcasts and short-form content, extending the exhibition experience beyond the floor.