THE BEST IN DESIGN AT DECOREX CAPE TOWN 2024

A refined pause within the energy of Decorex, The Wine Experience is designed as a sensory reset — a space where great design, exceptional wine and thoughtful hospitality come together in effortless balance.

Rooted in this year’s Soft Life theme, the experience embraces lightness, clarity and connection through curated wine tastings, beautifully presented food offerings and an interactive wine display that invites visitors to explore, discover and engage. Paired with fresh poke bowls and relaxed lounge-style seating, the space offers a moment to slow down, recalibrate and savour the atmosphere before the next design find.

More than a bar, this is a hospitality-led design experience — one that celebrates the rituals of tasting, gathering and conversation through carefully considered detail, materiality and mood. From the visual presentation of the wines to the layered culinary experience, every element is designed to create a lasting sensory memory.

A generous, market-style dining space that treats food as part of the visitor journey, not an afterthought. Designed for decompression and social rhythm — a Soft Life pause that supports longer conversations and slower decision-making. 

A small-scale delight designed as an urban “street moment” inside the show — quick, joyful, and visually legible. Soft Life in miniature: everyday pleasure engineered into the route.  

100% Restaurant is an immersive collaboration by Cocoon Lifestyle and Botanicus, featuring a curated culinary experience by Mpho Phalane of Food I Love You. More than a dining destination, it is a celebration of design, where atmosphere, materiality, flavour and social connection are carefully orchestrated into a single experience. Expressing the essence of Soft Life through comfort, ritual and meaningful gathering, the restaurant invites visitors to slow down, be present and engage with design in a deeply sensory way. In a show built around discovery, this is where interiors, hospitality and gastronomy come together to create a memorable design experience. 

Built by Wolkberg, the 100% Bar is a clean, graphic destination at the heart of the exhibition—where design, hospitality, and connection come together. Defined by sharp lines, refined detailing, and a strong visual identity, the space offers visitors a place to pause, recharge, and reconnect amid the energy of the show. More than a service point, it is an experience in itself, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship while creating a welcoming social hub that embodies the balance and ease of the Soft Life.

A grounded dining destination that complements the rhythm of the show — welcoming, efficient, and intentionally free from unnecessary distraction. Curated and styled by Kanpai (The Prawnary), the space draws on contemporary Asian influences to create a refined yet relaxed atmosphere where design and hospitality work seamlessly together. Soft Life is expressed through comfort, quality, and ease, giving visitors the opportunity to pause, recharge, and return to the exhibition experience refreshed.

Designed for flow: fast, legible, and frictionless. Soft Life in a show context means reducing micro-stress — quick access, minimal queue drama, maximum return-to-floor momentum.  

Reimagines the traditional food court as a vibrant urban foodscape—dynamic, social and thoughtfully designed to keep visitors energised throughout their show experience. Styled and furnished by Hire Society, the space combines comfort, atmosphere and functionality, creating inviting places to pause, connect and recharge. Expressing the principles of Soft Life through choice, accessibility and ease, the market offers a diverse culinary offering within a carefully curated environment where design extends beyond the exhibits themselves. More than an amenity, it is a destination in its own right—bringing together food, hospitality and placemaking to enhance the rhythm, enjoyment and flow of the event.

Curated by The Academy Art in partnership with Your Luxury Africa, Cultivating the Soft Life is an immersive art-led VIP lounge created for media, exhibitors, and invited guests. Featuring lounges, a wine bar, live artists, and flexible workspaces, the space offers a place to pause, connect, and recharge. Designed to foster conversation, creativity, and meaningful engagement, it transforms the energy of the show into moments of reflection, networking, and new ideas.

The Lexus Concierge Lounge, designed by Zest & Co, creates a sophisticated arrival experience that recognises first impressions as an essential part of the design journey. Calm, confident and refined, the lounge introduces the exhibition through spatial clarity, material balance and a sense of quiet anticipation. Located in the foyer, it serves as an exclusive hospitality space for VIP guests and a comfortable waiting point for visitors with booked Lexus concierge drives. Thoughtfully curated to embody the principles of Soft Life, the lounge offers a moment of pause, comfort and connection—setting the tone for the experience ahead while showcasing how exceptional design can elevate even the briefest moments of transition.

A behind-the-scenes decompression space that recognises the human effort of exhibiting. Soft Life is not just aesthetic — it’s a design ethic that builds care into the show’s working infrastructure.  

featuring interior designer, Tshepo Sealetsa

Inspired by the quiet confidence of the Lexus RZ 550e F Sport, this conceptual installation reimagines the garage as a sanctuary rather than a purely functional space. Designed by Tshepo Sealetsa, the Recharge Garage explores themes of stillness, movement, and human-centred luxury through layered textures, soft forms, and considered materiality. The result is an immersive environment where innovation and wellbeing converge, offering a new perspective on the role of mobility within the home of the future.

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

Experience Living with Woolworths is an immersive, editorial retail environment designed around moments of attention: spaces that invite visitors to slow down, engage intentionally and reconnect with the emotional power of home. Inspired by the four natural elements — fire, air, water and earth — the stand translates the spirit of The Soft Life into a sensory journey shaped by atmosphere, materiality and calm.

In a world where attention is increasingly fragmented, the experience focuses not on excess, but on clarity and emotional resonance. Through tactile layering, cohesive palettes and thoughtful styling, Woolworths presents a vision of attainable elevation — showing how beautifully considered spaces can shape the way we live and feel every day.

More than a showcase of products, this conceptual stand experience reflects what Woolworths stands for: quality, curation and a home brand that understands how to create spaces — and memories — that last.

A biophilic design moment where plant form becomes spatial sculpture — an interruption to speed and noise. Soft Life expressed through nature-as-installation: calm drama, softer focus, slower looking.  

A gentle activation that uses gifting as a design gesture — softness, care, and generosity embedded into the visitor route. Soft Life here is emotional design: a small object carrying meaning beyond the show.  

Designed by Lifestyle Ceramics in collaboration with Kohler and Cocoon Lifestyle, The Sacred Pause is a contemporary sanctuary inspired by Africa's enduring relationship with water. Through architectural ceramics, handcrafted furnishings, textured surfaces, and

immersive light, the installation transforms bathing from a daily function into a moment of restoration, reflection, and renewal.

A platform for South African design rooted in making, material intelligence and cultural voice. Soft Life lives here through human scale and authenticity — objects designed to support everyday living with meaning and longevity.  

disciplines, blending art, craft, storytelling and design into richly expressive environments and objects. Featuring a curated collection of LRNCE’s distinctive artworks, tapestries and handcrafted pieces, this hero installation highlights the cultural impact and emotional resonance of contemporary design. Reflecting the spirit of Soft Life, the exhibition demonstrates that great design extends far beyond aesthetics—it shapes how we live, feel and connect with the world around us. Through colour, texture, narrative and craftsmanship, LRNCE creates work that is both deeply personal and universally engaging, inviting visitors to experience design as a catalyst for beauty, meaning and everyday wellbeing.

A tight curatorial statement: objects selected for clarity, craft and desirability. Soft Life as object-language — tactile, considered pieces that upgrade the everyday through detail and intention.  

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.

100% Fresh - Rising Talent shines a spotlight on the next generation of creative voices shaping the future of design. Dedicated to emerging designers and makers, the platform showcases original work that explores new material narratives, evolving craft traditions and innovative approaches to contemporary living. More than a showcase of fresh ideas, 100% Fresh celebrates thoughtful experimentation—where creativity is grounded in purpose, sustainability and human experience. Reflecting the principles of Soft Life, the feature highlights designers whose work prioritises meaning, tactility and emotional connection, offering a glimpse into a future where design is not only innovative, but also more considered, adaptable and deeply relevant to the way we live.

Soft Life Pods are designer-built micro-interiors that translate the principles of Soft Life into spatial logic, where layout, texture, lighting and furniture work together to support wellbeing and everyday comfort. Created by Noom Custom Furniture, Samani Africa, Meraki Design and Décor, Misitu Showroom and Chivalry Design, these immersive spaces demonstrate how softness becomes a design system rather than simply a style. Each pod offers a distinct interpretation of intentional living, showing how thoughtful design can shape experiences, enhance functionality and create environments that feel both restorative and inspiring.

Created in collaboration with Tafelberg, is a dedicated exploration of rest as a design priority—demonstrating how thoughtful interiors can support wellbeing, recovery and everyday comfort. Through layered materiality, tactile finishes and calm, carefully composed spaces, the feature showcases how comfort can be intentionally designed rather than simply added. Embodying the essence of Soft Life, this immersive bedroom environment invites visitors to experience the power of restorative design, where every element works together to quiet the mind, restore the body and create a sanctuary from the demands of modern living.

Kitchen Project, presented by headline sponsor Cosentino and supported by Franke for taps and sinks and Hisense for appliances, explores the kitchen as lived-in architecture—where surfaces, performance and daily ritual are seamlessly aligned. Featuring bespoke installations by Eljen Kitchens and Montana Kitchens & Interiors, the project showcases how the principles of Soft Life are expressed through ergonomic intelligence, tactile material choices and thoughtful design that elevates everyday living. Blending innovation, craftsmanship and functionality, these kitchens demonstrate how beautiful spaces can support real routines with effortless sophistication.

A curated district pavilion that brings a design neighbourhood into the show as a collective retail-meets-gallery experience. The model is “shopfront storytelling” — brands presented with clear identity, strong visuals, and commercial clarity.  

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.

The @home Cooking Studio returns to Decorex 2026, bringing the products you cook with into the spotlight through a live culinary experience that blends food, design and everyday ritual.

More than a demonstration kitchen, the studio is a fully functioning space where chefs cook in real time using cookware, utensils, tableware and surfaces sourced entirely from @home. Visitors can experience how the products perform, discover the details that elevate daily cooking, and see how thoughtful design transforms the kitchen into a place of comfort, creativity and connection.

The kitchen itself is a considered design collaboration, built by Sprung Outdoor Living and featuring premium kitchen solutions from Franke alongside surfaces by Caesarstone and Infinity Surfaces. The space is further equipped with Samsung appliances, including a fridge, oven, hob and microwave, creating a contemporary kitchen environment where innovation, functionality and design come together seamlessly.

Aligned with this year’s Soft Life theme, the Cooking Studio explores food as a design ritual — where nourishing routines, shared meals and domestic comfort become moments of intention and wellbeing. It’s a space that celebrates the beauty of everyday living, showing how functional design can enrich the way we gather, cook and live.

If you’ve ever wondered what to buy, how to use it, or how to bring a kitchen together with confidence, this is where it becomes clear.

Watch it. Learn it. Shop it. Take it home.

Presented by Discovery Bank Home Loans, the DIY Studio is where inspiration meets action. Created in partnership with Belgotex, YUDU, Stuart Graham Fabrics, Mercis, and AV specialists The Solutions Company (TSC), the space brings together industry experts, practical demonstrations, and engaging talks designed to demystify the world of home improvement.

From design and décor to renovation and finishing touches, visitors can learn directly from professionals, gaining the confidence and know-how to transform their spaces. Here, the Soft Life is about empowerment—making better design decisions with clarity, creativity, and confidence.

A performance-led kitchen showcase where craftsmanship, integration, and materiality take centre stage. Built by Oakmont Kitchens and featuring premium Eiger appliances, the space demonstrates how precision joinery, seamless refrigeration, and considered finishes can elevate the modern kitchen experience. Throughout the show, Eiger will bring the kitchen to life with celebrity chefs and leading influencers, transforming the installation into a dynamic destination where design, innovation, and culinary creativity converge.

A content space where property, planning and lifestyle intersect — translating complexity into usable insight. Soft Life here is clarity and better choices: information designed to reduce stress and support long-term living decisions

A designed “set within the set” that captures the show’s ideas as culture — live recordings with a post-show content runway. The format and sponsor inventory are positioned as a branded studio asset with distributed outputs across major platforms

At the Capitec Design Market, Decorex becomes immediately shoppable, because not everything in your home needs a six-week lead time. Some things are simply there to be found, bought, gifted, worn, tasted, carried home and loved.

Come for art, craft, fashion, ceramics, accessories, small objects, homeware and the kind of design-led finds that make a day at Decorex feel even more dangerous.

Come ready to browse. Come ready to shop. Come ready to leave with at least one thing you didn’t know you needed.