Providing everything the homeowner needs to renovate, restore, build or decorate, Decorex Durban, which takes place from the 18th to 21st March at the Durban Exhibition Centre, is an event not to be missed by anyone interested in creating a beautiful home.

Themed ‘Take it Home, Make it Home’, KwaZulu-Natal’s premier décor, design and lifestyle exhibition promises something for everyone, discover great ideas, trend décor inspiration, and shop for every room in the house and every space around the home. From DIY to decorating, kitchens to bathroom sanctuaries, building materials to furnishing fabrics, furniture to crockery.

Visitors will be welcomed to the first of Decorex’s trio of 2016 exhibitions via a striking entrance designed and installed by The Goodwood Co. The Westmead based business’s Grant Wentzel and Warrick Frederic will indulge their passion for contemporary design and solid timber furniture in this inviting space that stylishly sets the tone for the rest of the exhibition.

Produced in association with Home Fabrics, this year’s coveted Designer Spotlight showcase has been awarded to creative concept specialist Bianca Howard of Slinx Interior. Drawing on the very latest textile and wallpaper collections from Home Fabrics, Howard will dress her dedicated space in the unique yet timeless and always elegant style that has earned her Westville design consultancy its stripes. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity to live out my passion for high-quality fabrics,” the designer enthuses.

For the second year running, four of KwaZulu-Natal’s top kitchen designers – Uber Haus (in collaboration with Beth Haynes Design), Afrormosia, Expert Kitchens & Interiors and Crestwood Kitchens – will contend in the Franke ‘Heart of the Home’ Kitchen Design Project. Sponsored by one of the world’s leading kitchen-systems suppliers, these refined culinary zones will showcase visionary kitchen design and materials, bringing new definition to the phrase ‘heart of the home’. “We are pleased to be affiliated with Decorex for a second year,” says Clinton Soutter, National Sales Manager for Franke SA, who describes the show as “a designers’ hub, offering the homeowner an array of inspiring new ideas and the latest in trends.”

Always a guaranteed crowd-puller, the Plascon stand is where KwaZulu-Natal visitors will get their first look at the Plascon 2016 Colour Forecast. The paint giant, who has sponsored the show since its inception 23 years ago, uses Decorex as its annual showcase for the colour trends of the forthcoming season, which, hints Plascon’s Colour Manager Anne Roselt, focus on “an increased environmental awareness” this year.

Inspired by the success of the Mancaves and Manscapes features of previous years, the boys are back at Decorex again – only this time they get to create the living space that best portrays their personality. Sponsored by Real Natural Stone, suppliers of everything from Travertine tiles and cladding to quality marble and mosaics, the Top Man showcase will see a handful of local male celebrities each paired with a prominent designer, who will interpret the former’s unique style in the ultimate ‘men-only’ room setting. Celebrities on board for the exciting installation are well-known radio presenter Damon Beard (teamed with designer Brett Harris of Even Flow Décor), journalist and media personality Varshan Sookhun (who will be working with Riyaad Tayob, of Design Time), former South African rugby fly-half Andrew ‘Butch’ James (paired with Rousseau of Change Design Studio), and World Lifesaving Champion Brandon Ribbink (whose distinctive personality will be given design interpretation by Paige Waplington of Re-Design ). Public and corporate proceeds from this exciting installation will go to the charity of the celebrity’s choosing, giving this testoterone-fuelled project feelgood finesse in more ways than one. There will also be a prize for a lucky entrant who votes for their favourite Top Man from Real Natural Stone to the value of R30 000.00.

The now-trending look for interiors, both locally and internationally, is a well-edited space that is layered but not cluttered, with a mix of quality high-end and store-bought pieces. Appropriately called ‘The Considered Home’, this is a look that, at its core, is about quality over quantity. At Decorex Durban, visitors are invited to step inside The Considered Home in association with Goodwood Co, an exclusively curated space that will showcase all the elements that make up the style using products that are on offer at exhibition.

African décor, too, currently pulsates high on the global style radar with organic textures, rich hues and exotic patterning evoking the warmth of the southern-hemisphere sun and the wealth of the land’s flora and fauna. With concept and colours drawn from the rhythm and beauty of the Mother Continent, the African-inspired Trend Pods will showcase the design genius of its awarded decorators, Stanley Oshry of Living Image Interior Decorating and Philippa Courtenay of Reinspire, who will use their allocated spaces to display their own unique interpretations of a theme that is reassuringly close to home.

In addition to the above, the Durban show boasts a number of other firsts, including the Décor & DIY Theatre, a series of talks and interactive advice-sharing platforms that will arm visitors with an arsenal of fresh decorating know-how. Alternatively, pull up a chair at #decorexhotseats, where 10 specially selected Decorex Ambassadors have each choosen their favourite locally made chair. Follow the #DecorexHotSeats campaign to join the fun.

There’s also plenty on offer for those seeking a vibrant shopping experience featuring all things artisanal. The popular Craft + Create Market is a colourful collection of uniquely exclusive, handcrafted lifestyle products which, for the first time, includes a Maker’s Corner Hosted By SA Maker Collective. Showcasing the very latest in DIY technology and techniques to customise your home and workplace, the fun, hands-on experience offered at this Decorex highlight will encourage you to upgrade from consumer to maker.

Still on the subject of home – and hand-made, Durban’s popular monthly market, I heart Market, also comes to Decorex 2016. Giving visitors a wide choice of limited-edition pieces, from local fashion to children’s toys, homeware, art, ceramics, recycled and repurposed products, jewellery, second-hand collectables and vintage clothing, this all-encompassing pop-up market will take place alongside the exhibition from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 19th March only.

Continuing the market theme, the Camp I heart Market will see a selection of trendy food vendors gathered in a funky camp-style setting, turning Decorex’s popular restaurant area into a foodie mecca where gourmet “glamping” is encouraged. Fudart strEATERY’s distinctive big orange truck also pulls into Decorex Durban this year, offering funky food-truck style dining for the duration of the show. Gloria Jean’s Coffees Café is a convenient (and stylish) refuelling station for those seeking a grab ‘n go coffee or quick snack, while the sophisticated Bubbly Bar is just the place for those who prefer to linger awhile over a platter of sushi or a plate of charcuterie, washed down with a flute of the Winelands’ finest.

A combination of beautiful inspiration and clever ideas, as well as fun interactive installations and delicious eats make Decorex Durban the ideal place to visit with a group of friends – or even the whole family.

Decorex Durban details:
Decorex Durban: 18 – 21 March 2016
Time: 18 – 20 March, 10am to 8pm; 21 March, 10am to 6pm
Trade days: 18 March

Ticket prices: R75 for adults; R65 for trade, pensioners and scholars; R20 for children under 12
Venue: Durban Exhibition Centre

For more information, e-mail decorexsa@ThebeReed.co.za
Visit: www.decorex.co.za
Facebook: Decorex SA
Twitter: @decorexSA

Decorex Durban forms part of the Decorex SA portfolio and is owned by the Thebe Reed Exhibitions.