WORDS: DEBBIE LOOTS AND SUPPLIED :: PHOTOS: SUPPLIED
In a world that often seems a little gloomy, why not delight in some bright and beautiful designs gathered from 2023’s local and international fairs
Word in from the recent Milan Furniture Fair is that it was bigger and better than ever. This is according to Brenda Hart, procurement director at the recently launched bespoke furniture design company Soft&Co. She walked the aisles of this famous fair herself last month.
Her key takeaways? Soft and pretty colour palettes, delightful new colour combinations and furniture with cosy, enlarged curves are all trending in the interior design world right now.
“We noticed a proliferation of peachy tones and the softest pinks,” she says. “Peach was a big thread throughout the show, and we were excited to see the dial turned up in these more feminine tones for office essentials too.”
Plascon’s Baked Earth at Decorex Cape Town later this month
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
And, interesting colour combinations extending beyond the usual use in soft furnishings and furniture to colour-led lighting and other fittings were also pertinent. “Visual displays are a design avenue of their own and an essential consideration for us as interior architects,” she says. A trend that especially resonated with the team was the abundance of oversized sofas with exaggerated curves and the tactile fabrics and cushioning.
“This is something we see as a post-pandemic reality,” she says. “We are spending so much more time at home, it needs to feed us on all levels. There is an enormous sense of optimism, brands pushing beautiful designs boundaries, and interiors that are becoming more exciting and beautiful than ever before.”
The Oca Chair
CHAIR AFFAIR
Only in the world of high design do you find people celebrating a chair’s 10th birthday. And, it’s not as if it is the most fabulous-looking chair ever; the so-called Beetle chair seems quite ordinary at first (and second) glance.
But, conceived back in the day by renowned Italian-Danish design duo GamFratesi, it is now deemed a design classic and, in celebration of its birthday, the chair was creatively reinterpreted by 10 artists and designers from all over the world.
This event was curated by design critic Marco Sammicheli and the chairs exhibited at the Gubi Fuorisalone 2023 in April. Our favourite is hands down the playful Oca Chair by fashion designer Arthur Arbesser who, with his interpretation, not only celebrates the chair’s birthday but also pays homage to the late master of Italian design, Enzo Mari.
Doesn’t it also look like a homage to Donald Duck? We think so. In design speak, it is said: “Arbesser transformed the seat and backrest of the Beetle into the snapping bill of a goose, while the base references Mari’s cement panettone dispersed all over the Milan cityscape.” Arbesser collaborated with Italian artisan Alan Zinchi to made the chair in solid wood with an original Beetle seat upholstered in bright orange fabric.
MILAN MEETS THE MOTHER CITY
You don’t have to go all the way to Europe for a fix of bright and bold design inspiration – the inimitable Decorex show is coming up in the Mother City later this month and in Joburg in July. And, as usual, there is much to look forward to.
Sponsored by Lexus, Plascon and Samsung, the show allows visitors to experience more than 200 premium brands, curated exhibitions, cutting-edge beautiful designs and product launches as well as two state-of-the-art theatres.
Missing Milan? Don’t fret. Decorex will bring a little bit of the city to you with a local collaboration. Leading Spanish surfacing brand Cosentino teamed up with global brand Tom Dixon at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair and will continue to work alongside well-known designers to showcase its superb surfaces. At Decorex Cape Town, renowned local furniture designer Haldane Martin will be working with Cosentino on a stand concept to show Martin’s exceptional use of Cosentino products in his contemporary collections.
ONE CLICK
Online shopping enthusiasts will be pleased to know that, for the first time ever, online retailer Superbalist will bring its virtual store to life with its apartment showcasing one room in four different looks. A dedicated QR code for each room will direct shoppers to a curated basket of everything showcased in the room to shop their favourite items – or the whole room – with one click.
This unique exhibit blurs the lines between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar, offering in-context inspiration. In collaboration with Superbalist.com, local paint brand Plascon will dress the walls of One Room, Four Looks, demonstrating how the right paint colour choices can help fast-track your room makeover.
MORE DESIGN
Look out for design studio Lemon’s range of decorative and large foundational pieces. It’s their Decorex Cape Town debut. Lemon designers include co-owner Kevin Frankental, Yaniv Chen, French architect and product designer Léonard Kadid (winner of the FD100 Awards 2022) and fine artist Jade Paton. Also, don’t miss luxury Japanese automobile brand Lexus’s evocative cherry blossom installation celebrating its sponsorship of this year’s event.
Doesn’t it sound as if you can do Milan, Cape Town and Osaka all in a day? Catch Decorex Cape Town, running alongside the inaugural Cape Town Decor & Design Week at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) from June 22 to 25. Decorex Joburg, 100% Design Africa, and Design Joburg will run simultaneously at the Sandton Convention Centre from August 3 to 6.
