Okay so that has me looking at the trend that seems to have gained considerable momentum in recent times – Vinyl Wall Stickers, also know as Vinyl Wall Decals.

We had occasion in the past to have a decal custom made for one of our clients – it was a funky office space. Other than being a relatively inexpensive means of applying art to a wall, it is an extremely easy application as well. Plus the other bonus factor is that you have any image or typography made to order… As the larney folk will say… Bespoke! Particularly fab for application in babies and kiddies rooms.

A few months ago, a very proactive young lady named Chantelle from CrazySexyCool a Gauteng based Wall Decal business approached us to feature her work. Since wall treatments was on the ‘to do list’ her timing was great.

After Chantelle graduated and got a few letters behind her name, she went on to work in the field of marketing. That led her to dabbling in web design, but also had her longing for more tactile design. In January 2011 she launched her Wall Decal business and in her words “she has not looked back since”.

On the homepage of her website, Chantelle has so adequately opened up the concept of Wall decals. I decided I could not better that…

Decals what?

Wall Decals (or wall vinyl stickers) are a fun way to transform any room from blank and boring to stylish and unique.The vinyl used for the stickers are made from high quality vinyl and are available in many different colours, even fluorescents and metallic.

Stickers where?

Stickers are applied relatively quickly and are very easy to change. Stickers can be stuck on any smooth surface, such as; smooth walls, windows, doors, glass, floors, etc. Wall Decals can be used in offices, shops, on shop windows, homes and even rental homes as it does not damage painted walls.

Vinyl why?

Vinyl stickers for walls are expressions of individual personality and style. When installing there is no mess, as with painting, but the decals can create an illusion of a painted-on design when especially using matt decals. You do not have to have artistic skills or be a state-of-the-art home decorator to turn your plain living space into wonderful one using wall decals.

Just like how easy it is to apply, vinyl wall decals are just as easy to remove without ruining the surface of the wall.

But whoa good news – because these decals / stickers are so reasonably priced, they could make excellent gifts, for that special person or special occasion. Even a wedding gift if you know the person’s taste and style well enough.

More good news! We have an AWESOME R300 GIFT VOUCHER from CRAZYSEXYCOOL TO GIVE AWAY to one lucky participant!

You heard right, Chantelle is giving away a gift voucher to the value of R300 to be redeemed against a Wall Decal purchase of your choice from her online shop.

Here is how it works >>>>>

To enter and stand a chance WIN you must:

1) Comment on this post below by telling us who you are, what your wall decal of choice would be, and where you will put it (check out the CrazySexyCool websitr to view all the awesome designs)!

2) “Like” our Facebook page: here   AND   the CrazySexyCool Facebook page: here

… additionally if you have Twitter you can also do the following…

Tweet this post and include @streaksahead @CrazySexyCoolSA (by the way…are you following us and CrazySexyCool yet?)

Unfortunately only people residing in South Africa are eligible for this competition. We will announce the lucky winner on Monday, 11 June 2012 - so be sure to enter before then.

Christina asks:

“I’m trying to jazz up my sitting room. I have two dark brown leather sofas which I love, and two big Morris chairs with loose cushions back and bottom. These need re-covering and I want to them to be the focus to pull everything together – so new upholstery on the chairs = new scatters for the couches, new rug. I can’t bear beige and shades of cream and brown (dogs and cats don’t help) but I love jewel colours and would like to go deep blue. Question: does blue go, do I need to pick a patterned, textured fabric for the chairs that would feature brown somehow to link with the couches.

Many thanks – I have just discovered your site and really like your approach. Not scary at all.“

Décor Diva says:

One thing I am pleased to hear is that our blog does not scare you off. Nice to know that we are regarded as approachable.

I have to start off by saying that not having an image of the actual room and style of your sofa makes this reply very general. But I guess the purpose is to give you an indication of where to drive your thoughts.

More to the point though is the fact that your query is whether or not your favoured colour choice of deep blue will work with your dark brown leather sofas? The answer to that is a definite YES it will. In fact Indigo blue and jewel blues will work very well with brown. You can even consider introducing a some warm tones like a Tangerine Tango colour to add dimension and warmth.

It is always best to work from the floor upwards in terms of décor layers. In your case, this would be your rug. If you are brave enough, I would suggest you consider something with Moroccan, Aztec, or Navajo patterns, which include the colours I mentioned earlier. Kilim is super trendy once again. Then keep an element of fun going, by continuing on with pattern on your Morris chair cushions. I would say that a narrow striped fabric, with chenille or velvet type texture would work well – the stripes can be drawn from the colours in the rug. What you could also consider is using the stripes as the main fabric, and mixing that in with a matching plain fabric for the border.

Then have loads of fun with your scatter cushions patterns and textures. Again draw the colours out of the rug. Mix in plain fabrics, with geo fabrics, with retro patterns, with stripes and then very tactile textures fabrics as well. Not too many scatters – they will literally be scattered around if too many. If your budget allows you, please consider using a feather mixture for these scatter inners. Vary these cushions in size and shape. Pop a rectangular scatter on each of the Morris chairs as well.

Re-upholstery always presents a perfect opportunity of going about introducing your personal style in colours, patterns and texture. My advice to you would be to take your time in going about doing your research and sourcing – create a mood board using fabric samples, images of pattern, rugs, whatever you can find that represents the colours and patterns you want to introduce. Once you have that settled, go out and shop.  Best of luck and enjoy the process!

Love, Rose  x x x

Design Titbit:

Online image websites like Pinterest is an invaluable tool when creating mood boards or collecting interior inspiration. Marica & I use Pinterest when working on a specific design project – gathering concept images & fabric samples and general style aspirations unto one board. I you find an image on the web that you like or would work for your décor project be sure to “pin” it – soon you will have a whole board with gorgeous inspirations. Below are some images from Pinterest we have pinned that can work for Christina in some way or another (in a “that chair” with “this rug” in “that colour” kind of way)…

 

      

   

 

Related articles

• Ask Décor Diva: Ideal Cushion Arrangement? (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Ask Décor Diva: Renovating Bedroom Cupboards? (thedesigntabloid.com)

I am glad that we call our articles Lasting Impressions. For me it is reflecting on those exhibits at Decorex that enhanced my experience of the Expo.

Bob & Dan Skinstad’s Man Cave with the creative direction of Aidan Bennetts. Image via www.aidanbennetts.co.za

For starters, there was the launch of the Design Team’s latest fabric range. But since we wrote an extensive post on them already, I won’t labour that one. Then I was so impressed by the Man Cave designs as well the fact that part of their mission was to give back to charities. Each exhibitor was connected to either a charitable organisation or drive of their choice. Funds raised via a competition were destined for the respective coffers. Nice!

Loved this “roof top patio” man cave!

A surf / skate shack man cave – it had funky slogans painted all over the place.

I have to admit having a soft spot for design and decoration of MAN CAVES, and wish that I had more of them to work on. There are a few universal imperatives to be found in a Man Cave – universal because it is not hard to know ‘What Men Want’. A Big screen TV, with all the paraphernalia that comes with it; a flawless sound system; big boys toys such as play stations; loads of memorabilia / objects around their favourite sport; furniture to sloth on, hardwearing fabrics; and then let’s not forget – a bar or space in which to store the drinks while the boys hang together. Fooze-ball, putting green… the list can stretch on and on, but essentially these cover the basics.

Well, as you can see from the images, these Man Caves did not disappoint.

So of the gorgeous foodstuffs at the rustic Hertex Fabrics stand – no wonder it was so crowded! Image via Hertex

Talking about ‘hanging’ with the peeps, one of the highlights for me was running into some fabulous designers that I have hung around with at various times and events over the years in the trade. They all seemed to be found ‘hanging’ around the HERTEX FABRICS stand. Small wonder, Hertex were serving up drinks and eats as if it were about to disappear, with plenty visitors to their rather big stand. Thanks Greg, Natasha, John and Martin for being such cool people to hang with.

One of the massive striped beanbags from Nomad Beanbags – would love to sink into this one. Image via Nomad Beanbags

Image via Nomad Beanbags

James Russell launched his latest fabulous product – the multipurpose NOMAD BEANBAGS made in his own range of durable fabrics. His tag line for this product reads: “Handmade in Cape Town to travel the world”. Good luck with this venture James!

The bright and cheery In House Furniture stand.

IN HOUSE FURNITURE told the story of how bright, bold, beautiful retro fabrics can be combined with contemporary linear furniture. This combination showed just how effectively these two styles can compliment each other.

The gorgeous mid-century modern Skinny laMinx & Space for Life stand. Image via Skinny laMinx

The fabrics of SKINNY LAMINX and the original Mid-Century Modern furniture of Stefan Frylinck from SPACE FOR LIFE worked in such an amazing complimentary way on their shared exhibition stand. The plus-factor was that there was a strong sense of warmth and homeliness around that stand. Stefan actually imports all these original mid-century furniture pieces from the Scandi countries.

Adriaan’s room settings are so beautifully intimate and person! Image via Adriaan Lochner

Don’t you just love the stunning introduction of plant-life into the room setting! Image via Adriaan Lochner

ADRIAAN LOCHNER once again produced an award winning exhibit. He included a soft colour palette of naturals, greys, soft greens (floral), natural textured fabrics, glass and wood etc. I just loved what he put together and as soon as I caught sight of that stand, I knew it was his work. He has this awesome knack of being able to style & group collectable objects effortlessly. His design ‘handwriting’ seems to include the most contemporary yet classic floral displays.

Adored the uncomplicated & trendy installation by James Mudge. It included the most striking ceramics by Lucinda Mudge too. Images via Decorex

In closing, there is the work of JAMES MUDGE that was found in the midst of the Plascon Exhibitions. The ‘Get Real’ and ‘Back to Basics’ theme was evident. In the spirit of keeping it green, he showed us what to expect with the application of simple plywood to produce trendy pieces.

These impressions will stay with me until Decorex Cape Town 2013. What will I see there? Will the upcoming trends be evident and properly interpreted for public appreciation? But in the meantime, well done to the Decorex amazing team and all the behind the scene peeps!

Related articles

• Top Ten Reasons To Attend Decorex 2012 (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Decorex 2012 – Lasting Impressions (thedesigntabloid.com)
• The Dynamic Design Team (thedesigntabloid.com)

I can’t remember exactly when it was that the fabrics of the Design Team first came to my attention, but it was many years ago. I just remember being very impressed by the fact that it was very different to any other local designers I had seen before. Their style and patterns had a strong local influence and flavour. I remember seeing Proteas, head and shoulder medalions of African ladies, birds on branches – all  illustrated so differently to the general run of the mill fabric patterns that we were being exposed to. To me anyway, it was the introduction of a completely new genre of fabrics. (I have no doubt that my good friend James Russell, could correct me on this score, since he has this amazing historical knowledge of fabric… coupled with the fact that he is their agent here in Cape Town.

Through the past years, I have managed to attend most of their new range launches here in Cape Town. Each new range delights more than the previous. Each new range just adds further depth to their collection and each new range has them running ahead of the competition.

And speaking of competition… these are my thoughts and opinions on what the two fabulous ladies from the Design Team, Lise Butler and Amanda Haupt have done for the local fabric industry: The Upside – they were among the very first textile designers (surface designers as they are known as well) that illustrated pattern differently. But like a most trail blazers, they have craved a path for others to follow in. By them braving the frontier and penetrating the fabric market as they have, other talented surface designers could take courage and endeavour to follow suite. The Design Team has shown other creatives that Local is indeed Lekker. That it is possible to get out there, not only to make your talented products visible, but that it could turn into a good business venture as well.

The Downside - in doing this, the field became more competitive. But true to form, they have an awesome philosoply towards competition. To quote them: “We have a ‘no negativity policy’ and we rather wear the copycats out by staying one step ahead with new designs.”

So, competition only has them taking their design to the next level. What I hear is this: competition aids our business maturity, bring it on. And their newest range of fabrics attests to this fact. It was first launched and released at Decorex 2012, together with a very special feature – a video showing their historical background and business growth. The new range, called Barcelona-Paris-Istanbul, is strongly influenced by the duo’s recent visits to these cities. The designs are a beautiful visual representation of the “feel” and ambiance of the cities – more figurative than literal… don’t expect Eiffel Tower sketches or tiny bullfighters…

But I wanted to scratch a bit deeper down, below the skin and try to catch more of their heart beat. I wanted to get to know what made them tick as a Design Duo originally, as well as today. Lisa opened up to The Design Tabloid. I invite you to catch it below and enjoy their story…

Q: I am interested to know, and feel readers should as well, what it is that inspired you to take the bull by the horns and do textile design that was just so different at the time you started? 

A: We really had and still do have a passion for creating beautiful things and we were blessed with very supportive parents and lecturers at the time. Ignorance is truly bliss when you are so young! We had nothing to loose and one thing we have never been is scared! Both Amanda and I had produced work during our studies that were recognized in industry related competitions or projects and I think that this gave us the confidence to believe in ourselves. We are both work horses and still put in 10 hour working days even though they are now split up at times fitting in our children’s schedules! We just have this attitude of not being scared to tackle anything, if you have put everything into it and you have planned well it has a very good chance of succeeding and if not, you will have learnt something from it!

Q: What inspired you both? 

A: To set up a business from scratch and build it into a recognized brand means that you have to “live” it, and I think it is just something that some people have in them and others don’t. Many designers have incredible creativity but lack organizational and entrepreneurial skills – we have an unbelievable partnership that balances each other and offers a support system that has seen us through the many tough times.

Q: What motivated you to be so authentic? 

A: We believe that you need to be honest and unpretentious, so it was easy, we had to do something that was close to us and that we could find some sort of connection with. Only after ten years of having the business did we start traveling overseas, up until then we used magazines to keep in touch with global trends and we always aspire towards designing fabrics that can compete anywhere in the world but is still authentic to our own frame of reference.

Q: How did you manage to finance your venture initially? 

A: Many think that we had a secret source of set up capital! Not at all, we both had waitressing jobs while we studied and this financed our initial raw materials. We lived with our parents for many years to keep our own expenses to a minimum and didn’t take salaries for a very long time. The technikon helped us to pay for the first stand we did at Decorex as it was such good marketing for the textile department and the training they offered. Our moms helped us sew the finished items and we mostly printed and cut everything ourselves for the first few years. Once we had built up enough cash flow, we moved away from the technikon facility we shared with the students and rented a small factory space. Growth was significant and so were the costs! We each took a R50 000 personal loan to finance the next move to a larger factory and 12 years later this has still been the only capital injection we have had! We have built up incredible relationships with some of our clients and many have been willing to help us with advance payments if really needed!

Q: What did you see happening in the South Africa interiors / textile industry that lead you to swim upstream?

A: Everyone was trying so hard to keep up and mimic what was happening globally that they missed the hunger for local inspired textiles that had an international appeal and was not ethnic but more contemporary.

Q: How was your product received initially? What did it take from the two of you in terms of sticking with your plans? 

A: We had an overwhelming response but the trick was figuring out which products would really be viable and then to set up the production line to support it. We are still fine tuning! One of our biggest “assets” has been the ability to analyze what we do and to make changes where we had to, as wells an openness to learn.

I am pretty sure that you will agree with me when I say that Lise and Amanda as the Design Team inspire us to authentic design; to persevere through tough times; to be clever, resourceful entrepreneurs and to be Proudly South African creatives.

Check out Design Team’s website: here for more of their GORGEOUS  fabrics or find them on Facebook: here and on Twitter: here.

Related articles

• Decorex 2012 – Lasting Impressions (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Leila Fanner’s issiMya – Whimsy African (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Skinny laMinx And Her “Flower Dreams” (thedesigntabloid.com)

Anyhoo, so that is the reason for our radio silence the past week… It is also the reason why my Mother’s Day arrangements has, once again, bit the dust. The only solace - the knowledge that my mum loves me unconditionally and quickly (and often) forgives my slacker ways.

I have however, endeavoured to make it up to her in some way – I’m thinking Mani / Pedis – and I know just the place…

Petticoat Parlour in Green Point has gotten a lot of airtime (ie. various blog posts and mag articles features) since their grand opening last year – and rightly so. This place is extraordinarily cool, as in James-Dean-in-a-leather-jacket cool. The little beauty parlour is a retro dream, 50s-inspired from the black & white chequered floor to the Pop Art pin-ups on the walls (I really didn’t mean for that to rhyme).

The funky day spa offers a wide range of treatments for you ladies looking to refine and unwind. AND some awesome pampering for the gentleman as well (seriously guys, get with the times). I can imagine that Petticoat would also be the perfect place to host a bridal shower or entertain a gaggle of teenage girls!

Who wouldn’t want to sit back with an old fashioned milkshake while someone is buffing you nails to a lustre?! Some vintage tunes on diner jukebox, having a good ole “skinner” (that means “gossip” for those of you who are Afrikaans-challenged). Sitting in those blue 50s diner chairs you are sure to feel like Olivia Newton-John in Grease.

So, this is definitely on my bucket list – might even drag one or two girlfriends with and score some serious brownie points.

Be sure to check out Petticoat Parlour’s website: here for all the necessary details or their Facebook page for the latest specials. I believe the month of May is their birthday month so there is bound to be some awesome birthday and Mother’s Day specials.

Last Thursday saw Rose and I at the Decorex Cape Town Expo. I have to confess – I haven’t been to Decorex since my first year of college, a good 6 years ago. Back then my experience of it was not too inspirational. At that time, I felt that it lacked creativity and was possibly more commercialized than I would have hoped for. I guess it all has to do with expectations.  However, Rose was taken up with last year’s expo so I thought it high time to revisit Decorex and my opinion of it. Being Trade Day and still relatively quiet – we managed to have a good look around.

We started our expo experience on a high note – the launch of Design Team’s stunning new fabric range (more on that later) – and systematically worked our way through all the stalls and exhibitors. Phew, it was quite a lot to take in and now, a week later, I’m struggling to recall all I’ve seen. A few exhibits however are branded into memory and logic dictates that those exhibits are therefore my perceived “highlights”…

One of the most memorable exhibit stands was that of the “Contemporary Country” Trend Installation aimed to be a fusion of rural country spirit and urbanized contemporary style. The bold yellow and chartreuse colour scheme with contrasting dark charcoal and greys was rather a striking sight. This was mixed with loads of texture – gorgeous natural timbers, raw linen, a big knitted ottoman, dainty crocheted throws and dramatic patterned wallpaper.

BOS Ice Tea, a now familiar sight at most South African expos and events, provided some funky refreshment. Their impressive (if somewhat “re-used”) stand which featured big tree-like structures, fake grass, lawn chairs, a very cute refreshments caravan, and LOADS of branding won Best Overall Stand at LAST year’s Decorex in Johannesburg.

We also spotted lots of pretty things in the Cape Craft & Design Institute sector including some amazing Su Wolf & The Big Heart Company cushions and a beautiful old church bench rescued and upholstered by Katie Thompson of Recreate in different textures of linen, hessian, hemp, ticking and leather.

I also thought the Decorex Designer Collection Homeware Range desirable – ceramic, wood, glass and textile items designed by local creatives in white and fresh shades of blues. The pity here is that the exhibit was tucked away in a dark corner…

In retrospect I can’t recall any Decorex exhibitors or installations that enticed public participation and interaction. This is a shame as interaction is such a valuable facet of design. Perhaps in this instance, Design Indaba has spoilt it for me, raising my expectations to the next level, leaving me a bit disappointed…

However, the always forward-thinking design legend that is Porky Hefer did not disappoint – his contribution to the Plascon Colour Forecast 2012 trend installation consisted of massive Weaver’s nest-like structure. Suspended from the roof, it contained cushy seating that begged you to find your inner-child and climb into the comfort and protection of the nest.

So, Decorex… was I once again disappointed? Truth is that despite my past reservations and my mediocre expectations… NO, I was not disappointed! Will I go back next year?  Absolutely! I really enjoyed it and saw lots of pretty things… and you know how much I like pretty things! Anyway, Decorex is on the right track and I’m sure next year will be kicked-up another notch.

 Your thoughts on Decorex 2012? Did you attend? See something inspirational that you liked?

Filed under: Decor, Decorex, Decorex 2012, Design, Designers, Events, Fabrics, Furniture, Interior Design, Suppliers Tagged: Cape Town, Decor, Decorex, Decorex 2012, Design, Furniture, Interior Design, South Africa, The Design Tabloid, Trends ]]> http://thedesigntabloid.com/2012/05/04/decorex-2012-lasting-impressions/feed/ 2 Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid thedesigntabloid Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid Contemporary Country - Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid (5) Contemporary Country - Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid (10) Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid (11) Su Wolf - Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid Recreate - Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid (8) Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid (9) Porky Hefer - Decorex 2012 - The Design Tabloid http://thedesigntabloid.com/2012/04/23/skinny-laminx-and-her-flower-dreams/ http://thedesigntabloid.com/2012/04/23/skinny-laminx-and-her-flower-dreams/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:10:16 +0000 Rose McClement http://thedesigntabloid.com/?p=3331 ]]> “The days just zap past a person”… that’s how I feel right now. I thought it was yesterday that Marica and I attended the launch of Heather Moore’s new range of Skinny LaMinx fabrics.  Instead, it was on Wednesday last…

Heather Moore and her Skinny LaMinx brand is no stranger to most folk in the décor world. In fact, it was all of three years ago that we coincidentally came across Skinny LaMinx on the internet. For the past 12 – 18 months, I have followed her on the internet via her blog, Facebook, Twitter and the like. You guessed it, I am a huge fan of Skinny LaMinx and when the invite came to attend her first ‘range’ of fabrics, there was none more thrilled than me. I have such admiration for Heather not only as a design creative, but also as a business person. I have watched how she has grown her business, both locally and internationally. She has been featured by well known international bloggers such as Kate of Design*Sponge and Holly of Decor8. I am sure there are plenty others, but these I know of as I follow their blogs.

Heather’s blog posts are such relaxed reads giving you a glimpse into her life. I am often left with the impression that illustration just comes so naturally to her. Putting fabric /surface designs out there seems to be effortless – such a talented person she is.

To show you how active she is… in 2011 she undertook a trip to the USA, where she participated in collaborative events with a American creative; she has an Etsy shop, she has just recently opened her own retail outlet here in Cape Town, she comes up with new designs… Yes very active creative / business person. Plus, although I have only spent a few minutes with her physically, the internet interaction that I have had with her leaves me in no doubt that she is a lovely person.

Heather – thank you for making us Proudly South African.

But hey… Here more about the launch party and the new range of Skinny fabrics:

The floral-inspired range entitled ‘Flower Dreams‘ is Skinny’s first official fabric collection. The playful yet elegant designs, reminiscent of clean-cut Scandinavian design, also contains a smack of retro. The Space for Life showroom was therefore an excellent launch venue as they import gorgeous and well-made mid-century furniture and other retro treasures from Scandinavia. One or two vintage furniture pieces were upholstered in some of Skinny’s new range – a beautiful and complementary combination. Heather, with a little help from The Silk & Cotton Company, also illustrated how easy it is to develop and change certain moods by mixing and layering Skinny laMinx fabrics with some Silk & Cotton basics.

The new range features a gorgeous almost-edible spring palette of plum, lemon and humbug including a delicious feminine milkshake pink – a colour Heather said she never identified with before now. The Flower Dreams fabric collection is made up of three new designs and a reissue of her popular Orla print.

The striking ‘Flower Fields’ design started as a paper cutout of a flower inspired by a Dutch vintage fabric. This fun design is the first two-colour print to be produced by Skinny laMinx, and is available in three colourways. There is almost something anime-like about this beautiful funky fabric.

‘Wild Flowers’ is a design that is a little bit mad, very playful, and certainly a strong design around which to build a look. The design started out as a custom wallpaper for her studio bathroom but Heather soon realised that it had great fabric pattern potential. Although it is a two-colour print, it reads as three colours, as the base cloth is used as one of the ‘colours’.

The third design called ‘Pincushion’, features a very Proudly South African pincushion protea. The sweet print makes a great South African-flavoured print coordinate for this collection.

Lastly, Heather rehashed the Orla print – a design she affectionately describes as “a bit of a fancy stripe.” For the new range the Orla design was converted into an inverted print aptly named ‘Solid Orla‘ – available of course in the new spring colour range.

To see all the designs in the new range as well as the existing Skinny laMinx fabrics and product, check out the website: here. If you are in the Cape Town area, you can pop into the Skinny laMinx shop in Bree Street (nr 201) or otherwise purchase her GORGEOUS product and fabrics online via Etsy: here.

As a decorator, when I spend a great deal of time sourcing products and fabrics, I come to appreciate just how well our South African creatives compare with those abroad. We bring a unique flavour to the world of design. This is what Marica and I desire to showcase. The burning desire is to continue ‘exporting’ the talents and wares of South African designers to the world at large – the blog being one of the mediums we  use.

I cannot recall just exactly how it was that I recently ‘discovered’ the work of Lelia Fanner – somewhere and somehow on the internet. But I was so thrilled with my discovery, that I hurriedly contacted her to chat to her and today we are proud to introduce you to the ‘Talented Lelia Fanner.’ Her surface designs are striking, inspired by local fauna and flora, trendy, colourful and so much more. But I will leave Lelia to tell you more about herself in the interview below… ENJOY!

As always… yours in service of design… Rose.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from, what makes you tick, how did you get started?

I illustrate, design, paint, print, photograph, create surface patterns, and write as much as is humanly possible.

I dance a lot in my lounge, eat mostly raw food and masses of chocolate and believe love is stronger than hate. I’ve was born an artist and crafter – driving my mother batty as a youngster cutting up my clothes to re-make them in my own way. I sold my first artworks at the age of 10 from my mum’s art studio/gallery. Nowadays, I create designs for business, make my own gorgeous products, paint photograph nature and write about finding your own creative currency.

Q: Do you have formal training or are you self-taught?

I could say self -taught – but that isn’t ever strictly true. My mother, my unknown father, my grandparents and many more wonderful human beings who have influenced my life and were all creative entrepreneurs, have directly and indirectly taught me what I know now.

Q: Tell me more about issiMya (interesting name by the way) and your range of services/products?

Thank you. I’m not sure what it means – it popped into my head while rumbling along a farm road. It’s the name of my Cape Fynbos inspired range of textile designs. As an illustrator and graphic artist – I also design logos and illustrative themes for businesses. Last year I signed up with UK agents Advocate Art, to make a selection of my designs and art available for licensing worldwide.

Q: I notice you use quite a wide variety of mediums in your art pieces – what’s your favourite?

Drawing. Everything starts with a pencil line.

Q: What inspires you and where do you draw your inspiration from?

 Nature and my belief in worlds we cannot see with our physical eyes.

Q: Do you have a particular style and if so could you describe it?

Ridiculous amounts of detail right up against simplicity and extremes in colour, line and form.

Q: I see you have a fabric range in the pipe line – tell us more about it…

Well, there is the protea and fynbos inspired issiMya range – I spent a year on our farm on the west coast creating the initial ink and aquarelle illustrations that I then digitized and turned into patterns. I am totally in love with this range.

Then there’s the newer Natural History photographic collection; west coast and Karoo veld treasures with a sprinkling of man-made finds, naturally weathered into fascinating sculptural objects. They started out as box framed collections available at Cecile & Boyd’s Trade Showroom and The Haas Collective in the Bo-Kaap. The photos I took of each treasure collection inspired a range of fabric designs as well.

I am presently looking for the right fabric house or savvy business person to collaborate with in producing the range. If I don’t find that person/business I am going to launch it myself.

Q: When is it launching?

This year. TBC

Q: Are you considering developing any specific product from the fabric? (Ex. scatter cushions)

I’ve already started with some samples: Gorgeous cushions, gift wrap, gift cards, wallpaper, vinyl wall art and fabric by the meter.

Q: You’ve got some product on Etsy – a relatively unfamiliar avenue for most South Africans. How’s Etsy working for you?

I started my Etsy shop as an experiment in getting myself used to the whole online selling world. I made some sales, then started my website and got thoroughly side-tracked into making that into a gallery /shop / blog. I think in order to make Etsy shops work as a business one has to be dedicated to spending enormous amounts of time online and marketing it everywhere. I’ve only just started with that, so we’ll see.

Q: Tell us five things on your Bucket List…

Buy a farm with mountains and a river running through it, skydive, be in a flashmob dance, find lasting inner peace, and travel into outer space.

Q: Future plans?

All of the above ; )

…and an up-coming photographic exhibition called ‘A Fragile Nature’ – photo’s taken on a road trip to the Karoo.

Check out Leila’s website: here, or drop by her Etsy shop if you want to purchase any of her beautiful stationary and prints!

Be sure to catch our next post as Leila designed something special just for our The Design Tabloid readers!

Cairey Baxter-Bruce, General Manager of Decorex SA, explains that the positive energy sparked by original thinking contributes to unique – and very real – show experiences. “In the era of the mass-produced, the digital and the virtual, real experiences are treasured,” says Baxter-Bruce. “The real thing is what we covet right now, explaining the return of old-school styles, craftsmanship and artisanal creation.”

Some things to look forward too:

1.  Like every year a handful of local designers get the opportunity to interpret the new Plascon Colour Forecast in their own individual way. This year, the trend installation will be headed by designers Laurence Brick, Porky Hefer, James Mudge and Aidan Bennetts. Experience their interpretation of the colour palettes ‘Expression’, ‘Memory’, ‘Origins’ and ‘Mystery’.

2.  South Africa’s darling fabric designing duo, Design Team, will unveil their 2012 collection at Decorex. Can’t wait for that!

3.  Operation Man Cave for charity. Four local celebrities team up with four designers to see who can create the coolest man-hideout and raise the most money for charity. Keep an eye out for Bob Skinstad and his brother Dan, Aidan Bennetts and Ryan Botha.

4.  Inspire Theatre, kitted out by Whirpool and Sembel-It,  will host inspirational décor talks throughout the show, so pull up a chair for talks on  Sunday Lunch, Living with Colour, High Tea and Sunday Night Sundowners.

5.  Contemporary Country promises to be a jaw dropping trend installation of rural goes city with the powerhouse team of Laurence Brick, Timna Russell and Cathy O’ Clery.

6.  Decorex Designer Collection of homeware in a soothing palette of greys and blues, by SA’s top creative and boasts show specials at the pop-up store! So pull in to stock up the gift drawer for 2012.

7.  M-net Cares Café will be putting creative bookshelves on show and encouraging visitors to donate children’s’ book. M-net personalities will be doing lives reads, so get your celebrity on.

8.  District Delicious is a foodie paradise, with gourmet food and designer gadgets.

9.  Design inspiration in the Dream Rooms section where roomscapes by top talent will be on show.

10.  After a great walk around, with inspiration to take home and a new home gadget or two, enjoy a lovely glass of bubbly from the Graham Beck bar by Wetherlys. Oysters, a tapas menu and a delightful range of Graham Beck wine will be on the menu.

Be on the look-out for Vicki Sleet of I Want That and Kim Gray as they will be judging the stands this year! Super cool! These generous ladies are also giving away some Decorex tickets, so you might want to pop over to their respective blogs and enter to stand a chance to win free entrance to the show.

Exhibition details…

Decorex Cape Town:

26 – 29 April, CTICC

Hours: 10:00 – 19:00 (closes at 18:00 on 29^th April)

Cost: R65 adults. R55 pensioners and students. R10 Children under 12.

Related articles

• Plascon Colour Forecast 2012: Purple Lighting (plascontrends.wordpress.com)
• A reflection on 2011… (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Design Indaba 2012 Is Here! (thedesigntabloid.com)

Madeleine asks:

“Hello Décor Diva, I have bedroom cupboards with a horrible coating of fake wood over them. How can I renovate them, to make them modern looking?”

Décor Diva says:

The ‘fake wood‘ as you put it, may well be what we would term a ‘wood veneer‘ finish. Or even some sort of Formica / Melamine finish – which has more of that appearance of being fake.

If it is a veneer finish (which is actually very thin layers of real wood laminated onto a chipboard) then it would be possible to actually spray paint over that veneer finish. You will however still be able to see the grain of the wood. Spray-painting is best done by someone who does that for a living and has the right equipment.

If it is the Formica finish, then you will not really be able to spray-paint (“duco” being the other term for it) over that finish. There are ways of going about it, but it is a very tedious and expensive process.

The other option open to you would be to simply replace the cupboard doors with new doors, more in keeping with your choice. If your cupboard’s basic framework / carcass is still good, then it might be a viable option to consider. You may want to get a quote for the spray painted finish, as well as replacing the doors. The chances are that they may be pretty close, in which case new doors make better sense. More often than not, the costs will help you make the decision.

Hope that helps you along the way with your décor dilemma.

Love, Rose  x x x

Raylene asks:

“I have two 2-seater neutral sofa’s and 2 wing-back chairs in my living room. I have bought new scatter cushions: a few striped, a few coordinating florals and a few plain.

My question is should the cushion arrangement be exactly the same on both the sofa’s or can I simply mix-and-match?“

Décor Diva says:

I would say go the mix-and-match route.  You don’t want your décor to look like ‘paint-by-numbers‘.

Were I to be present there with you, I would probably play around a bit and have fun doing it. I would fiddle with the cushions as I mixed them up, until I hit a combination that I felt satisfied with. Then in all probability, in about a fortnight’s time I would fiddle again. That is the total beauty of scatter cushions. Just adopt a playful attitude and you will find a combination that will sit well with you. Even if in the end it does pan out that you landed up with the same arrangement on all the seats. At least you know that you went through the process of elimination.

Enjoy the process.

Love, Rose  x x x

Design Titbit:

If you have a neutral or plain sofa like Raylene it is a good idea to have a complementing and well-balanced selection of plain, striped and patterned cushions. It adds interest and dimension to an otherwise boring space. Just a fair warning to not over do it – cushion are supposed to aid comfort and a sofa swimming in scatters are more of an irritant then anything else. 

Image – Linen House SA: here

“For about a year now, I have been following Lelanie Slater’s “of Beauty and Love” blog posts, as well as touching sides with her here and there via email. She is both writer and Interior Designer. As you can imagine the combination of the two skills make for very interesting reading. Recently Lelanie has touched on a very thought provoking issue about developing your personal design style / manifesto.  I was so moved by it, that we asked Lelanie to guest blog for The Design Tabloid on these same issues. The outcome – below you will find a condensed version of her three posts, which if this article grabs your attention, you can pop over to her blog to catch the in depth discussions. Enjoy…”  - love,  Rose 

By Lelanie Slater

I recently realised with a shock that so many designers tend to produce the same results. No matter who you enlist, the end result will be pretty much the same. Almost as if the designer has no personal design manifesto or compass with which to guide his clients through their individual style.  What sets that compass-less designer apart from the crowd??

But designers aside, let’s acknowledge that we spend so much of our time at home. Why not be as particular and personal in our homes as we are with the outfits and accessories we wear.

A home is the most personal thing. It reflects hopes, dreams, desires and it reveals an awful lot about the residents. So why are we so reluctant to make it our own?

Why then do so many South Africans tend to resort to the ‘design strategy’ of: mimic my favourite shop to achieve the show room quality? Replicating the rooms that are to be found on Retail Showroom floors, – a malaise that concerns me greatly and something that I have called ‘shop houses’. Where is personal taste in this?

In an ideal world we should each have a manifesto. Not just a design philosophy, but a personal manifesto, stating in black on white what we stand for, believe in, live for and love.

A constant reminder - Lelanie keeps her personal design manifesto close by.

Over a period of time, I developed a personal design manifesto.  It encapsulates my design philosophy, found in my company name, Of Beauty and Love.   I believe that each and every item in a space should be beautiful and fondly loved by the inhabitants. In short……

            “Design should be a tale of Beauty and Love”….

This manifesto is popped on my desk, and I refer to it when doing any design, styling or other creative work. Sometimes, all of us need a bit of guidance. That is why I love having my manifesto close by, plus I revisit it regularly.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL DESIGN MANIFESTO:

The most important thing with a personal design style, philosophy or manifesto is to be true to you. The first question to ask is if there is a specific style that appeals to you? What decorating style have you used in your space? Country, modern or none? If you have no idea which design style you gravitate towards it is time to enlist our secret weapon, for step number two. Magazine tear sheets. There are few things as accurate, therapeutic and enjoyable as dedicating 40 minutes to tearing beautiful pictures out of magazines. It’s the ideal way to check what your subconscious really prefers.

Tear out images that automatically speak or appeal to you. No matter how different it is to your perception of your style.

Once you have a nice stack, you can begin to sort them. You will need a scrapbook, a display file with clear sleeves, a box or a large envelope for storing these. Go through the images you have selected. . Write it on the image what appeals to you (or use a post it.)

When going over them, begin to follow the clues to your personal design style, by noting colours that repeat and why they might appeal to you. Look at the details in the pictures. If you simply like the overall look of an image, the key to its appeal might lie in the colour palette, the height of the ceiling, the feeling created etc. Try to ask yourself the following:

  *  What appeals to me in this image?

  *  Do I like the colours and why?

  *  What is it about the decor that appeals to me?

Now you can proceed to the next step of the investigation. Ask yourself the following questions:

  *  What decor style am I most drawn to? Why?

  *  What palette am I most drawn to?

  *  Would I be comfortable living with this?

  *  Which are my favourite home magazines?

Remember that this stage, there is no need to begin defining your style.  Just begin to recognise the styling elements that reflect your person.  As it emerges, your style could be Modern Romantic, Whimsical Cottage or Salvaged Chic.  As long as it’s true to you, there is no wrong answer.

I was browsing through Etsy searching for some Easter inspiration when I stumbled upon these adorable digital designs by Sunshine Lemons (adorable name too)! The brainchild of Louise Sanders, Sunshine Lemons specializes in digital scrapbooking paper sets and party printables that range anything from labels, gift tags and greeting cards, to cake toppers, coaster designs and paper bunting (you just need a little imagination).

Super pretty Shabby Chic bunting printables! This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons' Etsy shop.

This is an excellent resource if you are one of those crafty DIY humans. Furthermore, the extreme cuteness-factor in Louise’s designs makes for perfect kids party decorations and invites.

Another exciting little fact about Sunshine Lemons – she’s from Durban. And you know how I LOVE to find new South African creatives – especially on Etsy!

You can also download this awesome digital Easter freebie (below) from Sunshine Lemons’ website: here… Boy, I love freebies!

You can download this adorable Easter printable from Sunshine Lemons' website...

As inspiration and to wish you all a happy Easter, here is some of Sunshine Lemons’ beautiful digital designs – all available for purchase on her Etsy shop: here

Rose and I love this Babushka digital scrapbook paper set. So beautiful... wonder if Louise added the "ya ya" part as a Kate Bush tribute? This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons Etsy shop.

Easter printable set. This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons Etsy shop.

Easter bunnies! This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons Etsy shop.

A little bit of Vintage Paris! This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons Etsy shop.

Gorgeous rainbow themed party printables for a baby shower. So clever! This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons Etsy shop.

Cute Easter printable set - I almost feel inspired to make my own Easter greeting cards! This set can be purchased through the Sunshine Lemons Etsy shop.

Do check out Sunshine Lemons’ website and Etsy shop for more adorable digital printables. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Easter everyone! Have an awesome long weekend!

Love  Rose & Marica xxx

    

The very Art Deco Mutual Building in Cape Town, South Africa

I think, one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in South Africa is the beautiful Mutual Building in the centre of Cape Town. Next time your in the CBD be sure to take a few minutes to admire it or check out all the gorgeous images: here

Traditional Art Deco interiors: On the left an drawing room interior by Ruhlmann circa 1934, and on the right an Art Deco lounge (source unknown)

Contemporary interiors with some Art Deco features. Notice the zebra skin on the left.

Art Deco: is a highly decorative design style that originated in Paris in the early 1920s and flourished internationally, tapering off in popularity towards the 1940s. Considered to be a lavish, eclectic form of elegant and stylish Modernism, it was also said to be influenced by Cubism and Futurism and various other design styles. Art Deco design made use of symmetrical geometric shapes – faceted forms, trapezoidal, chevron patterns, ziggurat-shapes, sunburst motifs, and jumbled shapes – inspired by Greco-Roman, Egyptian, African and Aztec designs. Art Deco furniture frequently featured marquetry, inlay, enamelling and other techniques to create surface interest. The use of opulent, exotic woods and materials such as stingray and zebra skin was also evident. Vivid, bold colours was often used but later subdued into a white, black, and metallic colour palette that is often identified with Art Deco today. Furniture and interiors combined sleek curves with angular forms often reminiscent of simplified earlier decorative styles.

I think the Palm Court lounge in Shanghai (image on the left) is a gorgeous contemporary interpretation of Art Deco. Right is a bold black & white contemporary Art Deco room in the Hotel Borg, Iceland.

    

Rose and I were completely bowled over by the immense talent of this year’s design up-and-comers and noticed quite a few of the Emerging Creatives’ stands featuring lighting designs. Now, being total suckers for gorgeous lighting we could not wait to share these awesome designs with you…

Martin Doller

Martin Doller's range of "slot-in" lighting designs.

Loved this little table lamp.

Cape Town based Industrial Designer, Martin Doller, developed this range of “slot-in” lighting designs. The collection, aptly called “Framed”, includes pendant as well as table lamp designs. He showed us hoe the slotting system works – it is clever yet super uncomplicated. He also said that the material needn’t be restricted to plywood – if it can be CNC cut, it can be used…think copper or perspex.

Kraftisan

Kraftisan's Luna Light. Image via Kraftisan website.

This little desk light by Kraftisan took the Design Indaba by storm! Constructed from Birch ply, it’s fully adjustable and rotational (check out the video clip). The Luna Light can be fixed down to most surfaces via velcro feet and at R445.00 it was an absolute steal! They flew off the shelves. A truly ingenious piece of design!

Van De Vlam

The Van De Vlam lighting range. You should see the awesome names for these...

Van De Vlam's super cute "Wintie" table lamp. Image via Van De Vlam.

I loved Van De Vlam‘s adorable “Wintie” lamp with its stubbly Kiaat legs – too cute and extremely well crafted. Although each item in the range is quite individual there is something distinctly South African about the designs. The beaded pendant lights were also funky – loved the bold colours.

Micah Joel Chisholm

The intricate laser-cut lighting designs of Micah Joel Chisholm.

These gorgeous chandelier-like designs also drew a small crowd. Designed by Micah Joel Chisholm, they are made out of laser-cut recycled cork and wood sheeting and then folded and fixed into place to create these magnificent suspended lamps. True to its form, Micah named the range Centripetal Skeletal Designs.

Delicious Monster

An impressive section of Delicious Monster's massive chandelier... photos really doesn't do it justice.

Ruth Prowse School of Art graduate, Bianca Mimose de Klerk the force behind Delicious Monster, constructed this massive chandelier out of bits and bops. On closer inspection one can make out shapes like sunglasses, computer cables, fish net, beads, buttons and doilies – all forming this impressive nest-like lighting feature. Rose and I both wondered where we would use a chandelier such as this…we still don’t know – but it’s super awesome. Do yourself a favour and check out their Facebook page in order to see the scale of this thing.

Jan Douglas

A part of Jan Douglas' collection. Aren't those floor lamps just amazing!

All of Jan's designs have adorable Afrikaans names. Jan humorously calls this desk lamp "Kantelknaap." Image via Visi

We immediately loved the contemporary elegant lighting designs of Jan Douglas – especially the gorgeous floor lamps. Jan calls these designs “low-tech solutions” – made by hand from varying lengths of standard-size wood and nuts & bolts. I really appreciate that we can get back to the basics of furniture design – it’s all about balance, function and craft. Jan’s designs has also recently been added CCDI Handmade Collection – well done!

Keep an eye out for these designers… I predict big things!

All images copyright of The Design Tabloid except where otherwise indicated.

    

There were more or less 17 stands devoted to ceramics at this year’s Expo. Immensely popular and usually exceptionally crowded, I had the rare luck of strolling through the ceramic section whilst it was relatively quiet. This allowed me to have a good look.

I was exceedingly impressed with not only the talent but also the diversity of the ceramics on display. It was also nice to see the well-known familiar faces like Sootcookie, Tamarillo Ceramics and Liesel Trautman intermixed with other talented established ceramicists that are (sadly and undeservedly) lesser-known.

As time permits me from giving you a breakdown of all seventeen, here are the two stands who’s designs made the greatest impression on me…

Clay Art by Sonja Moore:

My favourite stand in this category was occupied by Rondebosch ceramicist, Sonja Moore and her beautiful ceramics.

Her beautiful tableware range, which consists of bowls, plates, dishes, mugs and platters, features bird-on-a-wire imagery which is her current signature design. Each piece is 100% handmade which gives it a rather organic character. The range is also dishwasher and oven safe and is available in 5 glaze colours – white, aqua, grey, and now also in ocean melt, and drips & splatters.

What really grab my attention were Sonja’s gorgeous hand-painted vases. Beautifully “illustrated”, she uses a layering process to add colour, texture and visuals to the vases. Her ongoing theme of “freedom, sprout and grow” is quite evident in these delicate whimsical pieces of art. And of course, I think the Spring-coloured combos are simply stunning!

Mervyn Gers Collective:

Another serious head-turner was the combined works of Mervyn Gers along with ceramicists Diana Ferreira, and Karen Kotze of Woven Ceramics. The combination worked together quite beautifully – Mervyn’s beautifully decorated pieces with bold crisp graphics; Diana’s gorgeous earthy, slightly rustic vessels; and Karen’s lovely organic pieces with feminine floral designs.

The show-stealer was Mervyn’s Koi and Blue Willow set which won the prestigious Best Decorated Award at the Ceramics South Africa Cape Regional last year. The detail in this intricate orient-inspired set is quite breathtaking.

Now, I’ve bookmarked these two and most of the other ceramicists and I’ll be keeping a close eye on them. Which means – hopefully many lovely updates and features to follow!

Be sure to keep in touch with Sonja and Mervyn on their Facebook pages here:

    

I’ve got another décor Quick Tip for you, this one too is form Martha Stewart. What can I say – this woman is brilliant.

#13   If all the bookshelves you find in stores are too tall, too wide, or too unwieldy, consider stacking sturdy wooden benches to make a streamlined shelf that’s just right for your space. Search flea markets and second-hand shops for old benches – all they need is a lick of paint.

    

Rose and I spotted this intricate green beaded suit at Design Indaba and we thought St. Pat’s would be the perfect time to share it with you.

But all jokes aside – this crafted masterpiece has an excellent story behind it. It’s handmade by over 40 women from several communities in the Valley of 1000 Hills region, and made up of over 400 individual patches of bead work. The suit was designed by international award-winning fashion designer, Terrence Bray, for Woza Moya an income-generating project of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust. The project spanned eight weeks from conception to completion and was designed as a “go green” initiative. It also provided an income for the 40-odd women who worked on it.

The suit consists of a suit jacket, pants, a top hat and an isagila (a traditional Zulu walking stick). Believed to be the first of its kind in the world, it will hopefully provoke discussion around environmental issues. Words and phrases related to green issues are featured on the suit.

“The Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust assists men and women infected and affected by HIV/Aids, as well as families in need of an income. They support over 300 crafters with sustainable employment and provides training and a market for beautiful, handmade, contemporary crafts. Woza Moya is known for its beautiful beaded jewellery, which is sold around the world. It also produces a range of wirework, fabric-painted mats, conference bags, crochet and ceramic items. Woza Moya is the home of the Little Traveller, which is a tiny beaded doll that travels the world spreading a message of love and hope. By making Little Travellers, families have been fed, lights have been switched on, children have gone to school, water has poured out of taps and, most importantly, hope has been restored.”  - www.designindaba.com

If you can recall, Woza Moya is also responsible for last year’s Most Beautiful Object in South Africa winner, The Dreams for Africa Chair, which symbolises hope and the importance of dreams, whilst also raising HIV/Aids awareness. On display at this year’s Design Indaba, the chair usually travels around South Africa and abroad.

A happy St. Paddy’s Day to you all!

Love, Rose and Marica x x

To me, (and remember that this is my opinion and not the official take of Design Indaba…. Although I would hope that I am not too far off the mark) this Design Expo is the ideal event to bring the power of the interactive, creative thinking of design to the public and those in the trade. It should serve to heighten awareness of how creative thinking and processes are at work in our daily lives, as well as motivate all towards interacting with these design processes daily. It’s not just about the projects and the products. It’s bigger than that… it’s about letting design ideas materialise and tell its story.

The question then is: Did this year’s Design Indaba actually achieve this objective? I would say a resounding YES to that. I spent two days in the conference being bowled over by the power of international creative minds, and one whole day covering the exhibitors stands in the Expo… it was mind blowing, motivating and more.

I’m kicking off my side with a very brief look at what impressed me most at the Design Expo. As you can well imagine that is actually quite a daunting task mainly because just about everything and everyone was impressive, really it was.  How do you choose to mention but a few of these impressive designers and their projects?

That is why I have decided to get of the starting blocks more along ‘neutral’ grounds for want of a better term. Whilst touring the Expo,  I became very aware of the fact that there were many exhibitors/brands that had ‘Interactive Stands” – in other words the public could actually step into their space, were given some tool or instrument (pen, paint and brush, stickers, photos, etc.)  with which to interact with the brand’s stand.

These exhibitors had clearly applied serious creativity in their efforts of bringing brand awareness to the public, inducing clever and creative interaction with the crowds.

To mention a few:

Cape Town – World Design Capital 2014:

By the end of the Expo the stand was dripping with Post-it messages - some very inspirational. Photos via Cape Town Design Capital 2014

Here you could write a message on a yellow Post-it type paper and attach it to a very big pencil-filled interactive board. Do yourself a favour and read some of the post-it quotes on their website: here.

Table Mountain – Natural 7 Wonder of the World:

Here you can see some ladies sticking their colourful entry cards unto the allotted black & white block.

Clever – they had a massive image of Table Mountain, which was almost grey in colour to start with. What you could do was enter a competition and you were given a photo image to stick into a particular numbered block. End result was a stunning coloured graphic image of Table Mountain

VISI Magazine:

By the end of day 1 the Visi stand was already covered with a considerable amount of sticky dots. Check out the transformation below...

The back walls and the floor of their stand was covered in an outlined graphic image. What you did was grab a few circular stickers and begin to fill in the gaps. Thousands and thousands of stickers later, the stand was a total splash of colourful images. Great success I would say.

Plascon and House & Leisure Magazine:  

The Plascon and House & Leisure Magazine "paint-by-numbers" stand. Images via H&L

They too covered their walls with images and blocks, provided the visitor with a paint brush and paint in Plascon’s latest contemporary colour trend palettes. With that you could make you mark in one of the blocks on the wall. Check out House & Leisure’s website for the story behind the stand and more images.

DStv:  

The big interactive DStv screen. Photography by www.jakobkarte.com

This was a source of major entertainment for the largely younger visitors or the young at heart. A really huge plasma screen stood tall, with cameras capturing the crowds as they passed by. BUT, added into the mix, you could step onto a digitally operated pad mounted to the floor in front of the screen, which then activated interactive digital images next to or above your image.  Like a rain and thunder storm breaking over you or animals were interacting digitally with you. Quite out there stuff. Too difficult for moi to fully explain, but memorable obviously.

MTN:  

Popular with the teens, the MTN cube covered in scribbles. Top image taken by www.jakobkarte.com

The MTN exhibition stand was that of a huge Perspex cube, built in sections. The visitor could step into the cube and write a message on the Perspex cube walls, using a black marker pen. Cool.

Cape Town College of Fashion Design:  

Future fashion designers in the making? Images via CTCFD

Cape Town College of Fashion Design had people sketching fashion outfits on their back walls.

The South African Post Office:  

The South African Post Office mime

Yes, you are definitely reading correctly – even the Post Office got into the interactive space. Their mime artist clad in a white outfit, clutching a black marker pen, roamed the passages of the hall, encouraging visitors to write meaningful words and phrases about sending out post/letters.

All this interaction really kept the crowds busy. I think it is an innovative way of creating brand awareness and standing out in a crowd of exhibitors, particularly since creative thinking was what this expo was all about. I noticed that Cape Tourism had a stand which drew little or no attention to it, yet it had all the potential in the world to be stand out, if it was interactive? Seriously does not say much for their creative thinking at a design expo. THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT AFTER ALL… GETTING THE MESSAGE OF CREATIVE THINKING OUT THERE.

Related articles

• Design Indaba 2012: High Thorn (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Design Indaba 2012 Is Here! (thedesigntabloid.com)
• Most Beautiful Object In SA 2012 Finalists (thedesigntabloid.com)