Review: Design Joburg featuring Rooms on View

Sandton Convention Centre flung open its doors for a fabulous new design event this year. From cardboard chairs to Corian coffee tables, Joburg’s inaugural Design Joburg leaves you salivating.

The 2017 show spotlighted top décor and design mavens from both home and abroad. South Africa’s design darlings were showcased in the aptly named Darlings collaboration. This space featured a diverse, hand-selected group of local designers, including paper architect Elonah O’Neil, who showcased a beautiful fluid paper lighting installation. She is also the woman behind the brilliant wall of Pierre Jourdan bubbles cascading above the stand. I was sure to grab a glass and admire the paper bubbles whilst enjoying a glass of fizz.

International brands include Romo fabrics from the UK – their ‘Linara’ range comes in 360 colours and coordinates with the Plascon paint colour palate, enabling you to match and complement upholstery with your paintwork. Meanwhile, four hundred year old Swedish masters of metalwork, Skultuna, exhibited their luxurious liquid metal homeware items and were running a competition to win one of their elegant pieces.

‘Rooms on View’ is a series of amazing spaces sure to inspire.

In particular, Weylandts’ inviting fire-themed rooms with shades of grey and burnished orange are just gorgeous, and you might actually want to move in.

Many of the designers and creative minds who are responsible for this event were at the exhibition, so we had opportunities to ask them questions in person. La Grange’s Sumari Krige is behind the original ‘Rooms on View’ concept and was excited to revive it as part of a larger event. Creative directors Andrea Klieinoog and Megan Hesse of Anatomy Design were heavily involved in curating this feast for the eyes. Both are clearly full of enthusiasm and creativity and did a remarkable job of co-ordinating artistic collaboration on such a broad scale.

Inspirational aesthetics, a grand collaboration of both well known and up-and-coming designers, fabrics, furniture, flowers and general fabulousness awaited us at Design Joburg. If you’ve missed the boat with Design Joburg 2017, be sure not to next time around.

Nicola Beach
www.expatorama.com