Prominent designers showcase bathroom

PROMINENT DESIGNERS SHOWCASE BATHROOM TRENDS AT NEW DECOREX CAPE TOWN FEATURE

Three of South Africa’s young and trendy influencers will be unleashing their incredible talent at this year’s ISCA Bathroom Trends Project – one of the latest new features at Decorex Cape Town, sponsored by Plascon. This on-trend bathroom installation forms part of an extensive features’ line-up all taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 27 April to 1 May.

“This is going to be an incredibly innovative feature that will give visitors great insights into how the bathroom can take a more inspired role within the home,” explained Sian Cullingworth, Portfolio Director at Decorex SA. “We felt there was a need for a bathroom focus and the ISCA Bathroom Trends Project will give designers the opportunity to transform simple, domestic bathrooms into a multi-functional space using the latest furniture, accessories and fixtures available. This will also give visitors the chance to engage with some of the bathroom industry’s latest water-saving technologies, something that will be taking centre stage at Decorex Cape Town during the current water crisis.”

Sponsored by ISCA – South Africa’s go-to brand for kitchen and bathroom fittings – this project will feature two on-trend bathroom settings. The first will be curated by season 4 winners of the SABC3 Win-a-Home competition, Abiah ‘Abiahsuperstar’ Mahlase and Bradley Muttitt, while renowned Lovilee blogger, Karen Kelly AKA KaRi, will be taking on the second bathroom setting.
The design trio has been selected as ISCA influencers and will give Decorex visitors a unique insight into the latest 2018 interior trends.

“We are excited to be featuring at Decorex Cape Town this year,” said John Westermeyer, Chief Marketing Officer, LIXIL Africa. “This is the perfect platform to share ISCA’s latest interior trends and tap couture, allowing visitors to engage with the influencers to get inspiration to do it themselves at home. It’s a great opportunity to show people how they can live beautifully and get the look for less with ISCA.”

The South African design duo – Abiah and Brad – will show how easy it is to bring local and international trends into the home. Fresh from their SABC3 Win-a-Home victory, the creators of AMEN fashion line will be channelling years of creative experience into this exciting feature.

“Design, to me, means daring to be different while thinking of solutions to make everything more beautiful, and I’m excited to share that with South Africa and the world as an ISCA influencer,” said Abiah, whose career started as a set stylist, working with iconic South Africans such as Hugh Masekela and Terry Pheto.

His business and life partner of five years, Brad, said he felt privileged to have been selected as an ISCA influencer and looked forward to working on the ISCA Bathroom Trends Project. “I’m super excited to express my creativity in new ways to bring fresh and bold ideas to the world of kitchen and bathroom interiors. I can’t wait to add my and Abiah’s creative sizzle and pizzazz to the mix.”

The pair will be bringing the latest ‘Indulged’ bathroom trend to life – a focus on modern luxury exuding a touch of extravagance through various elements. Visitors to this bathroom creation can expect moody, dramatic colours with shadowy, sophisticated shades of black interspersed with dusty blush pinks and rustic golds. Indulgent textures will be realised in items ranging from soft velvet to hyper-plush woven textiles while shelf space and countertops increase as trends move away from minimalism.

Multi-award-winning South African LOVILEE blogger, KaRi, has a penchant for DIY and hand-crafted projects. Starting out in the corporate world, KaRi eventually found her creative outlet in 2010 when she started her blog which continues to inspire others with useful lifestyle suggestions.

“I started my DIY and design journey when I moved into my first flat, which I think I left a few centimetres smaller by the time I moved, with all the coats of paint I applied over the years,” she says. “I think initially being on a tight budget I was forced to try do things myself and I am so glad I did, because this is how I developed my love for all things DIY and I’m no longer afraid to try new projects in my home. That’s really what I want to try and share with others, and to show them that it’s ok to make mistakes here and there and get your hands dirty in the process.”

KaRi has been tasked with creating a ‘Grounded’ bathroom setting which incorporates natural elements using raw and refined materials. This will include earthier tones and textures that are introduced in an authentic way, remaining close to the material’s natural form. The ‘grounded’ trend translates into a much more relaxed, sociable environment with indoor gardens and an elegant utilitarian design.

In line with the industry’s move towards sustainable technology, particularly within the water-scarce Western Cape, ISCA will be featuring a number of water-saving products that will prove popular with the visiting public. For the installation alone, all basin mixers come standard with a water-saving flow restrictor.

“Visitors will get to engage with The Pro Tour Truck which is the first mobile showroom of its kind on the continent,” explained Westermeyer. “It will showcase all LIXIL’s leading brands – Cobra, ISCA, GROHE, Vaal and Libra – in an intimate space, with fully functional products for a really hands-on experience. We’ll be using recycled water from Johannesburg so as not to deplete, in any way, the scare water resources in Cape Town.”

Cobra will also be using this innovative space to launch its latest water-saving mixer range – Focus. The Cobra Focus range includes four water-saving basin mixers that will drastically reduce the use of this diminishing resource. One lucky visitor to the Pro Tour Truck will also stand the chance to win one of these stunning Cobra Focus basin mixers for their home.

To learn more about the latest innovative water-saving technology while checking out the creative imaginings of KaRi, Abiah and Brad at the exciting new bathroom-focused feature, get to Decorex Cape Town, sponsored by Plascon.