Grand Designs Live 2016 inspires

Responsible Living

In its seventh year, Grand Designs Live now brought to you by Black+Decker, has proven to be the leading contemporary home, design and garden show in South Africa. Every year legions of fans return to the event, inspired by its informative, innovative and interactive nature, and keen to learn about the latest trends, both locally and abroad.  And this year is going to be better than ever before because Media 10 is now running the show, and DIY king Black+Decker has come on board as title sponsor. Think of it as a fresh lick of paint, a move that will inject new, exciting energy into this incredible institution, keeping all the things you’ve fallen in love with over the years, but expanding the scope and experience.

And what better way to kick off this new direction than by aligning this year’s theme with a cause that should be dear to all of us: Responsible Living. As conscious consumers it is now imperative that we make more eco-friendly choices and live in a way that promotes awareness and sensitivity to our planetary needs. Grand Designs Live takes this issue very seriously and will be showcasing numerous ways in which visitors can bring this thinking to life, and hopefully make real and meaningful impact on the world we live in.

The core Grand Designs Live experience remains much the same, with the main areas being Grand Gardens, Grand Interiors, Grand Build and Grand Kitchens and Bathrooms. Here you’ll find all the best products as well as talks and demonstrations illustrating global best practice in these different fields. Grand Designs Live have tapped into leading lights in our local industry to ensure this years show is exactly what our consumer is looking for.  This expert panel comprises of five exceptional individuals, all highly respected in their respective fields. Sarah Bruitendach, is the Digital Editor and Editor-In-Chief of the Fashion and Home supplements at the Sunday Times, and has enormous experience as a writer and stylist. Graham Wood is a writer and editor specialising in décor, design and architecture, having spent the last decade chronicling Mzansi’s most beautiful homes. Co-owner of interior décor and eventing company Sålt + Støne, Karin Orzol has helped many client create beautiful and practical living spaces. Robin Alexander is freelance writer and stylist, who formerly worked at the Sunday Times Fashion and Home supplements. Vicki Sleet heads up the popular décor and lifestyle blog iwantthat.com as well as working at Good Housekeeping Magazine, focusing on food and décor.

The entrance at this years show is going to feel completely different, as patrons will get to experience the incredible Central Boulevard Lampshades, a series of oversized lampshades hanging from the ceiling, designed by fresh young talent and covered in fabrics from Black Fabrics. This innovative initiative will give up-and-coming designers the opportunity to showcase their skills whilst contributing to a really eye-catching feature. And once guests have walked through this magical boulevard they will come across an exciting new central feature, appearing for the first time at Grand Designs Live. It’s a massive interactive area featuring the best in design trends, expert opinions and celebrity savvy advice. This space is split into two, The Easylife Kitchens Celebrity Chefs Theatre brought to you by Food & Home Entertaining Magazine, and The Waterwise Garden Theatre, brought to you by GLC Design Studio and Garden and Home Magazine.

The Waterwise Garden Theatre is an informative, inspirational place where guests can really engage with the realities of South Africa’s water dilemma. In reality, we are a water-stressed country, and predictions are that the demand for water will outstrip supply by 2025. A change in attitude and behaviour is needed, and this is where you can find ways to use water more wisely.  In addition there will also be numerous experts on hand, each giving different insights into trends and techniques, making your green-finger experience all the more enjoyable and effective.

The Easylife Kitchens Celebrity Chefs Theatre brought to you by Food & Home Entertaining Magazine, hosts much loved celebrity foodies including the highly experienced Adrian Vaughn of Lacuna Bistro @ The Maslow Hotel,  creative Amy Butler from the Food Design Agency, multi award winning Jonathan Roos at the Inter-continental OR Tambo and Pastry Chef Minette Smith who will be sampling, demonstrating and sharing advice on how to create the perfect meal, leaving you with all the passion and knowledge to repeat these in your own kitchen.

This space backs into Grand Interiors, brought to you by House and Leisure Magazine, plays host to four unique, immaculately styled room sets, featuring bespoke creations by Nicola Davis Interiors, Create Space Lab, House and Leisure Room Sets, Megan Parker Interiors and Prime Home. These highly respected names will ensure that this is not just a beautiful space, but an ideas hub where you can quiz our experts on their methods and philosophies. It’s all been designed to help you make the most of your own personal space, so if you’re looking for fresh ideas and ingenious insights, then be sure to spend some time in this inspiring area. Grand Designs Live: the leading contemporary home, design and garden show in South Africa.

Grand Build will feature an incredible, instructive DIY Theatre, courtesy of Black+Decker. The DIY Theatre will also play host to incredible experts who will be giving all the secrets and tips needed to make your home improvement experience all the more fruitful. Brand new to this year is the Black+Decker DIY Workshops where you’ll get to roll up your sleeves and get involved with fun and exciting activities aimed at bringing out your inner handyman or woman. These range from learning how to make desk lamps and hanging lights, to fun and interactive spot races against the clock and everything you need to know about building your own herb boxes. The best thing? You get to walk off with your creation and stand to win amazing prizes. Black+Decker will also be hosting the Tool Exchange, a brand new initiative where you bring along your old Black+Decker tools, hand them in, and then get to purchase either a drill, grind-saw, grinder or sander for only R99.00. It’s happening once-off…only at Grand Designs Live. And to top it all off, the DIY Guru Search is on again, so if you want to keep up to date with who it’s going to be, then make sure you follow the hunt on the Grand Designs website or on social media.

The Grand Kitchens and Bathrooms area will once again showcase the best of both of these worlds, with novel and stylish ideas being presented in the Kitchen Theatre, hosted by Easylife Kitchens.  Here you can expect the full array of bright ideas and must-have gadgets.

Then, because all this is undoubtedly going to work up an appetite, there’s the scrumptious Gourmet Area where you get to pamper your palate with the most delectable dishes imaginable or sip on cocktails at the exquisite Cocktail Bar. At the Grand Designs Live Emporium you’ll be greeted with an array of beautiful objects for garden and home, from jewellery and fabrics to scatter cushions and exotic plants and flowers.

So make sure you mark the dates: 20 - 22 May 2016. That’s when Grand Designs Live takes over the Ticketpro Dome.

Venue: The Ticketpro Dome

Price: R95-00 (Pensioners and Students: R65, children under 12 are free)

Contact: +27 11 835 1565

Visit: www.granddesignslive.co.za

Facebook:  Grand Designs Live SA