Do good design

A group of South Africa's leading furniture designers are behind the unique bookshelves on display in the M-Net Cares Café at Decorex Joburg next month. Decorex Joburg takes place at Gallagher Convention Centre from the 8th to 12th August and is Africa's largest décor, design and lifestyle exhibition.

All visitors to Decorex Joburg are being asked to bring any gently read children's books along with them and help to promote literacy amongst youngsters in our country. The donated books will be stored and displayed on the designer bookshelves for the duration of the show until books and shelves are all donated to libraries.

The lettering-inspired M-Net Cares Café is an M-Net, Decorex Joburg and Salvocorp (the official distributor of Staron engineered stone by Samsung) initiative to raise awareness of and collect book donations for the M-Net Naledi Children's Literacy Project.

"If we don't teach children to read in the foundation levels of Grade 3 and 4, we lose them forever," says Palesa Xorile, corporate social investment manager at M-Net. M-Net launched the project three years ago, believing that they were helping to educate the M-Net employees of tomorrow.

The Decorex SA team have rounded up an impressive list of local designers to create the bookshelves. They have been designed by Aidan Bennetts, Katie Thompson of ReCreate, Joe Paine, Andrea Kleinloog and Megan Hesse of Anatomy, Tonic, A-Point, Mezzanine, David Krynauw and Goet. All have used creative and playful concepts in looking at the concept of a bookshelf in a whole new light.

"We based our design on the isiZulu word Funda, which means 'to read'," says Georg van Gass of Goet. "It's a very literal take on the brief, with the writing forming an integral part of the construction. While it's practical, there's also an underlying message about the power of literacy behind it. With so many story-telling traditions being lost, reading opens the world of knowledge, wisdom and make-believe. This enables the reader to see the underlying meaning in literature and life."

"Part of the brief was to make a child smile," explains interior designer Megan Hesse of Anatomy Design. "We liked the idea of an old-fashioned doll's house - something beautiful that opens up into a safe and private place to read. The design allows for bookshelves as well as a seat, and there's a pleasing sense of nostalgia to it."

Joe Paine says he liked the idea of displaying books in a less conventional way, while still adhering to his signature clean-lined aesthetic. "It's functional and good-looking, and I think the 45 degree angle and dramatic colours will appeal to children. It's a modernist design at heart, but it's playful too, and children get that."

Salvocorp director Gian Simonato said Decorex had proved to be the ideal platform to showcase Salvocorp products. Their stand as well as the M-Net Cares Café would show the application of both the Staron solid surfacing as well as engineered stone products. "We have supported the M-Net Cares Café this year because education and literacy are areas that we support strongly. The manufacturing of the stand also gives us the opportunity to show visitors to the exhibition how they can use our products in their own space." So don't forget to pop a book or two into your bag before you head for Decorex Joburg. M-Net is the official media partner of Decorex SA

The M-Net Cares Café at Decorex Cape Town

Decorex Joburg
8-12 August 2012 - Gallagher Convention Centre
Hours: 09:00 - 18:00
Tickets: R75 for adults, R65 for pensioners and students, (FREE exhibition entrance for
décor, design and architecture professionals who pre-register online)
Visit www.decorex.co.za for trade registration plus regular updates on exciting competitions
and speaker line-ups. Book here for Conversations on Architecture and Design Dialogue
Gautrain: Take the Gautrain to the Midrand station. For your convenience, shuttle buses
will be running to and from Gallagher Convention Centre.
Facebook: Decorex SA
Twitter: @decorexSA, #decorexjoburg
Decorex Joburg forms part of the Decorex SA portfolio and is owned by the Thebe
Exhibitions & Projects Group.

For more information visit www.decorex.co.za / t 011 549 8300