Pride of India

An invitation to create a dining-room for the Garden&Home stand at Decorex

Our African-based dining-room moved away from the natural colours and mudcloth commonly associated with our continent and flirted quite shamelessly with India's vibrancy to result in a wedding feast of frenzied colour, texture and fantasy. The dining chairs were humble farm chairs, dressed up in jewel taffeta fabrics for the day. Stately carvers, borrowed from a client, received a modern make-over in leopard print to elevate them from French dowager to African Queen. The African thread was carried through in the leopard print border to the place-mats, and in the mural design of a little buck and birds. Place-mats using fake jewels and mirror trimmings bought at the Oriental Plaza; serviette rings crafted from baby Indian bracelets and fake jewels, and tiebacks specially made with glass beads bought on a trip to India, added just the pinch of quirkiness we desired. A wonderful chandelier, which took six people two weeks to bead, was the showstopper. Antiques should not feel out of place in a funky, vibrant setting, and the Victorian dining-room table and clocks nestle comfortably among high-contrast curtain treatment, glasses of all shapes and hues, and a tablescape just waiting to be danced upon.

The work of Elize Labuschagne Interiors has been featured in numerous local glossies, including Habitat, De Kat, Garden & Home, Prime Club, and others.