Shopping weary visitors to this year’s Decorex Cape Town will rejoice at the introduction of the Graham Beck Wine Bar, which is to be styled to perfection by Léan van der Merwe using the magnificent fabrics and wallpapers on offer from Home Fabrics. We spoke to the Cape Town designer about what to expect… aside, of course, from a great glass of grape.

Q: You have over 10 years’ experience in the design business, and have worked with some of the industry’s top designers. What inspired you to go it alone?

A: I wanted to prove a point really – that having the benefit of an interior designer isn’t the sole province of the well-heeled lucky few. My services are finely tailored to the specific budgets of my clients. It’s important to remember that redoing an interior doesn’t always mean an overhaul of absolutely everything. A stylish new coat can do wonders for an old sofa, for instance. I also work with a very broad range of suppliers, which means that I’m able to deliver quality but still shop around for the best price.

Q: Quality and affordability, then, are the two pillars of your offering. But how would you define your signature style?

A: I’d say it leans towards the contemporary, but is always timeless. However, versatility is key to offering a good design service and I’ve worked on everything from traditional homes to ultra-modern corporate spaces. Although I’m based in Cape Town, many of my clients are in Gauteng so I head up there at least once a month.

Q: And from where do you draw your creative inspiration?

A: I spend a lot of time in fabric houses and furniture showrooms – if I’m stressed out, this is where you’ll find me, feeding my soul with beautiful colours and textures. I’m also a huge admirer of French designer Philippe Starck. I love the way he has of reinventing the traditional, forcing us to relook the old, but with new eyes.

Q: So, what can visitors to Decorex Cape Town expect from the Graham Beck Wine Bar by Léan van der Merwe Interiors in association with Home Fabrics?

A: An upmarket glamorous space embellished with an interplay of warm and cool metallics – which is such a big theme in decorating right now. I’ve had a series of spherical Tom Dixon style copper pendant lights custom made for over the bar itself, to either side of which will be the two main seating areas – the one decked out in shades of gold, brass and copper and the other in shades of silver, steel and pewter. Seating will range from the formal; a corner unit, for instance, with a pair of handsome Pasha armchairs; to casual, wicker look outdoor style chairs and tables.

Q: The chosen palette for this year’s exhibition is ‘Black is the New White’. How will you be incorporating this into your ‘set’?

A: Black will essentially be the grounding neutral of my entire scheme, but it will be lifted with accents of crisp white and, of course, the shimmer of those metallics. In the faux ‘outdoor seating area’ I’ve thrown in some splashes of cobalt blue for a lighter, more playful touch.

Q: How does your concept for the Wine Bar fit into the overarching theme for Decorex 2015 – ‘The Home of Great Ideas’?

A: I think visitors to the show will get great takeaway value from the informal seating section of the wine bar. We are such an outdoor-oriented nation and yet 90% of our patios are insanely boring. I want to demonstrate that it’s possible to not only make an outdoor space an extension of the home’s living areas but to make it the focal point of the home. I’m hoping my styling of this space will give visitors plenty of ideas for doing just that.

Visit the Graham Beck Wine Bar by Léan van der Merwe Interiors in association with Home Fabrics at Decorex Cape Town, which takes place from 24^th to 27th April 2015 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. There will be plenty more décor inspiration – this year the exhibition is called The Home of Great Ideas. For more information, visit www.decorex.co.za.

*Above images are of Léan van der Merwe's previous work