Be inspired by all things Grand

Grand Designs Live, brought to you by DionWired, the most extensive, inspirational and downright fabulous home and garden show, returns to the Coca-Cola Dome from May 23-25.

Now in its fifth year, it’s become an annual pilgrimage where home lovers can browse through the absolute best innovations on offer in the home and garden worlds.

Guests will enter through the Grand Designs Live Tunnel, passing under a beautiful installation comprising of a colourful array of umbrellas, and then on through a gorgeous lighting display showcased by the IID. These immediately set the scene for the many wonders that are to follow.

The central Whirlpool Coffee Bar is where you’ll find baristas and fresh roasts, perfect for a short break before venturing off into the rest of the show.

The Grand Arches lead you through into different areas of the show, the first of which is Grand Interiors with four room sets brought to you by Caxton Magazines. The outdoor living room will be tastefully styled by Silk & Cotton while Scarlett Fine will be displaying a beautiful, bespoke kids room.

Indigo Interiors will showcase a wonderfully unique bedroom, and DionWired will deck a room out with all the latest gadgets. And that’s just the starts of it! Packed with brilliant ideas, innovations and inspiration, it’s here that you’ll find everything you need to make your home amazing from the inside. Furnishing, décor tips, objet d’art, accessories and ornaments will all be on display.

From here it’s on to The Grand Theatre brought to you by DionWired, which will be bigger and better than ever before. This interactive space gives guests the opportunity to hear first-hand how celebrities and experts liven up their homes. It’s the heart of the show, with discussions, demonstrations and presentations that have a firm finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the décor and home styling worlds.

Expect to hear well-known figures like Tanya Visser, Sureshnie Rider and Jill Manson sharing their stories, get to know a bit more about everything from settings to interior designers’ views on room sets, and marvel at the exquisite collaboration between Garden and Home Magazine and By Word Of Mouth Catering, who join forces to create some very beautiful table setting displays.

The Garden Theatre – focusing on all things green and outdoorsy – is sponsored by The Gardener/Die Tuinier. As important a part of your home as any room in the house, the garden is a space that can be shaped and tailored in so many different ways.

Grand Designs Live hosts some top notch gardeners, including everyone’s favourite Tanya Visser, who will offer all the advice, expertise and tips to help you make the right decisions, be it completely re-landscape, creating a practical outdoor space or just looking to touch up an area.

The very popular and highly successful Floral Design Off Competition, sponsored by Chrysal, will see an upcoming amateur winning the opportunity to work with top floral designer, Jill Manson, as well as winning a R5 000 cash prize, a 4-module course in Floral Design with Corollation Floral Design School, a voucher for a flower healing workshop with Flowerscape and a year’s supply of flowers from Electric Butterfly.

If your motto is do-it-yourself, then there’s the very informative and eye-opening DIY Theatre, sponsored by Builders Express and Builders Warehouse. Here you can learn new tricks from old hands who have years of experience and expertise in making the most with their own two hands. Also check out the Wakaberry restaurant, for some much-needed time out from all the hard handiwork.

The bathroom: that very special place in the home where you got to relax and unwind. And catering to the very personal needs of a wide variety of guests is the Bathroom Area, complete with state-of-the-art equipment, unique designer goods and a wealth of grand ideas. Then, in the Kitchen Area, attend the ever-popular french inspired Easylife Kitchens Chefs Kitchen, in association with Whirlpool and Caesarstone and The South African Chefs Association, which has a Cake and Bake focus.

With a stellar line-up of South Africa’s top culinary chefs, as well as much-loved foodies like Reuben Riffel sharing, sampling and showcasing the latest seasonal trends, there’ll be no shortage of magnificent demonstrations and insightful tips on how to cook the perfect meal, all on the contemporary range of Easylife Kitchen appliances.

There’s the opportunity to indulge all of your sense at The Grand Gourmet Market, offering delectable, tasty delights from an authentic, bustling market. Here guests can choose from an array of fresh home-grown goodies or The Kitchens and Bathrooms area also hosts a gorgeous French inspired restaurant, offering up an enviable assortment of bagels, beautiful sandwiches and croissants.

Time: 10am – 6pm on Friday 23 May

9am – 6pm on Saturday 24 May

9am – 5pm on Sunday 25 May

Price: R85 (pensioners and students R60, children under 12 free)

Contact: 011-835-1565

Visit www.granddesignslive.co.za