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Interior Designer Tristan du Plessis Named Decorex’s Designer of the Year 2024

With world class restaurants like Fyn under his belt, Tristan du Plessis is set to showcase a selection of work at Decorex 2024

By House & Garden South Africa | May 18, 2024 | Category

From the 2023 Restaurant and Bar Awards Best Club/Night Venue, Giselle Miami, to the popular Gorgeous George boutique hotel in Cape Town, and the instantly-recognisable and most sustainable restaurant in the world, FYN, to a penthouse suite designed in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning DJ Black Coffee – Tristan du Plessis’s stylish legacy is on show across the globe, making him one of the most famous creative talents to come out of South Africa.

South African world class restaurant FYN designed by Tristan du Plessis. Image: Supplied.

This year, in an exciting addition to Du Plessis’s many accolades, the founder of the eponymous Cape Town and Johannesburg-based interior architecture firm has been selected as Decorex’s Designer of the Year for 2024. An annual recognition from the foremost authority on decor, interior design and lifestyle industries on the African continent, the Designer of the Year honour is awarded to an interior design firm whose work is worthy of acclaim.

Ristorante Loren in Dubai, designed by Tristan du Plessis. Photography by Natelee Cocks.

Decorex Joburg, taking place at the Sandton Convention Centre from 1 to 4 August 2024, will feature a Designer of the Year stand with Tristan du Plessis’s work. According to the designer himself, he’s aiming to create a ‘small slice of his international projects’ where exhibition attendees will get the chance to experience and explore how he imparts his signature maximalist yet refined luxury into spaces around the world.

Gigi’s Rooftop at Cape Town’s Gorgeous George Hotel. Photography by Claus Brechenmacher & Reiner Baumann.

‘I feel honoured to be chosen as Designer of the Year 2024 as I have a strong connection to South Africa,’ comments Du Plessis. ‘Even though the majority of my work is international, I consciously choose to collaborate with South African furniture designers and craftsmen to bring my various projects to life, so to be honoured among these talented designers in my home country is certainly something I’m very excited about.‘

Du Plessis’s studio was founded in 2015 with a strong focus on signature hospitality projects. The boutique design studio, which started in Johannesburg before expanding to Cape Town in 2022, has undertaken a slew of impressive local and international projects beyond those already mentioned, including Sān Dubai, a beach club inspired by and named after Africa’s first people, and Japanese-inspired local restaurant KōL Izakhaya.

Ristorante Loren in Dubai, designed by Tristan du Plessis. Photography by Natelee Cocks.

Du Plessis's selection as Decorex's Designer of the Year 2024 marks another key moment in his illustrious career, further solidifying his status as a global creative force.

Although Du Plessis’s work will be showcased exclusively at Decorex Joburg, be sure to pick up a copy of the May/June issue of House & Garden SA to receive two free tickets to Decorex Cape Town! Get your copy here.