The Joinery x Elana, Decorex 2025

For this year’s Decorex Cape Town, South Africa’s leading design and lifestyle expo, I had the joy of collaborating with The Joinery, a women-led brand that’s all about conscious craftsmanship and considered design.

Together, we created a limited-edition cherry red tote bag, hand-illustrated with my quote: “We grew tired of waste not wonder.”

The words are a small invitation to pause, look closer, and find meaning in the things we often overlook. It honours the spirit of thoughtful creativity, sustainable practice, and transforming overlooked materials into purposeful design - core to The Joinery’s philosophy.

The tote launched at the show, was featured on The Joinery’s social media pages, and found its way into the hands of visitors as a colourful keepsake.

• Big thanks to Tammy Tinker, Mary-Anne Grobler, Tina Booyens, and The Joinery’s founders Natalie and Kim Ellis for trusting me with this piece. It’s always such a joy to work with a team that leads with care, craft, and heart.
• Photography: Tammy Tinker and Annjaneqeu (Angie) Niemand