Details, Details

So much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens

This wondrous poem by William Carlos Williams, MD, begs us to see the ordinary in a fresh way.  He asks that close attention is paid to color and texture, sounds and smells, turning the routine into an opportunity.That barnyard is suddenly a gate towards a new reality.  Al lour senses are fully engaged.
Our interior spaces reflect how we attend to detail.  Do our rooms contain layers of texture and pattern? Do we consider the principles of Harmony and Balance? What is your signature room fragrance? Are you colorful or serene?  If  you haven't given much thought to these things, try to see your space as if for the first time.  Now, what will you add for whimsey, intrigue, warmth, sexiness?  What should you subtract?  What will make this important place,where you live, into a dazzling reflection of who you are--on the outside, but also on the inside.  So much depends upon it...

Create like a caveman

Just think about it:  some of the earliest discovered evidences of artistic flowering began as early as 25,000 B.C.  Even Cro-Magnon people depicted their stories, experiences and religion through sculpture and drawings.  Doesn't this blow your mind? This means that Interior Design and Decoration began at civilization's dawn.  We humans have an innate need and desire to express our minds, bodies and souls through artistry of one form or another.
Our homes are one of the most primary ways of creative expression.  How are you expressing yourself in your personal spaces?  Do they reveal who you are or are they the result of a furniture showroom design?  Think outside the box.  Get in touch with your own gut feelings about your environment.  Create.  Create.  Create. 

Embrace your inner Whimsy.

Give your rooms the power of the unexpected and place your personal signature proudly on your space. Maybe its an unexpected favorite color. Playful accessories. Placing items where you least expect them. Most of all, having fun.

New Fabrics Galore!


We have the most wonderful new fabrics just in for the perfect Summer refresher. Stop by and take a look.

A Lofty and Satisfying Goal...

"Come into my house, Beloved--a short while." 
This sweet line from Rumi, ancient Sufi poet, expresses the invitation I wish for my house to offer.  Come into my house and for the short while you are here, bring your joy, your warmth, your vividness.  Come into my house and let me be me and you be you.  Come into my house and honor me by your presence. 
Preparing a place in which to find the peace we seek, the love we want, and the joy we feel is what we aim to do in our homes.  It is a lofty, satisfying goal.
This is why putting a home together is such a high calling.  It is a way of blessing both ourselves and all who enter.  Perfection is unattainable, but your home is not--perfection seeks to rule and diminish.  Your home offers respite.
 Ray La Montaigne sings, "You will shelter me, my love, and I wll shelter you...".  This is home.  

Uniting Two Visions. . .

One of our projects has again been featured in a design magazine.  This is an honor for us and a delight for our clients who so willingly shared their private space.

This project, uniting two visions from two separate, but now merged households, was challenging and exciting.  One airy space featured in the article is their studio/sunroom. It overlooks a stunning lake, surrounded by mountains.  The photographer, David Dietrich, did a fabulous job capturing the elegant light streaming through the windows.

Just Breathe.
Three things you can do to up your design game.

• Take a deep breath. Sometimes simpler is better. For example, group your art by subject matter and hang it in basic rows and columns. Easy. Basic. And Refreshing.
• Take a deep breath, Part Two. Confined spaces are fantastic venues for making a small collection look more important. Showcase your dreams.
• Take a deep breath, Part Three. Let in the light. It is amazing how wonderful and joyous a space can become with something as simple as good lighting - whether from Mother Nature or adding just the right lamp.

Move your Stuff!

Think you need money to make a room different?  Wrong! Spend a few minutes visualizing what the sofa would look like under the window or on the other wall. Be creative and use stacked books as an end table or sculpture display.  With all the shelter magazines out there, as well as the web, there is no end of ideas.  Use your rearrangement time as deep cleaning for your space--dust and vacuum under seldom moved pieces; clean the glass; light a candle for freshness.  Buy a feather duster so that you can quickly sweep around pictures, window treatments and lighting.
When everything is in place, you are going to feel lighter, happier and ready to sink into the comfort of your space!  Get busy...Paula and Mary

The highest and best reason for great Interior Design

It has been said that great Interior Design brings together the emotional and spiritual needs of a person.  That is why there is nothing hap-hazard about good design planning.  Time must be taken to know who you are and how you want to live-- how you comfort yourself.  What colors do you live with and wear?  What music moves your soul?  What is it you want to welcome into your life?  Because that is what thoughtful interiors do--they tend to pry open our hearts to receive something different than what we thought we knew.  A lovely book by the late John O'Donohue has the perfect title for this idea: To Bless The Space Between Us.  That is what great interior design is all about and there is nothing trivial in taking the time to achieve it.  May you bless your life with beauty, comfort, warmth and meaning this Spring and always.

Keep it Comfortable

Comfort is very important to the success of a room. It's not just the way a chair sits, but the a room flows - good seating for conversatiions, surfaces for food, and pull-up furniture, like ottomans.

Wake Up with Tangerine Tango!

Wake up! Be joyous! Have fun! Get going! That's what the Pantone Color of the Year 2012 is telling the World.

We love this color. It's the perfect pick-me-up. Try it on pillows, accessories, rugs, coverlets and even that touch of spice as an accent wall.

Celebrate Color

Celebrate Color

As we begin to see those gentle signs of Spring, what a perfect time to think color in our homes. Some fresh paint in poppy red, an added throw in nature's greens, a new pillow in sunny yellow.  What a joyous way to make your winter rooms prepare for the arrival of Spring.

The essentials

One of the essentials of a life well-loved is a comforting and comfortable environment.  Whether in a dorm room, apartment, condo, home or palace, most of us long for a welcome place to be. That is why it is never a waste of time or energy to dream about what you can do to make your habitat as wonderful as possible.  Dreams do come true.  Thoughts do become actions.  We are powerful and creative.  So, we recommend that you dream big.  Don't feel limited by economics or talent or circumstance, because dreams are free.  Just start the dreams.  Write them down.  Live with your vision for your spaces.  Refine them, change them, love them!  We're here if you need us.

Tips and Inspiration

Designer Tips and Inspiration

1. Start out with a furniture plan. Sketching out where you want everything in terms of the room’s layout is vastly important

2. Filling a large room with large furniture can be unattractive. Create small spaces and zones. This makes a room more conversational and cozy. When entertaining, adapt a seating arrangement of a room. Having side chairs scattered throughout makes this much easier.

3. Lighting is key. You’ll need lamps and reading lights near sofas and chairs. By determining where outlets are before placing the furniture, you can avoid making mistakes. Overhead lights cast unflattering shadows, so the more lamp light the better.

4. Add contrast to a room by leaving at least six to twelve inches between a rug and the walls.

5. Create vignettes in underused spaces by adding a painting, a console table, or a side chair decorated with a stack of books.

Looking back......2010 Top Ten Trends

2010 Top 10 Trends:

1. Colors: Purple,Gray, Brown,Turquoise,Green

2. Metals: Metallic Finishes, Wall & Ceiling Paints

3. Texture in Furnishings: Wovens(furniture/window treatment), Recycled glass(vases/tile), knitted ( pillows/ottomans)

4.Natural Wood Finishes: Flooring (recycled barn planks), Furniture, Fixtures

5.Wallpaper: Organic , texture, Geometric, Text

6.French Decor: Text (wallpaper/curtains/furniture), Burlap, Natural Linen, Aged/Worn Furniture Accessories,Flea Market Finds

7.Aviary (Wallpaper, Table Top accessories, Window Treatment

8.Animal Print (Zebra Rugs/Leopard Print Pillows)

9.Glass (Crystal block lamps, Glass top desks, Acrylic Seating

10.Retro (Sunburst Mirrors,70's inspired chairs, Platform Beds, Fur (Pillows, Rugs)

These are the top ten trends for 2010 that we used, were inspired by or anxiously waiting to be done with!  Here's to 2011 Trends!

Here is the link to the Carolina Home and Garden article on our room in the Flat Rock Designer Showhouse.  Pictures by David Dietrich.

http://www.carolinahg.com/Carolina-Home-Garden/Fall-2010/Gallery-Flat-Rock-Designer-Showhouse/?view=slmslideshow&cp=16&play=false

Showhouse, Showhouse, Showhouse!

Cocoon Interior Design has teamed up with the Historic Flat Rock 2010 Designer Showhouse. Our selection was the Grand Salon or the "Salon des Oiseaux" (Gallery of birds").   Our goal was to "wrap elegance with comfort, celebrating the timelessness of this magnificent home." The showhouse hours are Aug. 14th through August 29th @ the Saluda Cottages in Flat Rock, NC. For more information visit www.historicflatrockinc.org .  (We will be posting pictures in the following post, soon to come)


 

Summertime Memories

Summertime.....need I say more?  People coming and going.  Family reunions.  Afternoon Thunderstorms.  Lemonade on the front porch.   Kids catching Lightning Bugs.  Wet Towels.  The smell of Cut Grass.   Stopping and appreciating a cool breeze on a sweltering hot day.  Swimming holes.   What better way to celebrate family than to create a space just for these kinds of summer memories.

On a recent project we were able to renovate and rejuvenate an old family cabin that had seen better days.  The walls filled with old, cherished memories; we wanted to continue the tradition by modernizing and making the old cabin more functional for kids and grandkids alike (and perhaps future generations to come).  The cabin had to be comfortable, fun and functional while still retaining it's old charm and character.  The following are before and after pictures.

Winter Blues

So it's February and cold...............let's not let that be the end of the statement.  How about....So it's February and cold but we're having fun with color!  It may be freezing outside; There may be a sea of white on your front lawn or just plain mud.  You may be yearning for something that pops in your life. 

An easy solution, go to your local florist, supermarket and grab some fresh,cut flowers.  Arranged in a vase on your hallway table; this a great way to give a quick jolt of color and happy hello everytime you pass it.  You could also pick up some green foliage/plant ( Something green and alive...emphasis on alive!).

You could go on a little outing and pick up some fun, patterned pillows....with color(be bold and adventurous with yellow or hot pink).  This would be a great facelift for

your living space...and should tide you over until Spring rolls around.

If you're "itchin" to do some work.....pick up some paint and tackle that hallway or bathroom you've been meaning to makeover.

No matter what you decide, a little pop of color can go a long way to make your spirit awaken and come alive...at least until the Spring comes around and works its' magic.

Have fun!