Christmas Present

Holiday decorations are abundant this year, filling our home with both familiar and brand new treasures and trinkets.  The tree is a mixture of nature inspired curiosities and traditional ornaments:  feathered birds, glass mushrooms,  glittered pine cones and sequined balls. The outside is adorned with gold tree trunks and faux bois ribbon.  Take a look at Christmas present.

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This is my daughter's placement of a momma bird and her babies.

For the outside I collected tree butts  from our local nursery and spray painted them gold, then proceeded to pile them up on a bed of pine needles inside our cast iron planters.

Hope you're all decorating and preparing to entertain family and friends this [last] weekend before Christmas.  Now all we need is snow...

Getting Twiggy With Manzanita

If you ever spent time hiking in California, you came across many a Manzanita,  an evergreen shrub indigenous to the West.  Its size and shape can range from a low-lying bush to a multi branched tree.  The twiggy branches are a beautiful mahogany color.  Both the shape and color of the branches make them perfect decorative pieces.  Take a look at some examples of how they can be used to add drama to a space.

At a corporate event this large branch holds personalized name tags for its guests.

Placing a manzanita branch on a large  table gives it room to span out and show off  its beauty.

This one is mine.  Spray painted white and hung on a bathroom wall above the toilet , it represents a feng shui technique that combats downward flushing energy.   The kids look forward to seeing the decorations change with the seasons:  eggs for Easter, ghosts for Halloween, baubles for Christmas...

Cocoon Terrariums

Cocoon's new obsession (or shall i say mine) is terrariums.  They offer us lush green environments all year round.   Very low in maintenance but high in visual impact, terrariums bring life to a winter day and they are perfect for home or office.

All photos taken by Jonas Kahn.

Cocoon terrariums are custom  embellished to make each one unique to its space.  No two are ever alike.  Prices range from $30 to $295.  Call 617-838-4081 or email debra@cocoonhome.com for more details.

Harvard Club Wedding

Cocoon Home Design was commissioned to do the floral arragements for a Harvard Back Bay Club wedding.  We opted to keep it traditional in the main reception hall but introduced a bit of funk into the cocktail and sitting areas.

All photos taken by Leah Cooper for Ria Services

Weekend Green

The summers end always brings along the need to refresh my planters.  This year, like most I combined grasses and sedums which create a nice balance of texture and color.  I love how the bright green of the sedum and the spiky blades of the grass play off each other.  Around mid October I put gourds in the planters and place pumpkins around the bases to give the house a seasonal touch.

Let me know how you transition your outdoor area for the changing season.