Terrarium Inspiration: Paula Hayes

Humanity. Love. Respect.

Photo:  B.S. Wise

Cool News and Cool Work Space

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of having brunch with Brooke Richard of Orange Street Design Studio and her husband, David Gerzof of Big Fish Communications.   It was a creative and lively chat about interior design, furniture concepts and blogging.   I'm delighted to announce that Brooke will be an occasional guest blogger.  Having collaborated with her in the past on several design projects,  I know and value her sense of aesthetics.  Brooke's knowledge and love of design will be an exciting addition to Cocoon's blog.

For a taste of her style, take a look at the shared office  she and her business partner created for Orange Street Design Studio and Big Fish Communications.  It's a mixture of grainy textures, earthy tones and shiny finishes.  (And yes,  husband and wife share this awesome work space!)

All photos: Eric Roth

Dark wood floors contrast with a light wood sliding barn door that welcomes you into the space. The wood for the doors was sourced from Longleaf and constructed by Loki Design.

The light filled conference room is warm and welcoming for both clients and co-workers.  Touches of botanicals liven the space up while a wall stencil pays tribute to the business of PR.

The stencil was inspired by an open newspaper (torn edges included).  Adhering the stencil was time intensive but the result was very worth it.

The second floor is where Orange Street Design Studio lets its ideas flow. Venting skylights provide plenty of natural light and good air circulation for the work environment.

To see more of Brooke's and Orange Street Design Studio's work take a look at  "a most relaxing bedroom" and visit their website.

All Keyed Up

Came across this wallpaper recently and can't seem to get it off my mind, so I began looking for other "key" motif home accessories.  Take a look at what I found.    My favorite is still the above gold sketeleton wallpaper from Room Service.  Keep posted since it'll probably become my next room inspiration.  Any ideas of where I should use it?

Old key pillow: Ophelia's Art

Key printed pillow:  Sugar and Fig

Skeleton key pattern print: LisaAFisher

The image of a skeleton key is beautifully mysterious and conjures up a setting of vintage glamour and intrigue.  What do you think of the key motif?  Like it, love it, hate it , done it?!

Tree Rescue

Our latest winter wonderland-like snowfall,  beautiful in many respects,  is causing our 30 year old 15 ft arborvitae hedges to take on a new silhouette.   The snow, wet and heavy,  makes them bend so incredibly much that their upper most tips are just about  touching the ground.   All day long, we've been on a "hedge rescue" detail:  relieving their surrendering  branches from snow and ice  in an attempt to save them from splitting and breaking.  With each broom slap the branches release a bit of fallen snow back into the air and ground around them.   These trees are an important part our life.  They frame our small city yard and provide privacy from surrounding 3-story homes turning it into an effective oasis for entertaining, playing and relaxing in any season.  They remind me of the important role vegetation plays in our landscapes, both urban and suburban.  If we even lose just one tree,  the effect is not only seen, but very much felt as well.

In honor of our struggling arborvitae,  I began looking for images of other grand and thriving hedges on the internet.  Please take a look below:

In the meantime, I promise to keep you posted on our very own privacy providers (relentless East coast blizzards non-withstanding) throughout this winter.  Wish them well!