Designer Spotlight: Cocoon Interiors
The IDA is excited to share our first of our monthly Designer Spotlights – celebrating the creativity, diversity, and talent within our community.
To kick things off, we’re thrilled to feature Pettina Eckart-Watts from Cocoon Interiors. We asked Pettina to answer a few questions to help us get to know her and her business better.
Pettina Eckart-Watts
Cocoon Interiors
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?
I’ve always been a creative at heart, even as a kid I enjoyed making things. I’m a qualified pastry chef by trade and it’s a job where you use your creativity on a daily basis, but I stepped away from that to build a more normal life, spending the next 20 years in the public service.
It wasn’t until building my own home, and having what I saw in my mind’s eye, come to real life in front of me that I finally realised what I wanted to do when I grew up! That experience inspired me to go and study and graduate with my Diploma in Interior Design.
My work now is generally with residential clients and I’m happiest when the client realises how good design transforms their lives. It’s also very humbling knowing something that I created not only looks beautiful but has changed how someone feels in their own space.
What’s your secret sauce for great design?
My secret sauce is ‘start with the rug’, but what I mean is start with the non-negotiable. That one ‘thing’ may be an artwork, rug or family heirloom, but it’s generally of deep importance to a client.
It’s not always easy, and at times it has definitely stretched me as a designer, but when I design around that one meaningful piece and find a way to really make it shine, something special happens. The space not only becomes more beautiful, but it becomes more personal. That piece now really feels like it belongs, and the client who already loved the piece now feels deeply connected to the space in a way they hadn’t imagined.
What do you enjoy most about running your business or being a designer?
I absolutely love every bit of being an interior designer! I could spend an entire day in my studio, completely absorbed in tracking down that perfect console table I’ve been envisioning, and then when I finally take a break, I’m already itching to get right back to it. It’s like a wonderful kind of obsession!
I also love connecting with other designers who ‘get’ me. When I ask their opinion or where they’ve found something, I know they’re doing that quick mental shuffle, recalling where they’ve used a similar piece or designed a space successfully before even answering. I find my Interior Design Association (IDA) membership invaluable in being able to bounce ideas back and forth between designers.
Most importantly though, I love seeing relaxed and happy clients in a beautiful space, knowing I helped make that happen!
Do you have a favourite type of project or design style you love to work on?
I prefer to work with residential clients. I love seeing them connect with a design and excited about how their new space will look.
I’d love to do more new builds too! Most people feel overwhelmed by all the choices they need to make for a new build, but I love it! Helping a client pull it all together in a cohesive and hopefully ‘fun’ way is something I really enjoy.
Where do you find inspiration?
I’m an avid traveller and am constantly inspired by my travels. Earlier this year, I spent seven weeks in the UK, including a visit to London Design Week at Chelsea Harbour. I’ve never seen so many stunning fabrics and wallpapers in one place! The UK in spring is beautiful – we had the most amazing weather, and you can’t help but be inspired by the scenery and the historic architecture.
A trip to Tahiti last August also left a big impression and I came home from that trip with lots of inspirational imagery in both photos and sketches. I collaborated with Tapetti rugs to create the Aqualis Turquoise rug, it’s really a work of art inspired by the colours of the sky and ocean in Tahiti.
I also had the pleasure of chatting about the creative process around the rug and working with Tapetti with a great colleague of mine, Dave Harvey, on the Designing Australia podcast.
What’s been one of your most memorable projects, and why?
Oooo…that’s a hard one! Each project is unique and memorable in its own way, with its own wins and challenges.
A new build at Banyo was particularly rewarding as it was my first, and I learnt so much from that experience.
I also have a project nearing completion at Coomera, where the challenge has been blending a very contemporary exterior with the clients warmer, more personal style to create something that truly feels like home rather than a rental, which was it’s original purpose.
Of course, some projects stand out for the people – like a wonderful couple in Bulimba who were an absolute joy to work with as we created what they now affectionately call their ‘Eden’.
What advice would you give to emerging designers or students starting out in the industry?
Join the IDA and get out there! It’s always nerve wracking getting your first client, whether you’re starting your own business or working within a studio, but you just have to put your hand up and get into it.
Talk to other designers if you need inspiration or guidance, and trust your training, especially if you’ve given your all to your studies.
Attend industry events, connect with people, and build relationships with reps – they’re invaluable when you need support or samples to bring your vision to life and clients love to touch and feel! Above all, be personal and friendly, it makes all the difference!
How has being part of the IDA community supported or influenced your journey?
It’s been wonderful to find my people, i.e. kind, friendly, creative problem-solvers who are always happy to help!
Before joining IDA, I wondered whether members might be a bit stand-offish or protective of their work, but it’s been the complete opposite.
As one designer said to me early in the piece, “there’s plenty of work for all of us.” I think more broadly, there are plenty of clients for all of us – the ones we truly connect with.
Not every client fits every designer, and you usually know when it’s a good match. When it is, you naturally want to give your best and create something they’ll absolutely love!
And just for a bit of fun, can you answer these ‘Fast Five’ questions for us?
- Favourite drink: Cointreau on ice
- Song you never skip: ‘I don’t feel like dancing’ by the Scissor Sistors
- Book or show you’re loving right now: Book – The Naturalist of Amsterdam by Melissa Ashley. I’m a sucker for historical fiction.
- Guilty pleasure: Lindt Lindor Milk Balls
- Three words that describe you: Inquisitive, practical and a little bit cheeky :)