Cocoon Gallery Woodshop - The Metamorphosis from Nature to Art

Cocoon Gallery, based in Naples, Fla., is the country’s preeminent creator of modern organic furniture sourced from treasures from the earth, primarily from Southeast Asia.

As the exclusive license holder for exporting exotic woods from Southeast Asia, Cocoon imports to its Naples woodshop raw materials that undergo a metamorphosis into one-of-a-kind legacy works of art for the home. Called “functional art” by Cocoon founder Mitchell Siegel, Cocoon’s product line features live edge dining and coffee tables, towering root sculptures, live edge mirrors, geode crystal accessories, shell lamps, wood and resin décor, and more -- all one-of-a-kind.

Cocoon’s 25,000 square-foot Naples woodshop is the site for a constantly refreshed inventory of exotic woods. Artisans work with architects, interior designers, and buyers who can select their own slabs, some measuring up to 20-feet wide, to customize tables to precise styles and dimensions. The Cocoon artisans use a multi-step process to expertly dry, flatten, stain, pigment, bleach, and epoxy the wood.

The facility includes a custom-built kiln large enough to accommodate enormous slabs and root systems. The drying process of the wood is the most critical part of the process. Siegel emphasizes that it is critical to dry from the inside out to create a sustainable piece of wood that will not warp or crack.

Wood is then flattened before hand-sanding with the finest tools made in the world. The result is wood that feels like baby skin, according to Seigel. Defects in the wood, called “crotches,” are often filled with high quality epoxy, sometimes with different colors selected by Cocoon’s artisans and clients.

Before the final topcoat, wood may be stained with pigment or bleached, an artistic part of the process akin to a painter’s watercolor.

Mitchell Siegel emphasizes that no live trees are harvested for Cocoon. “We may discover petrified, dead wood that has fantastic, interesting characteristics for tables or sculptures.” He explains, “Our product is 100% sustainable. We travel to remote mountain villages in Southeast Asia and work with the most knowledgeable locals and exporters who must plant a tree for each one we remove, even a dead tree.”

The Cocoon Gallery woodshop is a stone’s throw from the Cocoon showroom, giving the town’s locals and visitors a “one-stop” experience of both its showroom and woodshop.

Visits to the woodshop are available to buyers by special request and appointment.