Debra Szidon's love of botanicals is obvious in the selection she brings to the Didriks and Cocoon Home Design table setting collaboration.

During the course of her working with Melissa, Didriks' Visual Merchandising Manager, I learn that she studied horticulture in college as a young woman. It's no surprise then that she started her interior design career and co-ownership of Cocoon Home Design with floral arrangement.

The absence of blooms in her choice of botanicals is a surprised and surprisingly not missed. Debra explains she doesn’t often work with flowers, but more often with varieties of foliage.

Based on her initial discussions with Melissa and choosing the Libeco Home Flagstaff Blanket in plum as their primary inspiration, Debra has brought with her succulents and Australian foliage, namely, Tintied Grevillea, Agonis Foliage, and Plumosa cones.

"For the table setting I wanted to mix color and texture by combining foliage and succulents." And to beautiful results.

Foliage Center Piece

For the center piece behind the platter display, Debra used two varieties of Australian foliage: Tinted Grevillea and Agonis Foliage.

Fan it our in a broad and narrow vase or use one of the suggested vases like the Simon Pearce Anemone Vase that has the height and weight to beautifully showcase tall and dramatic botanicals.

Succulents Center Pieces

Debra also brought with her a selection of succulents. Gorgeously shaped and colored with greens, browns, and purples, here are some ideas for how to use these unusual botanicals to create fabulous center pieces.

Succulents in Simon Pearce Revere Bowl in small and medium are an unexpected way of using the footed bowls. The succent in the bigger, deeper bowls makes me think of terrariums like, for instance, the one Debra created for a commission.

Choose a large open bowl like the large Simon Pearce Chelsea Low Bowl and lay out several varieties of small to medium succulents of various colors.

Or pick one large, dramatic succulent and highlight it by placing it a complementary or contrasting shallow bowl like the one above: Heath Ceramics Shallow Salad Bowl in chocolate brown.

Plumosa cones

As a unique and surprising alternative to the single flower bloom, Debra placed a brightly red colored Plumosa cone in a Simon Pearce Barre Bud Vase. So much more interesting than, say, daisies or roses.

Much thanks to Debra Szidon of Cocoon Home Design for donating her flower, her time, and her creativity. It was such a pleasure working with and learning from you.

Photographs by Nate Brescia