The Power of BOLD Design with One Sexy Chair!


by Guest Blogger Deborah Main

KOKET Desire Chair Black - black and gold chair - sexy chair
One Sexy Chair, Desire by KOKET. Photography by KOKET.

It’s amazing to think that the design of one single chair can command such a stage presence. Then you put the creme de la creme of top luxury talent in those chairs in the historic Chicago Auditorium Theatre surrounded by gold filigree everywhere, and watch out – that’s what happens when you dare to go BOLD!

Layered gold filigree detail work inside the historic Auditorium Theatre Chicago, IL. Photography by Deborah Main. - sexy chair
Layered gold filigree detail work inside the historic Auditorium Theatre. Photography by Deborah Main.

One such person boldly leading the way in design with woman power is the beautiful and talented Janet Morais, founder and CEO of the coveted international luxury brand KOKET.

Janet Morais - CEO & Founder of KOKET - luxury furniture - sexy chair
Janet Morais, CEO & Founder of KOKET. Photography by KOKET.

Janet was invited to speak at the prestigious 2017 Business of Luxury Design (BOLD) Summit in Chicago by founder Julia Molloy this past September. The exclusive bi-annual conference is designed for a select group of top designers and business professionals from all over the world to understand the luxury industry so they too can excel in the luxury interior design world.

I was honored to be invited as one of seven product designers for the Designer Showcase and excited to be able to attend the summit and learn more about luxury design.  But I had no idea the quality of presenters, let alone that I’d get to meet my role model for everything I believed in and wanted for my small luxury design brand!

Janet Morais of KOKET. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design. Sexy chair. Luxury furniture. BOLD Summit. Business of luxury design
Janet Morais of KOKET. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design.

I adore the KOKET brand and was beyond thrilled to find out once I was there that Julia had chosen Janet to be one of the speakers and sponsors of this year’s BOLD Summit:

I selected Janet Morais, creator of the gorgeous brand KOKET, to share her thoughts on luxury at the BOLD Summit because her brand embodies everything I love most about luxurious goods. It is beautiful, sumptuous, extremely well made and her company spreads love and light with not only its products, but its publications and employees.

Julia Molloy

There were several outstanding presenters and sponsors of the 2017 BOLD Summit in Chicago, and KOKET was certainly one that stood out.

KOKET was one of many sponsors for this luxury event. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design. BOLD Summit 2017 sponsors. Sexy chair
KOKET was one of many sponsors for this luxury event. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design.

And here’s another reason why. Julia, and her team, chose KOKET pieces to grace the stage for this exclusive luxury business event:

We selected KOKET’s Desire Chairs as they were not only supremely comfortable for our presenters, but their elegant curves hold their own on even the grandest of stages, such as the Chicago Auditorium Theatre. They were the perfect choice!

Julia Molloy

Below Julia Molloy starts off the program with none other than Barclay Butera, one of the leading luxury interior designers and home brand collections from coast to coast.

Julia Molloy interviewing Barclay Butera in KOKET Desire chairs. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design. Sexy chair. KOKET Desire Chairs. Luxury furniture.
Julia Molloy interviewing Barclay Butera in KOKET Desire chairs. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design.

It’s only Julia and Barclay talking in KOKET’s sexy chairs on a vast stage in a huge gilded auditorium. Now I know Julia and Barclay can hold their own, but so did the KOKET Desire Chairs. As Julia says, “They were the perfect choice!” and I couldn’t agree more. Each invited presenter had their very own black Desire Chair to sit in during the panel discussions (below).

From left to right: Moderator James Swan, with guest panelists Cathy Kegley, Keri Murphy, Ken Lewis, Lori Dolnik and Leslie Carothers. Photography by Deborah Main. Sexy Chair. BOLD Summit 2017. KOKET Desire Chairs.
From left to right: Moderator James Swan, with guest panelists Cathy Kegley, Keri Murphy, Ken Lewis, Lori Dolnik and Leslie Carothers. Photography by Deborah Main.

Julia and moderator James Swan (above) were the lucky ones to catch the sleek and elegant sexy chair in cream during the panel discussions.

The Desire Chair in cream by KOKET. Photography by KOKET. Sexy chair. Cream and gold metal lounge chair. Hollywood glam chairs
The Desire Chair in cream by KOKET. Photography by KOKET.

Learn more about this sexy chair!

The Desire Chair is only one of the many gorgeous, dramatic furnishings that KOKET offers to interior designers. And if you’re headed to High Point Market 2017 this week, you will see firsthand the lavish presentation of the KOKET brand, in warm creams and bronzes, at their glamorous showroom High Point at G-6051 Salon at Market Square, October 14 – 18th. But first my story of why I love this brand so much.

I first discovered KOKET luxury furnishings at the Architectural Digest Design Show in 2014 when I was invited to be one of 12 bloggers on Blog Tour NYC. Although Deborah Main Designs had been in business for 10 years, you could say I was a newbie to blogging and most definitely international luxury brands. But Modenus has a knack for connecting people and I was fortunate to be immersed in my first experience of luxury brands – DXV, BLANCO, Rutt Cabinetry, and Miele – four of several top luxury kitchen and bath brands we learned about.

But what I didn’t expect to encounter was the luxury brand KOKET. Just the name itself, a play on Janet Morais’ nickname as a girl, “La Coquette”, draws you in with its magical allure!

We had a little time to wander around the Architectural Digest Design Show, and as I turned the corner into a new section, my jaw dropped when I saw this brilliant jewel-colored armoire covered in peacock feathers with luminous gold-ribboned hardware by KOKET.

I was stunned, as I had never seen anything like it before in my life!  I instantly fell in love with the brand. In fact, it was one of my top design picks for the blog tour!

Detail of KOKET’s “Divine” Armoire. Photography by KOKET at AD Design Show, 2014. Architectural Digest Design Show 2014 best in show - peacock feather wallpaper - peacock feather furniture - sexy chair - luxury furniture
Detail of KOKET’s “Divine” Armoire. Photography by KOKET at AD Design Show, 2014.

KOKET is one luxury brand that exudes everything I love about the luxury experience and a brand I have great respect for and admiration.

KOKET:

  • uniquely different from anyone else in the luxury design world
  • creates unparalleled one-of-a-kind luxury furniture built by master artisans with great attention to detail
  • mission is to empower people through love and statement pieces that will last a lifetime
  • brand and furnishings are absolutely sexy and gorgeous
  • lives and breathes the highest standard of quality exuding not only excellence but love throughout their brand
  • brand is one luxury brand that is doing it right and one to emulate

It takes going BOLD to step out and do something that no one else has done before. I have long admired the KOKET brand, but never met the founder Janet Morais, the brilliant and talented woman behind the luxury brand.
That is until BOLD Summit 2017 in Chicago. I was so excited to learn that not only was her sexy chair going to grace the stage, but I would get to meet Janet in person, her wonderful Press & Public Relations Associate, Natalia Vilaca (below) and even her ever handsome husband Amandio. (Sorry, I forgot to get a photo of Janet and me together).

Press and Public Relations Associate, Natalia, at the KOKET booth in the golden lobby at BOLD. Photography by Deborah Main. Sexy chair - black lacquer desk by koket - peacock feather top desk - ormolu desk - exotic desk
Press and Public Relations Associate, Natalia, at the KOKET booth in the golden lobby at BOLD. Photography by Deborah Main.

Having been married 33 years, I could tell instantly when I saw Janet and Amandio together at the BOLD Masters dinner on the 95th-floor Signature Room of the Sears Tower, that they were madly in love.

In fact, their love story is how their brand started with “Love Happens”. Yes, if you’re lucky, love sometimes just happens. It happened for me and my husband David at a softball game and it happened for Janet and Amandio over cocktails in a New York City lounge with a simple sketch. I love this spontaneous celebratory photo of them below!

Janet Morais and Amandio Pereira enjoying the moment. Photography by Deborah Main. KOKET - Sexy chair - koktails with koket
Janet Morais and Amandio Pereira enjoying the moment. Photography by Deborah Main.

Luxury is different for everyone. I know this, but hearing it talked about at BOLD gave me far more insight into the mindset of the luxury buyer and experience. Bespoke, handcrafted, couture lines can offer you that luxurious experience in many different ways. It could be the sleek car you drive, or the luxury hotel you go to get away from the world, or it could be merely sitting in the Desire Chair by KOKET on one of their luxurious textiles, a chair that speaks “sexy” the minute you sit down.

Julia Molloy with Master of Ceremonies, Benjamin Huntington with both the KOKET cream and black Desire Chairs to the right. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design. Sexy chair. KOKET at BOLD Summit 2017
Julia Molloy with Master of Ceremonies, Benjamin Huntington with both the KOKET cream and black Desire Chairs to the right. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design.

So if you are headed to the trade show High Point in North Carolina this week, you MUST stop by the KOKET showroom to experience their “beautiful, bold and empowering statement pieces” first hand.
“Love Happens” for a reason, and see for yourself how the KOKET luxury brand embodies the symbol of love.


Empowering Luxury Furniture at High Point


Below again is a snapshot of Janet by the talented photographer Yian Quach of House Digital Design who captured so many wonderful moments at BOLD Summit for us all to enjoy. Thank you Yian!

The black Desire chair by KOKET. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design. Sexy chair - KOKET at BOLD Summit 2017
The black Desire chair by KOKET. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design.

I’d like to conclude with a two quotes from two presenters that I greatly respect and admire for their brilliance and eloquence.  From the smooth-spoken moderator known for his silky voice on the popular Million Dollar Decorating Podcast, James Swan:

Sitting in the Desire Chair while on stage at BOLD Summit was like wearing my favorite cashmere sweater; I felt luxurious and completely relaxed.

James Swan

NOTE: Be sure to follow on Instagram the hashtag #marketbuzz at High Point as James will keep you up to date on all the hot new designs at market.

James Swan, in a cream Desire Chair by KOKET, moderating a panel discussion. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design. Sexy chair - KOKET at BOLD Summit 2017 - #marketbuzz
James Swan, in a cream Desire Chair by KOKET, moderating a panel discussion. Photography by Yian Quach of House Digital Design.

And Leslie Carothers, also one of the sponsors of BOLD with her new Savour Partnership venture with the ever-talented Sam Henderson.

Sitting on stage during my presentation at the #BOLDsummit, in KOKET’S sexy black DESIRE chair, with its couture pleated fabric and sinuous arm finished in burnished gold, made me feel confident, comfortable and emBOLDened.

Leslie Carothers

So let KOKET emBOLDen you!  Be sure to stop by their showroom at one of their many events to try out their sexy chair and “Celebrate the Future of Design at High Point”.  Till then, follow KOKET’s lead – be BOLD, BEAUTIFUL, and let LOVE HAPPEN! XO PG


About the Author of The Power of BOLD Design with One Sexy Chair!:

Deborah Main is a couture luxury pillow artist and freelance writer for international luxury design brands under the pen name The Pillow Goddess. She lives and works in Austin, Texas. You can find her latest writing HERE. Please also visit Deborah’s website to see her beautiful one-of-a-kind work at www.DeborahMainDesigns.com.