The Evolution of a Name: Introducing Coco Maison

From Courtney Thomas, founder of Coco Maison, on the story behind our new name and the future of the studio. Some decisions in business are strategic. Others are deeply personal. This one is both. The past year brought an unusual kind of clarity. In a season shaped by fires, health scares, and unexpected challenges, priorities revealed themselves quickly and the idea of waiting began to lose its appeal. Moments like that make it hard to ignore the bigger questions: Where are we going? What impact do we want to make? And what are we no longer willing to wait for? For me, the answer became clear. It was time to evolve.

More Than a New Name

When I started this company, my four children were all under ten. I was learning how to parent and how to run a business at the same time. I didn’t know much about entrepreneurship. What I did know was that I loved design and believed wholeheartedly in its power to shape how people live. Twenty years later, the company has grown into something far more layered than I could have imagined. Along the way, I realized the traditional model of design never fully resonated with me. Too often, design is approached as a sequence of aesthetic decisions rather than a thoughtful strategy for how people truly live. I didn’t want to simply wait for the opportunity to arrive. I wanted to be intentional about where we were headed. So I asked for help. Working with a filmmaker forced me to articulate not just what we do, but why we do it. Sitting across from that lens, answering questions again and again, something unexpected surfaced. The work we do has never fit neatly into the traditional definition of a design firm. At its best, it lives at the intersection of strategy, story, and soul. We think deeply about how people live and how their homes can support that life. We understand the architecture, the investment, and the long-term value behind design decisions. And we care deeply about the human story unfolding inside those walls. We are a heart-led, high-EQ team with a sharp instinct for design investment. We create spaces that resonate deeply with the people who live in them while understanding the mechanics of value, longevity, and lifestyle.

The Permission to Expand

This rebrand reflects everything we’ve learned about process, partnership, trust, and ourselves. It is our permission slip to expand into new markets, into innovative spec builds and showcase homes, and into thoughtful real estate collaborations. Most importantly, it allows us to deepen the relationships at the heart of our work with the families who trust us with their most meaningful spaces. If the past year reminded us of anything, it’s that life changes quickly. Waiting for permission from circumstance, fear, or perfection, is no longer the plan.

Introducing Coco Maison

Our new name is both familiar and aspirational. Coco has long been a nickname for Courtney and my beloved “Auntie” name within our family. Maison, the French word for home, reflects the elegance and intention that have always guided our work. Together they form Coco Maison, a name that holds warmth and refinement, personality and polish, intimacy and vision. And yes, perhaps just a touch of French flair.

A Love Letter to Design

To mark this new chapter, we also released a short film -  a love letter to design. The film explores why design matters, how it transforms the way we live, and what it becomes in the hands of a thoughtful, values-driven team. Because design has never been a solo pursuit. It’s a community. Every client who has trusted us. Every collaborator who has sharpened us. Every friend who has supported this journey. You are part of this story.

A New Chapter

Rebranding is often framed as a marketing decision. For us, it’s something far more personal. Its legacy and evolution intertwined. It’s honoring where we began while refusing to be limited by it. And it’s stepping forward, intentionally and wholeheartedly, into what comes next: designing homes that reflect the lives, values, and aspirations of the people who inhabit them. Welcome to Coco Maison.