I bought a chair.
I bought a chair this weekend. And I almost didn’t, because it was a little more expensive than most of my gifted, inherited, or almost-free furniture scattered throughout our home.
As you may know, I cut my teeth in the furniture world. Over 15 years as a consultant will do that. I’m a bit of a furniture nerd. At one point, I even owned an entire book dedicated only to iconic chairs—the one I bought this weekend included. The Nelson Coconut Chair. It’s weird, bold, futuristic, and I’ve admired it for years. I’ve snapped photos of it in funky textiles on showroom floors more times than I can count.
When I went to the store, I actually had a different chair in mind: the Eames Lounge. The quintessential midcentury babe. The epitome of design status. But as soon as I walked in, the Coconut rolled up at the same time.
Cue the internal battle.
You came for the Eames, Alli. It’s the one you’ve always wanted.
But the Coconut—playful, bright red, unapologetic—kept calling me.
For the last several months I’ve been working with the soul whisperer herself, Julia Henning. At first, we thought we’d be focused on building my business. Accountability, strategy, structure—all the business guru things. But what actually happened was a deep excavation of who I really am.
The original plan was the Eames chair.
What emerged was the Coconut chair.
Playful. Bold. Unapologetic. Fiery.
The timing of wrapping up my coaching container with Julia and finding a chair that feels like a symbol of who I really am is not lost on me. That’s divine timing. I am a Coconut.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ll have an Eames one day. But right now our life is messy. Dog fur. Spills. Chaos. And as I told a friend while agonizing over my choice that day, I just can’t have a clutched butt right now, worried about protecting delicate leather from everyday life. This is the era of ease, fun, and play.
It’s the era of the Coconut Chair.
The tomato red, checkered Coconut chair embodies the fire element in both color and form. And that’s exactly the energy I’m bringing into the next phase of my business. It’s go time, baby. Adding this chair to our home feels like planting an anchor—one that holds resilience, abundance, and power.
So here are your permission slips:
Bring pieces into your home or office that are truly you. Not the version of you (or your business) you think you should be.
If something feels important but out of reach, go for it. The universe loves a bold move.
Not now doesn’t mean not never. Sometimes what you need in this chapter will be different from what you’ll need in the next. Whether it’s a feng shui remedy or a fancy-shmancy Eames chair.
Here’s my question for you:
What’s your “Coconut Chair” right now? The thing that’s calling you, even if it feels impractical or too much?
My little coconut chair.
