Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart

The third interiors book from the author of Curate and Create, featuring homes in the UK, France, Spain, the US and Australia.

PRAISE FOR CREATE

"COCOON is an inspiring exploration of home as a sanctuary, celebrating the beauty of spaces that nurture and provide comfort. Ali has an intuitive understanding of the meaning of home, encouraging others to live with the things they love and to celebrate their individuality." - Chrissie Rucker - Founder @thewhitecompany

"Cosseting, cosy, sink-into spaces are on the rise and there is no better book to dive into and learn how to pull them off than Ali Heath's Cocoon: Creating Homes with Heart. It's an essential read that not only will put a smile on your face as you settle down and dig in it will awaken your senses exciting you to create visual, tactile, cosy havens that you never want to leave." - Abigail Ahern @abigailahern

"Ali's desire to help us all create a sanctuary at home focuses on the importance of human connections and an awareness of our senses. Making spaces that we can connect with intuitively goes way beyond just aesthetics as these case studies illustrate so perfectly." - Kate Watson Smyth, KateWatsonSmyth.Substack.com

"Another stunning design book! Ali Heath's books never fail to inspire me." - Leanne Ford @leannefordinteriors

"Ali Heath is not only a gifted writer, interior stylist, and mentor but also a warm-hearted woman and a cherished friend. Her sensitivity to moods, emotions, and creativity is something truly special. In her latest book, COCOON, she takes us into lived-in homes and spaces that feel deeply personal. Her style is romantic, tactile, and carefully curated, with each piece exuding a vintage charm. The blend of decor, antiques, books, art, and furniture creates a seamless narrative of a life well lived. There's not a single page where you wouldn't want to linger." - Malene Birger @malenebirgers_world

"In three comprehensive sections packed with rich photography and expert advice, this practical yet inspiring guide will give you the confidence to try it yourself" - Elle Decoration

"It's clear that the spaces and wisdom featured in Create come from the heart. It is another masterclass by Ali Heath in creating soulful spaces that sing with warmth and cut their own design path." - Nicole Gray, Interiors Editor, YOU magazine

"Ali is undoubtedly one of the best, most consistent and versatile stylists working today, and her new book Create is testimony to that." - Ben Kendrick: Editor, Modern Rustic; Homes and Style Director, Country Living magazine

"Cocoon is visually stunning, thoughtful, and soulful!! Filled with interiors and stories about the people who inhabit them, it's just the kind of book that gets me scheming and dreaming!! You'll want to read it more than once- first for all the eye candy and then again and again for its wisdom." - Lauren Liess @laurenliess

"Ali Heath understands that true sanctuary isn't about having the right things, but about surrounding ourselves with what genuinely nourishes us. Cocoon beautifully captures this essence of intentional living through spaces that prioritize comfort, connection, and personal meaning over perfection." - Shira Gill @shiragill

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In her third book Cocoon, interior stylist, designer and writer Ali Heath invites the reader to create a home sanctuary that focuses on the human touch, as an antidote to our fast-paced, tech-driven modern world.

This way of decorating is so much more than just a look or style - it's about taking a holistic approach that draws upon all our senses, not just the visual, and connects us more meaningfully to ourselves and our surroundings. In the past creating a sanctuary was about the decoration of a few key rooms, now it is about how the home as a whole makes us feel. Cocooning is not about isolation or shutting down and does not have to mean going off-grid - it is simply about tuning back into our emotions, creativity and curiosity to satisfy our need for shelter, comfort and wonder. Photographed in inspirational homes around the world - from small inner-city sanctuaries to spacious island retreats, Cocoon celebrates a design approach that speaks to the heart.

Author: Ali Heath
Publisher: Mitchell Beazley
Published: 07/22/2025
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 2.76lbs
Size: 11.18h x 8.79w x 1.05d
ISBN: 9781784729721

About the Author
Ali Heath is a UK-based journalist, stylist, interior designer and author and has over 20 years freelance experience, working with prestigious interior magazines, newspapers and private clients. Her work is featured regularly in many titles that include Country Living, Elle Decoration, Elle Decoration Country, Homes and Gardens, House & Garden, Livingetc, Modern Rustic, Red, the Telegraph and YOU Magazine. Ali collaborates with many leading photographers and her work is represented internationally by Living Inside agency, in Milan.

Her first bestselling book, Curate, with Australian interior stylist, Lynda Gardener, was published by Mitchell Beazley in 2020 and Ali is Contributing Editor and Creative Consultant for the new book from The White Company, The Art of Living with White (Mitchell Beazley, September 2022).

Prior to going freelance, Ali was New Business Director for a top below-the-line marketing agency before setting up a successful antiques business. She has a passion for mixing old and new and is renowned for storytelling in both her written and visual work.

Instagram @aliheath_uk www.aliheath.co.uk