Tiffany R. Cobb Turns An Ordinary Bedroom Into A Lounge Fit For A World Traveler

The Junior League of Detroit—veterans of almost five decades of showhouses—hosted its biennial event in September 2020, bringing together 27 design teams to reimagine the city’s historic Bingley Fales House. Migrating for the first time to Detroit’s Indian Village neighborhood, the 2020 Designers’ Showhouse transformed the first two floors of a more than 100-year-old Georgian mansion into a dynamic mix of decorating styles. “The home has a very interesting history, and it has all its original features,” says charity chair Liana Dabir of the 16,000-square-foot estate set on over an acre of meticulously manicured land.

In our recently released aspire design and home Showhouse Issue, we sat down with Tiffany Rene Cobb to learn more about her creative process in designing the Lounge and Relaxation Room in this project.

aspire design and home: How much time did you have to complete this room, start to finish?
Tiffany Rene Cobb: We had a little over 1 month to physically complete our spaces, but the design development started in the fall of 2019.

aspire: What was your biggest challenge? Did you have a Eureka moment during the process?
Tiffany: The pandemic significantly impacted my ability to develop the design that I originally planned to execute, but when I look back at my previous design, it fails in comparison to my revised finished product! My vendor resources and the availability of the contractors needed to execute my original vision was changing daily, but that allowed me to pivot and challenge myself to think outside the box. My Eureka moment was when I would hear myself describing who I envisioned to occupy my Relaxation Lounge and realizing that I was describing myself!

aspire: What did you and your team accomplish that you thought would not happen in time?
Tiffany: I ran into a lot of “fun happenstances” the week prior to our deadline, so I almost didn’t think that we would be able to accomplish any of it! Luckily for me, I worked in Interior Design logistics before I became an Interior Designer, so I was able to activate those skills in order to successfully drive the project home in time.

aspire: What was your inspiration for this room?
Tiffany: The inspiration for my Relaxation Room, affectionately called “Lounge Fancy” was to create a place of respite for the well-traveled woman. I had 3 goals in mind: I wanted to design a space that was relaxing, collected, and luxuriously appointed. I envisioned this woman who loved to travel the world, but when she wasn’t traveling, she’d be surrounded by luxury and the things that she loved the most.

aspire: Did you step out of your comfort zone for this project, and if so, why?
Tiffany: My usual aesthetic lends itself to a more masculine feel with darker tones, but this space allowed me to soften things up a bit, by intentionally creating a monochromatic and ethereal lair for the ladies. The great thing is that I incorporated several elements in the space with luxuriously appointed materials that the men could really appreciate, like the goatskin and brass bench from Scala Luxury, Fabricut’s Bordeaux Italian Leather on the custom daybed, and the custom ottoman upholstered in a rich paprika mohair from Clarence House. When men walked into the space they felt quite comfortable and didn’t want to leave…kinda like when a man discovers his woman’s moisturizer. They can’t seem to get enough!

aspire: Despite the fact that there were so many designers involved, there is an inherent cohesiveness to the home. Did you all converse/collaborate? Or was this a completely individual process?
Tiffany: It was an individual process, but there was most definitely a synergy and unintentional cohesiveness throughout the home. It often reminds me of when Power Rangers activate…each of us has our own special design style, but when those talents are aligned it creates a powerful moment. I’m sure that I just aged myself with the Power Rangers reference lol.

aspire: Is your preference for a showhouse a small space or a large space? Does one or the other provide a better opportunity to stretch your creativity?
Tiffany: I seem to have an affinity for small space design because it allows me to flex my creativity a bit more and to do so with the utmost intention. In a small space they usually don’t have a lot of space to linger around so I make sure to make every last detail count. Go hard or go home!

aspire: Describe Detroit in one sentence.
Tiffany: Resilient.

This or That?

aspire: Paint or wallpaper?
Tiffany: Wallpaper
aspire: Hardwood or rug?
Tiffany: Hardwood
aspire: Beach or Mountains?
Tiffany: Beach
aspire: Saturated Color or Black and White?
Tiffany: Black
aspire: Brunch or Dinner?
Tiffany: Brunch
aspire: Midcentury or 18th Century?
Tiffany: Midcentury
aspire: Draperies, shades, or nothing?
Tiffany: Draperies
aspire: 2001: A Space Odyssey or The English Patient?
Tiffany: Whichever option has romance or comedy in it…I’ve never seen either!
aspire: Week at the spa or Week of Broadway shows?
Tiffany: Week of Broadway shows

Photography by Jeff Garland.

Click Here to view more interviews with our Detroit Showhouse designers.

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