Meet Jenny Atkins of Studio Atkins / Coco Du Sol

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jenny Atkins.

Hi Jenny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My path has never been particularly linear, but design has always been the thread running through it.

I’m originally from a small town in Kansas, but my life and career have taken me around the world. My husband, James, and I are both designers, and we spent years living and working internationally before eventually settling in Topanga, California. Those experiences really shaped the way we approach design -our love of natural materials, craftsmanship, spaces that feel connected to their surroundings, and the resourcefulness of creating beautiful things from the materials nature provides. Especially in Indonesia, we loved seeing how people used what was naturally around them rather than creating more synthetic materials and waste, and how those designs seemed to belong so effortlessly in the landscape.

Today, we run Studio Atkins, our Topanga-based interior design studio, working on residential, commercial, and hospitality projects throughout Los Angeles, California, and beyond.

One of our favorite outdoor projects helped us realize how much we wanted a more natural, earth-friendly approach to shade. We immediately thought back to the beautiful handwoven coconut fiber shades we had known while living in Indonesia…the dappled light, the texture, the airflow, and the way they seemed to blend into the world around them.

We brought them into the project, fell in love with them all over again, and quickly realized other people were looking for the same kind of natural outdoor shade. That idea eventually became Coco Du Sol, our collection of handwoven coconut fiber shade sails and umbrellas.

Today, we run both Studio Atkins and Coco Du Sol, combining our design background with the craftsmanship and natural materials that have inspired us throughout our lives and travels. It’s been a very organic journey, and I think that’s what makes it feel so personal to us.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not! We’re designers first, so a lot of the business side has been learned along the way. Building Studio Atkins, our Topanga-based interior design studio, while raising a family and then launching Coco Du Sol has meant wearing a lot of hats and figuring things out as we grow.

With Coco Du Sol, one of our biggest challenges has also been one of the most exciting, introducing coconut fiber shade to the U.S. market. Handwoven coconut fiber shade sails and umbrellas have been used in other parts of the world for years, but they’re still relatively new here. We’re often introducing homeowners, interior designers, landscape architects, hotels and restaurants to the material for the first time and showing them that outdoor shade can be beautiful, natural, plastic-free, and feel like part of the landscape.

There have definitely been learning curves and pivots along the way, but ultimately they’ve helped us become better designers, business owners, and much more thoughtful about how we grow both Studio Atkins and Coco Du Sol.

We’ve been impressed with Studio Atkins / Coco Du Sol, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Today, we run two businesses that really complement each other. Studio Atkins is our interior design practice, where we work on residential, commercial, and hospitality projects in Los Angeles and beyond. We’re known for creating warm, layered spaces that feel individual to the people who live or work in them, and I’m especially proud of the long-term relationships we’ve built with our clients.

Coco Du Sol specializes in handwoven coconut fiber shade sails and umbrellas for homes, hotels, restaurants, wineries, and other outdoor spaces. We also work closely with interior designers, landscape architects, architects, and developers, helping with everything from selecting the right shade to custom layouts and design renderings.

What sets Coco Du Sol apart is how hands-on we are. We stock our shades in California rather than drop-shipping, inspect every piece twice, and offer real design support. We’re still a small, family-run company, and when someone calls us, they’re speaking with someone who actually knows the product and understands their project.

I’m incredibly proud to see Coco Du Sol now being used in projects across the U.S. and internationally, and to watch something we believed in grow into a brand that’s finding its own place in the design world.

What’s next?
We’re really excited about what’s next for Coco Du Sol. This November, we’re heading overseas on a buying trip to discover more beautiful, natural products and makers that share the same values that inspired us to start the brand.

Our goal is to expand Coco Du Sol beyond coconut fiber shade into a curated marketplace for sustainable outdoor living, bringing together unique, thoughtfully made pieces using natural materials that aren’t always easy to find in the U.S.

We want Coco Du Sol to become a destination for people who want to create beautiful outdoor spaces in a more natural, considered way. We’re excited to see what we discover and where this next chapter takes us.

Pricing:

• Sizing and pricing can be found on the Coco Du Sol website www.cocodusol.com
• Custom designs are also available.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cocodusol.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coco.du.sol
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coco.du.sol/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/cocodusol/

Image Credits
Paolo Santo