Since 1999, Cocoon (formerly Stockton Hicks Laffey) has built a reputation for providing first-class products and hometown service. Cocoon is home to over 85 lines of textiles and trims, furniture, wallcoverings, and accessories available exclusively to interior designers, decorators, architects, and home builders.
Our 15,000-square-foot showroom in central Austin features furniture and accessories—from classic to contemporary—most available off the floor. Furniture may also be customized and ordered to satisfy any client. In addition, thousands of textiles, trims, and wallcoverings from all over the world are displayed throughout the showroom to inspire great rooms and retreats.
Stephanie Becker
Stephanie Becker is owner, president, and creative director of Cocoon. Spanning her prolific career, Stephanie has donned the hat of head librarian, showroom manager, designer, and more.
After a twenty-year run with Stockton Hicks Laffey, she proudly purchased their showroom and rebranded as Cocoon in 2021. Today, Stephanie focuses on nurturing relationships with vendors and designers, improving functionality, and infusing the showroom with grace and hospitality.
With a bachelor’s degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin, Stephanie is a process person with an eye on the big picture. She believes beauty and art can uplift, and community and cooperation can inspire. At Cocoon, Stephanie has created an environment where staff are encouraged to share their unique talents and skills.
Stephanie and her husband, Joel Becker, appreciate the restorative power of off time. They love the mountains, crisp cool air, and hiking and skiing in Colorado. By day, Stephanie enjoys yoga, Pilates, and running Austin’s trails. By night, she can be found dancing at the Broken Spoke, listening to live music, or enjoying a good glass of wine at a local restaurant.
Joel Becker
Joel Becker is owner and head of operations and accounting at Cocoon. With a diverse background in electronics, sales, and chemistry, Joel brings a creative levity to Cocoon’s operations.
He believes in the power of compassion and the necessity of an enjoyable work environment. Always promoting a healthy work-life balance, Joel continues refining company policies and benefits.
Joel attended Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy. He was assistant soccer coach during his graduate school years there, and he played semi-professional in his twenties. For the past five years, Joel has been coaching the women’s club soccer team at The University of Texas at Austin, and he plays on several men’s league soccer teams.
Joel also serves as Cocoon’s unofficial sommelier, a role that brings him out of his office every Friday afternoon to serve wine to clients and staff. Joel holds himself and others to high standards. He is great at asking questions, and better at listening to answers. When he and his wife, Stephanie Becker, are not busy at the showroom (and he is not playing soccer), Joel can be found reading voraciously.
Cosette Becker
Cosette Becker is Cocoon’s resident showroom dog and official greeter. She takes pride in her duties, warmly welcoming staff and clients with a joyful wag of the tail. Cosette was adopted from Austin Pets Alive and is likely a mix of black lab, blue heeler, and great Pyrenees.
She is a natural herder and has earned certificates in agility. Cosette loves sniffing, taking walks, and running errands with her humans. She loves treats, bones, soft beds, and playdates, but she loves human babies and children even more than she loves her doggie friends. Most of all, she loves lots and lots of attention. Being an only child suits Cosette well.
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Marie Richards
Marie Richards is Cocoon’s showroom manager. With 18 years in the industry, she is masterly at maintaining an aesthetically pleasing and welcoming showroom floor.
Her associate degree in interior architecture and design led her to Sherwin Williams, November Design Group, McGannon Showrooms, Exteriors Showroom, Annie Downing Interiors, and Stockton Hicks Laffey (now Cocoon). Today, Marie has a unique perspective and an ability to assist designers from many angles. She is committed to training, motivating, and encouraging staff to uphold Cocoon’s superior customer service.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Marie loves St. Patrick’s Day, and she is ready for Texas to embrace the holiday with its due celebration. For “relaxation,” Marie conquers obstacle races, such as Spartan and the Tough Muddler, always ready for the next challenge. She and her husband love to travel and host parties. They also love their rescue boxer, Cai.
Jennifer Bigon
Jennifer Bigon is a front desk sales associate at Cocoon. She brings excellence to the company’s customer service approach through careful follow-up and thoughtful selections.
Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Texas State University before becoming a design consultant at a furniture showroom. She has been an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for ten years. Jennifer’s work is informed by her attention to detail and her drive to accomplish goals.
On her days off, Jennifer visits local museums to immerse herself in history and art. On her weeks off, she likes traveling to tropical islands for warm, breezy days in the water and sun.
Abbey Graf
As head librarian, Abbey Graf has a comprehensive knowledge of Cocoon’s product lines. Creating order out of chaos, she helps designers pinpoint just the right element for an inspired project.
Abbey began her journey at Cocoon in 2012, when it was still Stockton Hicks Laffey, and worked her way up from a showroom assistant. She has a Bachelor of Arts in women’s studies from Tulane University, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in costume design from Texas State University. It was a textiles class that sparked her fascination with the industry.
A fifth generation Texan, Abbey is a married mom of one human boy, two canine boys, two feline boys, and a lady cat. When she is not at Cocoon, she is either reading a book, obtaining a book, listening to vinyl, obtaining vinyl, attending concerts, or obtaining concert tickets. She loves traveling to big cities with her little family and sitting quietly in museums looking at paintings.
Sarah Chatham
As a showroom librarian at Cocoon, Sarah Chatham takes delight in the beautiful fabrics and wallpapers that come through the showroom. She studied dance at The University of Texas and has an extensive background in merchandising and sales.
Having worked as a visual and operations manager for such companies as Anthropologie, Pottery Barn, and Fred Segal, Sarah is skilled at assisting designers with fabric inquiries, samples, and checkouts. She is a natural at merchandising Cocoon’s showroom floor with an eye for the perfect placement of accessories and a talent for display windows. Sarah is especially attuned to hearing from designers about new collections and the inspiration behind them.
Sarah is from Houston originally, but lived in Boston and Los Angeles before landing in Austin. In her spare time, she excels at silversmithing. She has also ventured into drawing and textile art, which are great ways to use discontinued fabrics.
Sarah Holmes
Sarah Holmes is a library assistant at Cocoon. She believes that thoughtful design can have a profound impact on the health and well-being of a person’s life.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in interior design, Sarah worked in hospitality and commercial design before finding her place in residential design. Her education and work experiences fuel her enthusiasm and inform her approach to problem-solving. She works well with a variety of personalities and stays cool under pressure.
Sarah was born and raised in the Midwest. She spent her formative years exploring the ruins of Detroit and then went to design school in Chicago, where she combed the culturally rich neighborhoods. Sarah is a cat mom and a foodie, and she loves biology and history. On the weekends, she enjoys long hikes and bike rides.