Ecuadorian-born, Miami-based designer Adriana Hoyos claims her collection offers "a much-appreciated alternative to the sea of retro-modernism widely available today." Her Coco Collection, you guessed it, is inspired by the coconut fruit. South American traditional craftsmanship and international influences combine to create a collection that is both Old World and Modern, or Transitional, as Adriana Hoyos terms it.

Coco Collection. Designed by Adriana Hoyos.

Using coconut inlays as mosaics, the Coco Collection features a square coffee table of generous proportions that is low to the ground, a stylistic nod to Asian design. A sort of pan-exoticism is the end result, which is what she intends after all: the designer's website stresses that "her extensive international travel and exposure to trends, lifestyles, and cultures worldwide bring a universal perspective." The use of inlaid coconut gives the table an interesting texture, while the slightly tapered legs and crossbeams simplify the ornamental detail. Small inlaid wooden squares appear at the table's four corners, a reminder of the art of joinery perhaps, as well as of the arts and crafts movement and Japanese woodwork.

Zen Latin, organic modern, East meets West-call it what you will, but be aware that Hoyos is taking the world by storm: with showrooms in places as varied as California and Saudi Arabia, Hawaii and Republica Dominicana, her work is truly transnational and transcontinental. Hoyos has recently designed The Oriental, an upscale, 52-story residential building in Panama that has been classified as Asian Chic. The Coco Collection uses Latin American materials, production (headquartered in Ecuador), and style, toned down by Asian serenity. It's tropical enough to grace Miami Beach and Los Angeles homes-especially those of Spanish architecture-yet simple enough for modern tastes. It makes me hungry for Latin-Asian cuisine, actually: Coco Collection is the furniture equivalent of Abokado's Hokkaido scallops with blackened tomatillo salsa-yum! Visit Adriana Hoyos at her website.