You can put a price on a good night’s sleep: $3,800 for a king size mattress from Coco-Mat. It’s made of natural materials like coconut fiber, which are stacked for support and elasticity without metal springs. The Greek eco-luxury bedding brand, which makes Arianna Huffington’s favored pillow, the $316 Sithon VII, has nearly 100 stores across Europe and Asia, five in New York, and now, one in Minneapolis—thanks to the passion and perseverence of Minnesota native Karna Hatzigeorgiou, who fell in love with the brand while living in Greece with her husband, who is from there. When they moved back to Minnesota, Hatzigeorgiou, who went to school for interior design and then working in the hospitality industry (including a stint managing the ol’ Chez Colette at Hotel Sofitel in Bloomington) convinced Coco-Mat to let her become the brand’s sole independent distributor. (It helps that her husband speaks Greek.)
Hatzigeorgiou recently opened Natural Bed + Home at International Market Square. It’s open to the public, not just trade. Her small showroom is dominated by Coco-Mat, with an assortment of mattresses (including crib mattresses), pillows, and textiles, but as an independent retailer, she’s able to bring in a few coordinating sleep-related products, and can also order other pieces from Coco-Mat.
Of course I had to try sleeping like the sleep evangelist herself, Arianna Huffington. Fortunately for my wallet, I didn’t care the built-in neck roll on her Sithon VII. I’m a side sleeper, and like some scrunch to my pillow. While Coco-Mat pillows top out at $430, my preference—when does this ever happen—was for a model more in the $100 range. I’d tell you all about how you can add or remove packets of the shredded latex to get it just the right size, but I’d rather take a nap. IMS, 275 Market Street, Suite 284, Mpls., 612-224-9956
