It all started with a doorknob. One evening, Angie and Robbie Cook were sitting around with friends, sipping wine and looking over a selection of vintage doorknobs for their “new old door.” Robbie picked up one knob, popped it on the wine bottle, and casually remarked, “This would make a great wine stopper.” You could hear the gears turning.
One year later, the couple headed to the International Gift Show in Atlanta with KnobStoppers in tow, and boom! That was the beginning of the popular design company now known as Hester & Cook. Knobstoppers led to several sister companies, including CAKE Vintage offering vintage flatware, hand-screened linens, and custom-built lighting. In 2010, Kitchen Papers joined the fold with everything from paper placemats and table runners to coasters and stationery. Last year, Angie and Robbie combined CAKE Vintage, Kitchen Papers, and a third company, The Pencil Factory, under the Hester & Cook design umbrella.
Angie leads the crackerjack in-house design team responsible for coming up with fresh—and oftentimes quirky—concepts for the company’s line. They also work with a select few outside artists, like local-sensation Vicki Sawyer, whose funky avian art has quite a following, as well as Elizabeth Foster and Molly Hatch.
The collective spirit at Hester & Cook is one of ingenuity, camaraderie, and eagerness for the opportunities that each day brings.“Our close ties keep us feeling like family,” explains Robbie, “which is easy since much of our staff is related by blood, marriage, or friendship!” With minds like these, who knows where the next doorknob will lead?
To get your hands on all the amazing products that Hester & Cook have to offer, visit hesterandcook.com.
For more vintage inspiration, purchase our Vintage Cottage issue!
