Atlanta Market Recap

Every year, twice a year, our team preps for market to show off our newest designs for the season. If you aren’t familiar with market, it’s a wholesale home and gift show that occurs every summer and winter in different parts of the country. It’s a space where thousands of vendors and buyers sell and purchase goods. The Hester & Cook team has been traveling to markets for nearly 17 years now and it’s time we share a bit of that journey with you! Let’s take a look inside our showroom in Atlanta to see what’s in store for the holidays. 

FOREST STORY

We went all out for the Forest Story...can you blame us? The crafting and styling opportunities this collection offers are endless. Our inspiration for the space we dedicated to this story began with a gorgeous pair of thrifted elk antlers. We wanted to mimic the Die-cut Oak Leaf & Antler Crest Placemat design by mounting the alters on a wooden crest. And where’s the perfect place to display a giant antler mount? Above a fireplace of course! Our founder and CEO, Angie, is a wizard at antiquing and came across the perfect antique fireplace mantel to transform our space into a homey, autumnal forest dream. 

To take it to the next level, we crafted little mushrooms and faux wood logs out of crepe paper and recycled cardboard. Crafting little accents for decor is an inexpensive alternative to ceramics and lasts longer than the real thing. Your guests will get a thrill out of the handcrafted details. Don’t worry, tutorial coming soon!

We topped the table off with moss, mushrooms, antlers and candles. This is the kind of table that makes you want to enjoy the fall season forever. Shop the Forest Story and recreate this look in your home!

WINTER CITRUS STORY

The warmth of the Winter Citrus Story and the holiday traditions of including citrus made this space in our showroom come together with ease. Using the combination of fresh oranges, cloves, and dried orange garlands, we decorated a flocked tree with handmade garlands and used fresh oranges adorned with the most delicious cloves as a centerpiece. Oh, if you could just smell how good it really was! Want to make your own dried citrus garlands for the holidays? We'll be sharing the tutorial with you soon!

NOSTALGIC STORY

Our eyes are still twinkling with Christmas joy from the Nostalgic Christmas Story. We knew this would be the “story of the season” so we exhibited it in a big way. First, we designed a beautiful tablescape in the front window of our showroom including tabletop papers from this story, peppermint sticks used as candle sticks, and ornaments scattered around the table.

We also designed and crafted an exuberant ornament wreath with vintage ornaments sourced from Etsy. And we seriously mean exuberant! You’ve never seen one quite like it. Take a look at these details. The quirky vintage ornaments really tell the story of the nostalgic Christmas’ we all dream of. If you'd like to make your own ornament wreath to help accentuate the Nostalgic Christmas Story in your home, check back soon for a step-by-step tutorial.

Of course we can’t forget about this jolly little reindeer. This little fellow comes from the childhood home of our Senior Designer. He hung on the roof and in the lawn of her home during the holidays for many years growing up. He is also the inspiration behind the Eight Tiny Reindeer Bunting. Including this in our Nostalgic Christmas display was a no brainer and really helped us bring it all together. 

Let’s not forget about this little gem. Remember the nostalgia of window shopping during Christmas time? We recreated that treasured memory in a window display at Americasmart. If you’re visiting, stop by the corridor between Building 1 and 2 to admire it. 

What you can’t exactly see in these photos is the hours and hours of work behind the scenes our entire team puts into each detail to make sure our market is successful. Leave them a comment down below to show them some love!