Melanie Cook, Founder and Creative Artist
Being crafty was a passion of Melanie's long before SimpliNew was born. It began with sewing homemade Halloween costumes for her kids. As they grew older, Melanie's interest became more geared to being crafty around the rest of her home. Melanie thoughtfully designed and decorated each space over the years, and as her tastes changed, so did each room. It wasn't until her second oldest graduated from college, did SimpliNew come to be. Her daughter needed to make a home, but did not have the funds available to shop at big box retailers. To furnish her apartment, Melanie hunted for finds at Goodwill and on Craigslist, which she then re-painted to fit her daughter's aesthetic.
At the encouragement of her husband Jim, Melanie began selling pieces on her Etsy store, and as SimpliNew grew, she found her way into several local stores in the Annapolis area, joining Local by Design/Artisans Market in September 2017.
Today, she steers more toward breathing new life into mid-century modern pieces vs. the classics (which she still loves and paints) because these allow Melanie to be more artistic and playful with color and design.
*picture of Melanie thrifting in the Hamptons, Nov 2017.
Visit us at
Artisans Market
Artisans Market
Artisans Market
Visit our Shops at 1818 Margaret Avenue, Annapolis, Maryland
Announcement
I'm excited to announce that Local by Design shops at the Gallery have been voted best furniture in Annapolis for 2025!
Come by and see our latest pieces for sale.
SimpliNew and the other shops are open every Wed-Fri from 10am-5pm and Saturday 11am-4pm.
Address: 1818 Margaret Ave, Annapolis, Md
EXPERIENCE the Artisans market, held once a month. Market hours are: Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 11am-4pm