Local designer brings coastal elegance, purpose to spaces across The Cape Fear. Long before Nicole Cook built a career creating beautiful spaces, she was searching for a profession that combined her creativity, passion, and independence. Growing up in West Virginia, Cook knew she wanted to make a living doing something she loved. She just had to discover what that something was. "I was trying to find something that I was passionate about, good at, and where I could make a living as well and rely on myself," Cook said. Competitive tennis eventually brought Cook to Wilmington and the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she studied recreational marketing. But her love for creating and connecting with people ultimately led her in a different direction: interior design.