HOT SPOT
Modern Americana in east Raleigh

by Jessie Ammons

A new kid on the block just east of downtown is Oak + Co., the housewares boutique on North Bloodworth Street. Tucked into a purple house on the outskirts of the Historic Oakwood district, the shop joins an up-and-coming corner that takes on a surprising hustle-bustle many sunny afternoons, thanks to Side Street, an adjacent neighborhood cafe, and Breathing Mountain Yoga, a yoga therapy studio. At Oak + Co., husband-and-wife duo Hillman and Rebekah Ball sell handmade leather goods, American-made T-shirts, sculptural metal jewelry, candles, and more of what they call “thoughtful goods for home and elsewhere.”

The shop opened last month and has so far had a steady stream of conscious, trendy customers, many of whom recognize the brand from its Instagram account. “For the past couple of years, we have grown our American-made brand, Clyde Oak, online,” Rebekah Ball says. Through that brand – which makes modern-Americana gear, from chambray bandanas to Blue Ridge-inspired scented beard oils – the couple “fell in love” with Raleigh’s local community of handcraftsmen, Ball says. Oak + Co. is a brick-and-mortar showcase for their favorites.

“Oak and Company basically means us and friends. We have expanded on our love of working with local makers and brought in other ethical and worldly brands to create a unique space.”

Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
facebook.com/shopoakandco