Mary Lake-Thompson studied art at the University of Colorado and the San Francisco Art Institute. She and her husband, Richard, met in the 70s and began a journey that took them from selling original prints at local art shows to becoming an iconic brand in kitchen gifts and textiles. The Mary Lake-Thompson Ltd. production studio is in the small town of Oroville, California, with Mary's daughter, Sara, at the helm. Sara continues the family tradition with her modern take on classic housewares called Montgomery Street Designs.