Sweet Elizabeth Jane Blends New and Old at Grand Opening on Main Street

An hour before the grand opening, still had brown paper covering one of its windows. Inside the staff, owner and her family were still hard at work putting last minute touches on the store.

Friday night, as part of Ellicott City’s first First Friday of the season, new vintage lifestyle boutique Sweet Elizabeth Jane, located in the newly renovated , opened its doors at 5 p.m. with an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Owner Tammy Beideman’s extended family were all on hand, and her three kids cut the ribbon. “I wanted them to feel like it was their store too.” Beidman explained.

Everything has happened quickly with Sweet Elizabeth Jane, named after Beidman’s grandmothers.  In mid-March they were still holding off arriving merchandise as renovations continued.

The space is airy and open, with significant changes to old vents, walls and windows.  Most notably, Beidman and her team have opened up the store’s front windows, allowing for more interactive and dynamic displays and enticing customers to explore.

Other touches include gates and doors from a local salvage yard, and softer, friendlier lighting. The space still maintains the charm it had while home to Caplan’s, and the new colors and shapes are clean and friendly; new coexists with old seamlessly.

“I wanted [the store] to be a place where you can come, look around, and hang out for a while” Beidman said.  In the same way that Barnes and Noble invites customers to stay a while with their set-up, Beidman said, she hopes to do the same.

And it’s easy to stay and browse.  The products for sale include Beidman’s signature vintage painted furniture, as well as a few unpainted pieces.  There are also home accessories, jewelry, bath products, candles, lamps, wall hangings, linens, gifts and much more.  Much of what is offered is handmade -- some locally, and much designed in the United States. Sweet Elizabeth Jane is carrying a line of upholstered furniture as well; they may expand the line if sales go well.

Despite the variety of products offered, all have the same vintage feel and the goods fit together and easily flow from one “department” to the next.  One customer commented that he was pleased prices had been kept so low, as “a lot of times this type of stuff is marked up too much.”

Beidman credits her family and staff with pulling everything together so well in so little time.  “They have worked so hard and are so creative” she said.  “There have been a lot of late nights.”

Getting to this point has been an adventure for Beideman.  Originally an elementary school teacher, she left education to stay home with her family and began painting vintage furniture, which eventually led to a small booth in a slow paced antique co-op, followed by success in busy Lucketts, Virginia.

Wanting to stay local, Beidman moved her business to The Pink Cabbage, followed by a stint as co-owner of Vintage Girls, also on Main Street. 

Sweet Elizabeth Jane’s website is a work in progress, and will include a blog detailing their adventures.

The store will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, and 12 to 5 on Sunday.  For the month of April, however, it will remain closed on Mondays and Tuesdays as the staff works to fully computerize their inventory, add to their offerings, and just generally regroup.