A downtown Franklin boutique will soon make a big move.
Eclectic Jade is a small shop on Jefferson Street, selling a variety of “eclectic” items largely inspired by bohemian and 60s and 70s styles. After a few years in its current storefront, the store is in the early stages of building a new, bigger location just down the street on South Main Street.
Owner Christy Norton, who also works in real estate, bought the property at 252 S. Main St. last January with the original intention of turning it into an Airbnb, she said. However, she later decided the location could be the perfect spot to build a new store.
South Main Street is booming with new development with the construction of mixed-use complexes and townhomes in that area of the city. That area also has walking trails and is nearby the DriveHubler.com Amphitheater.
The new building is in its early stages. There’s a design and the lot was leveled earlier this year. Norton isn’t sure about the cost to build yet either, she said.
With the new design, Norton wanted the new building to have a lot of character to fit the store’s unique theme. The early designs show the building with different shaped windows, and splashes of Eclectic Jade’s green profile on wooden boards around it. A giant sign on the side of the building design reads, “Hello Beautiful.” Norton’s van is also featured in the design, along with an outdoor patio with seating for people to hang out.
“It’s a new building, but the way I wanted to do it, I definitely wanted the front to have a lot of character with the boards and different colors. I wanted it to have some personality,” Norton said.
Norton started Eclectic Jade — named after her daughter — six years ago inside another store, Vintage Whimsy. She described the store as a mix of vintage and new. The store is filled with clothes, furniture, accessories and decor, all generally falling into the vintage and bohemian style — from bell-bottom jeans and floral print dresses to a vintage couch from the 70s. Norton buys from around 200 vendors, she said.
“It’s just like my brain exploded, so the store is made up of pretty much anything I like,” Norton said.
The items sold will only grow with the new space. The lot for the new store is almost half an acre. The building will be about 200 square feet bigger than the current space. A loft on the second floor will become Norton’s office.
Norton hopes to open the new building at the beginning of next year.
“It’s almost half an acre. I mean, that’s kind of unheard of in downtown Franklin. It’s really exciting with what we’re going to be able to do with the space,” she said.
