By Amanda Larch Hinchman
For HDMedia
One new Elk City business owner aims to provide community connection as much as unique home goods and crafts.
Celebrating its grand opening June 6, Elizabeth Lee is a lifestyle boutique inspired by the “grandmillennial” movement, owner Ava Reed said. Coined a few years ago, grandmillennial is a term for younger generations who embrace older hobbies and pastimes, Reed said, and is reflected in the shop through its classic and chic decor and inventory.
“We’re needlepointing again, playing mahjong, browsing through our favorite cookbooks, joining book clubs, we’re gardening,” she said. “The grandmillennial look is a light, bright and airy feeling and vibe. You see that in movies where they romanticize their life. Hopefully when you walk in, you understand what it’s all about.”
Reed, a Charleston native and 2024 University of Charleston graduate, said she dreamed of opening her own store, having worked in retail since she was 15. Throughout high school, Reed published a blog, Ava Styles, where she built up a following and collaborated with lifestyle and clothing brands.
“I discovered a lot of brands and local entrepreneurs through it, and I decided that when I opened my store I wanted to bring that into my business,” she said.
How Elizabeth Lee came to be
A reflection of her interests, hobbies and passions, with its name stemming from her family, Reed first launched Elizabeth Lee as an online storefront in January 2026, and it grew quickly thanks to social media marketing, she said. One week after launching, out-of-state orders were placed. Now, Reed has sold throughout the U.S.
“We’ve had more sales on the East Coast because the look and the feel of my store is something that is very popular there,” she said. “It’s already a shock to see that it’s gone farther than Charleston, so I’m happy to see what happens now that we’re in a brick and mortar too.”
With local interest in her products, including needlepoint canvases, home decor and stationery, Reed hosted successful pop-up shops at Capitol Market in February and April.
“My customers were like, ‘When are you going to get into brick-and-mortar? We want to have this be a staple in Charleston,’ which is such a compliment,” Reed said.
With that encouragement, Reed began looking for a potential physical location and discovered the space on Washington Street West, owned by West Side building developer Tighe Bullock.
“I would go out on lunch breaks trying to find a place for my store,” she said. “Eventually, this building popped up. I toured it at 9 a.m. and by 2 p.m., I was already signing the lease.”
Bullock has offered support throughout the process, Reed said, and she’s excited to be part of the growth of the neighborhood, mentioning Goldenrod Kitchen, a restaurant that opened in April.
“I was giving my ideas as a young business owner, how I thought it could fit in Elk City, and he was very supportive of it from day one,” she said. “The Charleston community is amazing for encouraging young entrepreneurs to go after what they want. We may be small, but you will never find a more encouraging or supportive city than Charleston.”
A place for the community
Offering accessories, books, crafts, stationery, clothing, candles and more, Reed said Elizabeth Lee is also a place for community. With a “stitch room” up front — used as a conference room in a previous iteration of the space — the boutique also has a hobby section in the back equipped with a mahjong table, where she’d like to eventually offer needlepoint classes.
“I always wanted to have a needlepoint store, and I wanted to have a place where people can come and stitch and hang out and be surrounded with their favorite things,” Reed said.
“I wanted to give that really great shopping experience, but you also get the community aspect of it, where you don’t have to leave as soon as you check out,” she continued. “You can stay, hang out, browse, you can learn how to needlepoint, you can play mahjong.”
Exclusive inventory, some W.Va.-inspired
Carrying an in-store exclusive collection of Charleston-branded totes, stationery pads and hats, other local brands and products include designer Paige Rawlings’ custom-made necklaces; handbags by designer Cassie Kelly; and artwork from Lynn Payne Art. Reed said she soon plans to carry West Virginia-inspired needlepoint canvases from an artist based in the state.
“I’m always open to local and new entrepreneurs, and I think we should all help each other out,” Reed said. “I source a lot of inventory that way, but a lot of it is discovered through social media, and that’s the power of social media marketing.”
Additionally, paying homage to the building’s history as the former Thaxton Drug Store, Reed has preserved an original apothecary cabinet, carrying items sourced from C.O. Bigelow, a New York apothecary brand.
Elizabeth Lee will continue to sell online at shopelizabethlee.com and on social media.
“I hope that my shop brings some joy and peace to people’s lives,” Reed said. “You can leave everything at the door, browse your favorite things and disconnect. I hope people find products in my store that allow them to make the everyday moments feel a little bit more special. They can romanticize their life, and that’s very important, especially in this day and age.”
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