March 18 Update — Gallery St. Elmo has completed its move to 4931 Cordell Avenue.
Original — A popular furniture and accessory shop is moving to a new location within Woodmont Triangle.
Gallery St. Elmo, the mostly traditional-style consignment store at 4938 St Elmo Avenue, will make the move to a freshly remodeled space at 4931 Cordell Avenue in a few weeks, according to owner Jill Martin.
Martin said the landlord at the new Cordell Avenue space was willing to do a build-out and reconfigure the layout to the shop’s needs. It used to be home to Freed Photography, which recently moved to a new spot nearby.
“It will be very open with wide, tall ceilings,” Martin said. “We have been thinking about a move for a while. We’ve got a great band here and the store has been a Bethesda institution for 20 years.”
Martin took over ownership of the shop about four years ago after working their as an employee. It offers the pricey couches and chairs you’ll see at Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and others for up to a third or even half-off the original price. It also sells some antiques, contemporary furnishings and jewelry.
Martin has about 6,500 consigners in the store’s database and sends a weekly email detailing new stock to about 2,500 subscribers.
Martin said the thin and long St Elmo Avenue space — which used to include some sort of car garage — didn’t provide the ideal layout for the store.
“It’s always been somewhat of a challenge to get these front two rooms decorated. A lot of people don’t even recognize that the store continues through the doorway,” Martin said. “We have to tell people, ‘Keep going.'”
The store actually started out on Cordell Avenue under original owner Audrey Demas.
Martin said the last day in the St Elmo Avenue spot will be March 14, which will include a party and large sale. She plans to have the new Cordell Avenue location open on March 18.
