Two sisters have opened a home furnishings and accessories store in downtown Baltimore, where they plan to make luxury interior design accessible to more people.
Ellen “Elle” Odoi and Yvette Pappoe last week opened “the dede. shop” at 305 N. Howard St. It is the first business to open as part of the second cohort of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore’s Black-Owned Occupancy Storefront Tenancy (BOOST) program.
The siblings are also owners of Décorelle, a full-service luxury interior design firm that serves clients in the DMV area as well as New York, Texas, Seattle, and beyond.
“Décorelle is a testament to our passion for interior design and unwavering belief that every individual deserves to experience the transformative power of a beautifully designed space,” Odoi said in a statement. “We’re so proud to unveil its next iteration, the more accessible design experience by way of the dede. Shop.”
Odoi continued, “Our goal is to democratize luxury interior design and provide a storefront where visitors can pop in and make intentional purchases– whether you are looking for a unique one-of-one piece or an entire room that’s artfully designed without the cost of design consultations. the dede. shop will have a little bit of everything for everyone.”
At the new brick-and-mortar location, customers will be able to shop home goods and furnishings that Pappoe and Odoi have hand-picked.
Curated items include furniture, pottery, décor, and candles. Products will be released in quarterly drops.
“The storefront’s inventory will be carefully curated for a mix-and-match approach, empowering buyers to shop Elle’s vision without the cost barrier of hiring an interior designer,” reads a news release.
Odoi and Pappoe were part of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore’s BOOST program, which works with Black entrepreneurs to fill vacant storefronts in the city’s downtown area.
the dede. shop also received support from an American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) grant and local partners, including Guinness Open Gate Brewery and BGE.
“With support from DPOB’s ‘Black-Owned Occupancy Storefront Tenancy’ (BOOST) program, funded by the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA), the dede. shop is the brick-and-mortar realization of an entrepreneurial duo’s five-year dream,” said Shelonda Stokes, president of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. “We are thrilled to witness the grand opening of this space, the first of our second cohort of BOOST businesses. We have no doubt Elle and Yvette will push boundaries in this space, and look forward to many years of success and collaboration alongside neighboring businesses and our other BOOST storefronts.”
the dede. shop will also collaborate with fellow Black-owned businesses, including Bmore Empowered, to organize workshops and seminars for minority and women entrepreneurs.
Yay! Let’s bring back Howard Street!