Taking the space of a once upon a time dress shop, the Southern Nest opened for business May 1 in downtown Washington.

Southern Nest, Washington’s newest antique store, name from Elaine Taylor’s southern heritage and the fact she calls her home a “nest”. Taylor is the sole proprietor of Southern Nest, but she consigns space to three other people.

While Taylor worked as a realtor, she rented space at the Purser’s Chest in Washington and Greenville to sell her antiques before going into business for herself. She always wanted to have her own shop and finally got the chance this spring, she said.

“I just decided if I was ever going to follow this dream I needed to go ahead and do it,” Taylor said. “I am 60 years old, so it’s time to just follow this dream.”

Taylor was looking at spaces to rent and fell in love with her West Main Street location because of the old chandeliers that hang from the ceiling.

As a realtor, she would often decorate the new houses she sold in antiques. She would also teach her clients about buying at estate sales to furnish houses they were trying to sell.

“I’d tell them don’t go out and spend a lot on furniture that isn’t solid wood,” said Taylor.

One of Taylor’s renters, Wanda Hager, enjoys rescuing relics and refurbishing them to sell in the store.

“I call Wanda — she’s the one who paints the furniture — I call her my furniture artist,” said Taylor. “She takes pieces that look like they are headed to the dump and makes them pretty.”

Though Taylor has been in business for just three weeks, she has enjoyed her time meeting customers as she is a self-proclaimed people person.

She also enjoys picking and hunting for antiques to sell in her shop, but will often send Cindy Jowers, another renter in the shop on hunting trips so she can stay to man the shop she said.

The Southern Nest is located at 133 W. Main St. in downtown Washington.