A downtown Washington building is getting a makeover so it can house Charisma Boutique and the Little Shoppes of Washington.

They will share the building once occupied by Tassels. Charisma Boutique owner Jennie Jones is moving the boutique to one part of the building, while the Little Shoppes of Washington will occupy the remainder of the building.

The Little Shoppes of Washington will consist of booths, or stalls, featuring items such as jewelry, clothing, toys, quilting supplies, and pet-related items. Charisma Boutique and the Little Shoppes of Washington are expected to have a grand opening in mid-May.

“We’re going to have different shop owners. Some people call them nichers of flockers, and they are all setting up their own little shops,” said Garleen Woolard, Little Shoppes of Washington manager, in an interview late last week.

Some of the shop owners are no stranger to downtown. Kiki Hampton, who used to own La Te Da, is a part of The Little Shoppes of Washington. The Mermaid’s Garden, once located on North Market Street, will occupy a space, too.

“So, we’ve got some of the shop owners who were on Main Street coming back to Main Street,” Woolard said.

“We provide the staffing. They just provide the inventory, and we take care of the rest of it,” Woolard said in explaining how The Little Shoppes of Washington will operate. “They actually don’t work as a staff member.”

“It’s more of a borrowed idea from Amy Ward,” said Lewis Jones, husband of Jennie Jones, when asked how the Little Shoppes of Washington concept was developed. “She kind of started this idea and was talking to me about it ,,, and at the last minute decided it wasn’t quite right for her. “

Upon learning Ward was not going to pursue the concept, Jones called his wife, Jennie, and asked her to meet him at Will Mayo’s office. Mayo owns the former Tassels building.

“We just took it a little step further by putting Jennie’s store in here and doing half of it (for Little Shoppes of Washington),” he said.

Jennies Jones said all but one of the 15 booths have been rented.

“The ideal, I guess, is that it’s 15 little shops, individual shops, basically, that will hopefully bring more people downtown,” Jennie Jones said.

“It’s a mini-mall. We’re hoping that it will just bring lots more people to downtown Washington,” Lewis Jones said.

“It’s a lot less expensive for each one of these little stores because they are being part of a 15-store commercial or advertising. That’s how we are going to advertise the Little Shoppes as one advertising, but it’s going to be for all 15 shops,” he said.

“I think it’s a lot less headache for them because they basically pay monthly rent and we handle staffing and all the behind-the-scenes” work, Jennie Jones said.

Charisma Boutique has been around for about three years, she said. Earlier this year, Jones was named the Washington-Beaufort County’s Entrepreneur of the Year for 2010.

Little Shoppes of Washington

Entrepreneurs with booths at the Little Shoppes of Washington include the following:

• I Can’t Believe It’s a Book Store II
• Sweet Street
• Bitty Blessings
• Bless It
• Mermaid’s Garden
• Me Time
• My Poodle’s Porch
• Jewels by Kiki
• House of Lea
• Sonshine by Nicole
• Cupcakes & Cocktails
• Sew Bee It
• Tiana’s Treasures