Edie Caldwell, owner of Edith Caldwell Abode, has had a long — and well-traveled — career in antiques and art, but it’s given her a unique understanding of her clientele. “If I wouldn’t buy it for myself and my abode, I wouldn’t carry it at all,” she says. 
Edith Caldwell Abode is in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara at 8 E. De la Guerra St. across from De la Guerra Plaza.
Christmas came early for me this year, a gift in the form of meeting Edith “Edie” Caldwell at her new downtown Santa Barbara gallery … abode. As a writer and a shopper, I’m always interested in the story of the owner behind the business.
My friend, Jann Jaffe, who swims with Caldwell every morning at Montecito’s Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club, suggested I check out her new place and I’m glad I did. Edith Caldwell Abode at 8 E. De la Guerra St. had only been open a few weeks after a relocation from a block away at East Ortega Street.
As part of the move, Caldwell gave up her gallery’s old identity, Scout-Uncommon Goods. Her daughter, Meredith Caldwell Shank, is now using the Scout name for her own clothing line.
Born and raised in Nashville, Caldwell opted out of college for a job with Buddy Wade, the owner of a well-known antique store in the Music City. With her curiosity and love of antiques, it didn’t take long for her to be hooked on a career.
After moving to La Jolla, Caldwell opened her first shop, The Light Fantastic, at age 24. She later found herself in the Bay Area, working as a corporate travel agent before becoming manager of a Therien & Co. antiques store in downtown San Francisco.
By 1991, she had opened the Edith Caldwell Gallery near Union Square, where her specialty was contemporary, representational artwork. She eventually moved across the Bay to Sausalito before taking up residence in artist-rich Rockport, Maine.
Eight years ago, she moved back to the South to be closer to family, including a grandchild, but she discovered that retirement was not in her blood. Not long after, she was in Santa Barbara.
Edith Caldwell Abode features antique and vintage furniture and accessories in a chic and airy marquee location facing De la Guerra Plaza and near Paseo Nuevo. As I looked around, I found several unusual items I just had to buy — the kind that speak to you. Or just me.
The gallery encourages meandering, browsing and absorbing the well-curated collection of items, which includes wall art, midcentury furniture and accessories, and a myriad of glass objects.
“If I wouldn’t buy it for myself and my abode, I wouldn’t carry it at all!” Caldwell exclaimed.
Edith Caldwell Abode is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, and by chance.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.