Kel Swan didn’t want to see another empty stopfront in Kiama when the owner of White Earth didn’t want to renew her lease due to the rising cost of rent.

Kel and her partner Karen Wilson took over the eco-conscious store on Terralong Street themselves, reopening it as The Sea & Beau on 5 July.

“We thought we would take it on because you look up the street and there's so many shops for lease and it looks so bad,” said Kel.

“We already had heaps of beautiful customers and it would have been sad to see it go.”

Kel’s journey to owning The Sea & Beau started during the COVID pandemic, Kel and Karen were both in the travel industry and were made redundant as no one was travelling.

With twin boys Cody and Lennon only 15 months old, Kel applied for a part-time position at White Earth simply as a way to get out of the house.

“I applied to have a job here, just mostly for social. And then ended up loving it. Like, didn't realise how much I would love it,” she said.

“All the customers are awesome, we've become good mates with a lot of people just from being here for the last four years.”

Kel grew up in Kiama and her connection to Terralong Street starts with her first job at 14 at Scoops, and she has memories of her current store being Classy Lady, a boutique store in the 1990s.

“My mum used to come here all the time and I used to sit out the front waiting when I was a kid,” she said.

“I've actually got heaps of memories from this shop, but I just didn't realise it was the same one.”

The store’s new name holds a special meaning to the couple, with Sea or ‘C’ representing Cody, and Beau being Lennon’s middle name. The store’s palm tree logo represents the boys as Kel says “they keep fighting over who's the tallest one”.

Kel and Karen are locals who are proud to be raising their children in Kiama and giving back to the community.

Their focus on community is evident with their Father’s Day window display with drawings and messages from local children to their dads.

“The kids are all really proud. People with kids have come and gotten photos next to their picture,” said Kel.

The Sea & Beau Father's Day window display

The business supports local causes like school raffle donations and has also introduced three new Illawarra-based brands since taking over.

Having previously worked at Kiama’s Visitor Centre, Kel understands the importance of having a vibrant shopping scene for the town’s success.

The Sea & Beau is open seven days a week and located at 96 Terralong Street.