Have you received the latest West Elm catalog? I’ve pulled together a few of my favorite products and apparently so has Domino magazine. It’s all right here blogged today at Real Simple.
Did you spot any, how do I put this delicately, items at West Elm that remind you of something or someone else’s work out there? Nothing stood out to me this time around except for the driftwood mirror… I always play this little ‘spot it’ game when my West Elm catalog arrives and I find at least a few things that look like something else I’ve seen out there. I guess this is to be expected, we’re all influenced by so many of the same things.
(images from west elm)
July 23, 2008
July 23rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I did the same thing and I like that driftwood mirror the best as well. I enjoyed this catalog better than most, since they are going with the “rustic earthy” trend of late. More “me” than their usual all blocky furniture. Don’t get me wrong, I own a Parson desk, but a whole room of it?
-Dd
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I was in West Elm last weekend hoping to see their new glass pendant lamps (which were not yet in stock, unfortunately). Those animal figurines are appalling in person, they look like something from a bad garage sale. Poor quality ceramic with poor quality screenprinting. Also, the cut twig mirror had visible glue all over the place, and just generally looked bad. Fine if it were a home crafts project, but not for $150.
Every now and then West Elm has something that I want to like, but then I see it in person and the quality is just awful given the price point. I know they carry a few decent things (like that parson’s desk that everyone has), but for the most part, that store makes me kind of angry.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Anna good to know about the critters and the mirror. I laughed when I read your comment b/c sometimes their items photograph A LOT better than they look in person. Like that faux bois mirror they had recently. I liked it in the catalog but in the store it looked like a bad white chocolate pretzel thing.
July 23rd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I remember seeing West Elm on the Surtex buyer list, and thinking,
“looking for inspiration, I’m sure”
I do like their catalog. Have never been to one of their stores.
I think they have one close to IKEA Atlanta.
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
The animal figurines seem as if they were loosely inspired by the Seconds teapots by Jason Miller.
Meanwhile, I totally agree that the driftwood pieces were inspired by Bleu Nature. However to West Elm's credit, BN has been around for years and there have been many variations of knockoffs of their items. Seeing as how BN's pieces are much more expensive & handmade in France, it makes sense that some other company would come up with an affordable knockoff.
The branch shelf is reminiscent of alot of products out there. I'm surprised actually that it's coming out this late. The trend of plaster-covered nature seems to have been done to death, no?
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
I think the animal figures are inspired by the Lladro re-deco collection (which I love). – Lisa in Phoenix
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:19 pm
anna at d16 – i feel exactly the same way about their stuff! i’ve picked out stuff from the catalog that i adored and it was terrible at the store. i really wanted the parsons desk but the drawers on the floor model at the store wouldn’t even close properly. i can’t believe that the store would choose to display an item of such poor quality. i bought a copy from overstock and love it.
-erica
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:24 pm
anon – I have the West Elm parsons desk in white and love it. My drawers are fine. Sometimes floor models catch a lot of abuse from shoppers and things don’t look so good after 700 people open, close, sit on, and step on the products. The Burlington West Elm in MA near me does a good job maintaining floor models BUT their carpets are usually in horrible shape. I was going to purchase their new yellow/white one for a client and when I saw it in their showroom nearly black from foot traffic I decided against it. Sure, a million people walked on it but it just looked so gross it made me avoid purchasing it.
If I managed West Elm I would place rugs in window displays and hang them around or use them beneath tables but I wouldn’t just lay them all over the place in areas that experience a lot of traffic. Myself, and friends included, usually skip rugs at West Elm because they are so filthy looking. Again, it’s not practical that we do this… My home doesn’t have guests walking through it all day with their shoes on in all weather, but just seeing something dirty turns me off to buying it.
Anyone else the same?
Holly
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:19 pm
decor8 – i understand that the samples get lots of traffic, but at the point where they start to show so badly, you’d think they’d be replaced. this is the only time i had seen one in person and it did not impress. it made me assume that if i bought one it wouldn’t wear well either. it just seems like a poor strategy. also, the other times i’ve been to the store i’ve been similarly disappointed with some of their other products. The knockoff i got was also much cheaper, so why spend more when my only experience with the product is of it looking shabby.
-erica
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:13 pm
erica/anon: I agree totally. take them off the floor, right!? and you can feel free to call me holly.
July 25th, 2008 at 5:33 am
We just did a post on West Elm too! They have some great new things in their new catalog..as does Pottery Barn!
Emily @ Material Girls