West Elm to open first store at Westlake

28 Sep '11

4 min read

Home furnishings retailer West Elm announced that it will open a new retail store at 2201 Westlake Avenue in Seattle on October 6, 2011. West Elm offers a diverse mix of modern furniture and home décor, updated seasonally with new collections and artist collaborations.

The 15,000+ square foot store is the brand's first in Washington State and features a number of unique design details including a living wall and an art installation designed specifically for the location by Seattle-based artist, Justin R. Lytle.

“We are big fans of the distinctive art and design scene in Seattle,” said Jim Brett, president of West Elm. “We've been waiting for the perfect location for our first store in the city. The growing South Lake Union neighborhood is the ideal spot.”

West Elm's products are exclusive to the brand and created by a talented in-house team of designers working closely with new collaborators and partners each season. Heavily influenced by global design and culture, West Elm also offers handmade and one-of-a-kind discoveries from around the world. These unique designs are created and sourced through long-standing relationships with organizations that support the development of global craft and artisan skills including Aid to Artisans and Keith Recker's Hand/Eye Magazine and Fund.

Many of West Elm's furniture pieces are designed to suit small, urban spaces, and an ever-increasing number of the brand's products are also marked “West Elm Green” – a label that proudly indicates responsibly produced, certified organic, recycled, rapidly renewable, or non-toxic products.

The new Seattle store will open with the brand's Fall/Winter assortment which is grounded in a rich autumnal color palate, and incorporates a mix of natural materials. The collection features entertaining and furniture collaborations with designers Mary Matson and Paul Loebach. At opening, all full-priced dining furniture – tables, chairs, stools, bars and dining storage – will be 15% off*.

With the customer in mind, West Elm worked closely with acclaimed interiors and home furnishings designer Thomas O'Brien of Aero Studios to create an open, inviting and entertaining shopping experience at the Seattle store. The store's associates are trained to help customers realize and create their personal style at home, and the store includes an updated Design Lab, where customers and associates can collaborate on space planning and decorating projects.

Like other West Elm stores, the Seattle location is designed using green materials and includes low-energy lighting, low-VOC paints and reclaimed hardwood floors. The store will house or have access to the brand's complete assortment, making it possible for shoppers to bring home new looks immediately or arrange for quick-turnaround delivery.

To celebrate the store opening, West Elm will host a benefit on the night before the public opening to honor the nearby Cornish College of the Arts. The event will mark the official unveiling of the art installation created for the store by Cornish alumnus and acclaimed Seattle artist, Justin R. Lytle.

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