Oh West Elm...

I have a fun game for you design nerds out there. No, not the Maharam memory game or the Eames House of Cards. I mean real inexpensive fun. It merely involves your West Elm catalog and digging in your design memory rolodex. (Mines a little disorganized, I got my G's filed under my R's.) I digress.

Here's how it works: I'll show you an image from the West Elm catalog, and you think of the independent designer whose work served as the source of "inspiration".

Here's West Elm's image of their "cropped vases":

What's your guess? If we think alike, then yes, I immediately thought of Emigre ceramics.

Emigre's vases are partially glazed with exposed stoneware. West Elm's version is partially glazed with exposed earthenware. Emigre's has a satin finish, West Elm's is metallic. It's like they go step by step with every element and just tweak it a bit to make it "their own". It probably goes down like this at West Elm's Design HQ: "Emigre vases have a 40% glaze coverage? Well let's make ours 90%! Theirs is made of stoneware? What can we use that's cheaper and looks similar? Earthenware? Genius!" (Surely, evil mooohahaha laughter follows.)

It seems West Elm is doing a cleaner job in appropriating artists these days. (Still the grasshopper pillow gets me.) Maybe one day they'll make something that's completely original. I know, who am I kidding.

As much as I poke fun at West Elm, you'd think I'd boycott the store. Nope, not me. I'm what you'd call a hypocrite. My shallow pockets don't always allow me to be more discriminating. And it doesn't help that these goods are so easy on the eyes and they seduce me with my fancy colors like "ballad blue" and "light olio" (What does olio mean? Who knows.). I have been known to buy a lamp or two there. Maybe a shelf. Some curtains. Hey....

Comments

[Jeff the Impaler]

Thank God for West Elm. Not having much money
but liking nice things is my personal cross to bear. When I pick up a Design Within Reach and realize it's not within reach that's a problem. I not think West Elm has actually made some things within reach. For instance look at the difference at price between their capiz lamp and DWR's it's insane and it's pretty much the same item. Kudos to West Elm, they have my business while I'm young, and because of their thoughtfulness in pricing, I'll stay loyal.