We spent some time in the new Williams- Sonoma Home store and we have to say that they are doing it right.
We have become used to mass-produced furniture bringing instant style with shoddy craftsmanship. That is not the case at Williams-Sonoma. It is a thrill to walk through the store and see that the furniture looks better in person than it does in the glossy catalogue.
Although Christmas dcor tends to bring out the east coast American spirit in many LA stores, Williams-Sonoma is reminiscent of the flagship Ralph Lauren store in New York, and it feels just right. This is true high end, and while the prices certainly reflect that, the lines, fabrics and quality help it to make sense.
We have talked about our love of using suiting materials on furniture and Williams-Sonoma does it with great preppy-chic style. We want the charcoal grey Westbury chair ($2500) with inset nailhead detail, and the Presido padded bed (also in camelhair, $2700). We also like this Davis desk ($2400) and this chrome and leather Crosby stool ($1500). The accessories are all beautiful as well, including an array of colorful cashmere throws that, at under $400, make us want to reconsider our obsession with the Hermes $1000 version!
The store in LA on Beverly Blvd. feels A LOT like the Ralph Lauren store in Bev. Hills, down to the grass cloth wall paper.
The items at Williams Sonoma is very pricey - a small sting-ray box goes for $420! And they never have a good sale, even online... I've seen a lot of items on Ebay though....
Even though the WSH pricesare higher-end than some re- and e-tailers, Ralph Lauren still takes the cake for higher prices, by far. WSH gives you an option for that look at not QUITE the same high prices.
SO JEALOUS you West Coasters have a WSH store!!
They have some really nice stuff, unfortunately none of it is organic so I would never buy it.
"The EPA has cited "Indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air, and according to the EPA, is considered to be one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paint and finishes are among the leading causes." Toxic fabrics, carpeting and textiles are some other causes of indoor air pollution." (from the Anna Sova website)
This is a huge deal, I get upset that so, so many companies want to sell us stuff that looks really nice but that will kill us slowly, and they are either ignorant to the fact that this is a reality, or they don't care. However, fortunately there are many up and coming green home design companies that have their heart in the right place.
if this stuff was bought through an interior design firm it would be twice the price. love it!!!
I absolutely adore the Davis Desk from Williams Sonoma Home shown in the link below. However, the price is a little rich for my purse. Any ideas about where I can find something similar that is not too wide (narrow staircase), hides the computer monitor, and provides a good-sized writing area?
http://la.apartmenttherapy.com/la/robertsonbeverly/williamssonoma-home-005135
I visited the WSH store at the King of Prussia mall outside Philadelphia. Nice stuff, some innovative, but I felt most of it was overpriced. In fact it was so overpriced, I wondered how many people in SE Pennsylvania with that kind of money were interested in spending it in a shopping mall. Given that a lot of their furniture is made by the major manufacturers, I really felt I could get a better deal going to an established, high-quality furniture store and buying it there.
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