apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i used to love west elm for their design...

until they opened their store in dallas. me and the SO went there the other day and my SO doesn't know much about furniture but he immediately remarked about the inferior quality...citing it as a notch below ikea.

if they could boost up the quality, i would buy.

I agree. I think they're overpriced for the quality. I'd rather take their design to someone (a cabinet maker for example) and have them build it out of quality materials. You could even make minor design changes so it fits your life better.

I own a few pieces from West Elm...while the wood veneers are really thin (an area that could be improved), the construction is much more solid than IKEA (especially noticeable in drawers). I would never buy an upholstered item from West Elm though, all the cushions are soft and saggy—sure to look old and tired after a year.

I agree with Aaron about the quality being more solid than IKEA, but it still isn't the kind of quality construction I would want in long-term pieces (not that that's what they're going for, but I'm trying to buy higher-quality pieces that will last longer versus less expensive more cheaply made pieces that will need to be replaced sooner).
That being said, I really like West Elm for their non-furniture items. I wouldn't buy a sofa there, but for things like vases, candles and candleholders, pillows, placemats, etc. it is a good option.

I have a platform bed frame and a dresser from them. They look good, but I agree that the quality isn't the best. Luckily, I picked mine up while on clearance so I paid IKEA prices for the items.

Anyone have any experience with their bed linens? I'm wary of buying things online without being able to touch them first.

I have some sheets that I bought on sale last summer ... I loved the color so much that I actually went back and bought a backup set. They're comfortable, but my one warning is that they wrinkle A LOT. One night's sleep and the pillowcases especially are completely wrinkled until you wash them again. Don't get them if your bed is in a place that people can see it regularly (i.e. in a studio apt. etc.)

My wife and I recently purchased a few pieces from West Elm. Some from the store in Chelsea and some from online. We really like the design and since we are decorating and new apartment in a new city from scratch, we like the price. But if it wasn't one thing going wrong with them it was another. Pieces would get delivered and be scratched. They lost 2 big bags of pillows that were to be delivered. And since those pillows sold out, we were out of luck. The most recent piece was delivered and the hardware was loose in the box. We are lucky it didn't scratch the veneer, but what was worse was it was missing half the hardware. I spent 3 hours on and off the phone dealing with customer service. They are always quick to try and fix the problem and send something out, but it still takes two to three days. Anyway, to make a long story short, the store in Manhattan won't help. They claim to be too busy to bother, which according the manager at the customer service center I spoke with, has earned them a visit by the regional manager to get yelled at.
I still won't see my hardware til next week at the earliest. I'm hoping they follow their promise to give us a discount or partial refund for having to stare at lot of dark lumber taking up a lot of space in our small apt. I don't know if everyone has problems like this or just us, but I'm not sure after this one piece if I'm ever going to shop there or recommend it to anyone else. Thanks for letting us vent.

There was an earlier post about this, but with no responses. Has anyone purchased the Jay desk and hutch from West Elm? Any comments? Thanks-

I work for West Elm. Almost every day for 8 soul crushing hours. Yes the furniture is shitty, expensive, and well herald. The "wood" is just a wood veneer or wood look laminate(this means they take a picture of wood and multiply it hundreds of times)on top of particle board(this is basicly crushed up wood chips, people). It chips off daily here. Most of the cotton is a poly blend. I tell the idiots it makes the sheets stronger (we all know THAT'S a lie). Yes it is truely designed for the first time, dumbstruck, empathetic apartment owners, who have never realized that the big, shiny, popular chainstore is handing them faded knockoffs of Eams Earl and George Nelson relics from their parents past(which, by the way I can find at my local thrift store for around $10). This is mass consumerism at it's best. First it was the volkswagon bug being stuffed down our throats, then it was good ole' Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac, now it's our grandma's furniture falling prey.
Go to a thrift store, go to the flea market. Get the real thing. Or have my fakely sweet smile staring you in the face, asking "Welcome to West Elm, how may I kiss your ass today, you poor dumb b^st^rd?"

I used to work for West Elm too and as rushmoore said, their furniture is expensive crap. The only solid wood used are the legs of tables, dressers, sofas and chairs everything else is particle board with a thin veneer covering. The pieces look expensive but the quality, believe me or not, is below Ikea's!!! Believe me everyone that works there knows it but we flash our pretty smiles and put on a poker face because we have to. I left working there after I got tired of people calling complaining the furniture I sold them broke, scratches easily, warps easily, chips easily and on and on. I cannot with a clear conscience continue to sell such crap and rip people off.
If you do buy from West Elm do not buy any of their "assembly required" pieces they are the really cheaply made shoddy workmanship ones. Also shop around allot, most of their home accessories can easily be found at Target or similar stores. Tons of furniture stores now carry the "clean look" furniture fully assembled for about the same price. Again shop around first!