What's your take? West Elm Fall 2007 catalog

"Design With Style." I picked up the the new West Elm Fall 2007 today at their newest Victoria Gardens Store in Rancho Cucamonga. It was very interesting to note the change in cover format. It doesn't feature the usual pretty set-up decor shot, but rather, has a "real" person/model- "Bernard, Surfer..." with very little actual product showing. Seems like many home decor catalogs are adding in this "human" element, featuring "real homes" or "real people". (See ATNY's take on Room&Board's latest). According to the first intro page when you open the catalog...(continued)

"Design with style always has something to say. This season, we're stirring up the design debate with our gallery of design devotees. They all think differently and yet they all share one thing in common- West Elm style. Join the design debate."

We also noticed in-store there were big blow ups of these sepia toned "design devotee" portraits a la The Gap on several main walls.

We're a little unsure how effective the inclusion of these highly styled (and all coincidently good looking) "design devotee" testimonial/quotes are, but we are liking quite a few of the new fall product offerings. Have you seen this catalog yet? What's your take?

Comments (18)

BUTT magazine and West Elm had a love-child

The typeface and concept remind me of the designer bios at DWR.

i second that-- i went to a west elm store a few weeks back, and was frankly shocked at the pier 1/ limited too mash-up that was before my eyes. everything seeme ultra cheap, and i shop at ikea.

Ew, I don't like this at all. Nice try, but it's all very Abercrombie and Fitch or something. Maybe that's their plan, but I think it could have the adverse effect of turning some potential customers off.

I don't find this approach the least bit appealing and I have generally liked the store and catalog. Too Gap. And they don't even show the "people" in the rooms with the furniture. I don't get it.

Odd. I just received an entirely different Fall '07 West Elm catalog. The cover is fully decked out in West Elm furniture and accessories.

Maybe they're just trying it out on a portion of the mailing list, AlmostAD.

I went to the NYC store (down in the teens or something), and I wasn't impressed with their stuff. I bought a nice lamp online once, however.

I'd reconsider putting myself on the mailing list again if they had b&w's of surfers throughout. Young surfers. The older surfer on the cover's got soul though. Not too into the other photos, obviously.

West elm pains me. I just bought and am in the process of returning almost $2000 worth of furniture from them. Awful quality.

I agree about them being overpriced for what they are selling. They used to be one of the only inexpensive modern sellers, but within the past couple of years, Target, Pier 1, CB2 and others have joined the trend.

I find this catalog interesting because the marketers I work with have gone a similar direction with style, but we are a university, and we have gone this direction to emphasize relationships, and experiences. We don't sell furniture.

They had me at silver-haired surfer.

But seriously, I am always surprised at the negativity about West Elm. Love the Elm! Never had a problem. They ship lightning fast. Website very clear and fast (and attractive). Instructions are clear. Furniture better than pricepoint would bely. An excellent source for finishing "layer" stuff. Great bedding. Great lamps. And sales that rock.

All, of course, imho.

For those who are "disappointed by quality" (for the price) where ARE you shopping?

I second the great bedding, great lamps . . . also great sales.

I've never bought furniture from them, though.

Btw, I'm less bugged by the "customer" profiles than I am the weird pinkish, low-contrast treatment of the images. Looks like the black plate didn't run.

I'm also wondering if the timing of the people imagery and the launch of the West Elm credit card is a coinky-dink, or totally intentional...

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with mixed feelings about West Elm. I've always thought that their products (well, most) was this mix of modern and Japanese design, and not in a good way. I wasn't shocked when I went into their store and discovered that alot of the furniture didn't look like it was built well. Guess I'll have to stick to Ikea.

i'm just wondering where bernard lives. catalog schmatalog.

they are all white.

they are all white. curious. does anyone have this catalog and know if there are any people of color in the catalog?

That really would make it an Abercrombie catalog.

room and board was more successful at this because they actually showed the people in their homes with the furniture. i don't really care too much about who shops at west elm, what I want to see is how they work with what they sell.