West Elm Is Open!

downtown gets a notch better!

Hooray! I can’t wait to go see it. I read the article and it said they walked through the space 2 years ago, almost a year before this blog reported the store was coming to DC. I wonder how many other deals are bubbling under the radar right now. Let’s hope there are a lot for all those empty store fronts on F Street.

What an awesome space, just checked it out today, largest west elm in the country

Look out, Muleh and Vastu! There’s a new place in town to buy a $3k leather couch!

I checked out West Elm on the way home from work and I am both impressed and happy to see the space put to use. as a child, I visited that Woodies store many times with my parents and always had good memories of going in there. I was disappointed that the Washington Opera never moved in when they purchased the building and then sold it to Jemal but I now think that retail is a better use as downtown will see traffic at all hours and days instead of on opera nights.

the store has two levels and is arranged in a very open configuration with each display or sale grouping a few yards from the next. much like Pottery Barn but with its own vibe and style.

once the old convention center gets filled in, my sense is downtown will have a nice core retail shopping destination formed by a triangle among the redeveloped convention center site, the old Woodies building area (Macy’s, Zara, H & M, West Elm) and 7th Street (more restaurants than retail). diversity breeds strength. it’ll be important to get one brand anchor for the redeveloped convention center site.

Maybe a CB2/Crate? Hope West Elm makes Crate regret only being willing to cross a block from the MoCo border into DC while most DC customers had to cross the river to shop Crate.

I would hope for something more interesting than Crate & Barrel. Been there, done that. Say what you will about Muleh and Vastu, but at least their *different* and a break from the norm.

Personally, I think the next “big” tenant should be a grocery of some sort–preferably Trader Joe’s, but whatever. Between West Elm, Macy’s, and 14th Street (which is quickly becoming Furniture Row), I just don’t see how downtown needs yet another home furnishings/furniture shop.

But seriously, what’s the difference between WE and CB? WE is Williams Sonoma (ie Pottery Barn). Downtown is already flooded with big chains and shows no sign of abating.

Crate is ubiquitous, but they’re reliable for gifts and handle wedding registries extremely well (much better than Macy’s), and have a solid selection of kitchen accessories and home decorative furnishings.

Not saying there is a huge difference…and with WE going up where it did, that makes a Crate & Barrel at the Old Conv. site even more redundant.

I have to agree that there’s no difference between CB and WE, both are just chain stores. The draw of 14th st is how many independent businesses are there, PQ is still mostly chain s

I took a break from reading this site while taking a much-needed vacation, and how disappointing to see people still complaining about “chain stores”, even with the grand opening of a beautiful new store that happens to be one of a chain! Part of my vacay was in San Francisco, and I would love for those who hate “chain stores” to tell me that Union Square just isn’t very nice or vibrant because the chain stores have sucked all the character out. Wal-Mart is a chain, but so are Nieman Marcus and Barney’s. Let’s not paint them all with one broad brush.

There are also fairly significant differences between C&B and West Elm, including prices, materials, design aesthetic, the balance between furniture and accessories, etc. I would love to have both in the neighborhood rather than more of Doug Jemal’s empty storefronts (and certainly more than 14th St’s independently owned Reincarnations!).

I second Jason’s comments. There’s a big difference between a strip mall chain, and the stores moving into our neighborhood. I’m all for independent stores, but an independent store isn’t going to survive in our neighborhood without anchor stores to draw the big crowds. I cheer the new West Elm. They’ve brought the beautiful old Woodies storefront (once part of a chain store) back to life.

I also second the idea that I’ll take a West Elm or Crate and Barrell over the “Cher’s having a tag sale” aesthetic of Reincarnations on 14th.

Not sure I see any complaints about chain stores in this thread. It’s all qualitative, and hip outposts like Zara and Uniqlo are chains too. It’s a meaningless distinction. I also don’t see any complaints about chain grocers like Trader Joes and Whole Foods, either of whom would be welcomed with open arms.

Jason:

I suspect your comments were (at least in part) directed towards me. If not, please excuse the remainder of this post.

My comments had nothing to do with chain stores, and everything to do with a desire to see some distinctive and unique shopping choices in the neighborhood. Good grief, I was even pining for a Trader Joes–not exactly an independent retailer.

I, for one, think it’s great that West Elm moved into that space–they fill a need, and it looks like they did a great job with the space. My comments were in response to others here who had implied that a Crate and Barrel would be a welcome addition at the old convention center site. I would prefer to see something other than a furniture/housewares store there–and if they are hellbent on placing one there (and who knows, it’s all speculative anyway), I would hope it would be something that wasn’t so close in nature to West Elm. That’s all. (And, sorry, but I don’t see such tremendous distinctions between WE and C&B as you do. They’re both branches from the same tree.) I also happen to quite like Reincarnations–but I have no desire to see two of them in close proximity to each other.

I don’t get the need to put forth this vigorous defense of chain stores, when chain stores weren’t attacked–by me or anyone else. I simply prefer a neighborhood that provides a diversity of offerings. Looking at development possibilities and exclaiming “I’d rather see a C&B than another Jemal empty storefront” is the type of thinking that leads to boring, homogenous developments. Sure, practically *anything* is an improvement over an empty storefront, but how about enticing a store that offers something not akin to others in the neighborhood, or provides a service that is lacking. I’d prefer to see the developers of the Conv. Center site strive for something other than a near replication of what exists elsewhere within a few block radius.

I visited Reincarnations this past weekend and completely agree with the previous posts. I have never seen so much furniture covered in glitter and mirrors, or statutes showing private parts. Bring on Pottery Barn, CB or WE anyday over junk stores like that. We also don’t need anymore Apartment Zeros. As to Apt. Zero, I saw a lamp in there priced at $800 and found the identical lamp (same manufacturer and model) online for $250. When I asked the Apt. Zero manager if he would match the price, something commonly done by the referenced “chain” stores, he refused.

“Bring on Pottery Barn, CB or WE anyday over junk stores like that.”

No one’s saying you have to shop there, and you’ve now got your West Elm as an alternative. So everyone can be happy.

As an aside, with regards to the “matching prices” comment, it would be downright foolish for any indie retailer to attempt to compete with chain stores on price. Chain stores have numerous advantages over independent shops that allow them to offer their wares at prices frequently lower than what the indie stores are able to offer them for. $550 is a pretty significant discrepancy, so I simply wouldn’t purchase that lamp at Apartment Zero. But if you’re shopping at independent retailers expecting to find goods priced at identical levels to those at nationwide chain stores, you’re going to be largely disappointed.

The $880-vs-250 price differential is pretty much standard when it comes to upscale boutique-ey furniture places. Check out any of the eurotrashy furniture places in Georgetown and you’ll see the exact same product online for a third of the price. The mark-up is there so that Apt. Zero et al can afford the exhorbitant rents and taxes that aren’t an issue when you’re ordering from a warehouse in Boise. It’s getting to the point that you can practically order the stuff direct from Chinese wholesalers.

And all those black turtlenecks patent leather shoes the cashiers wear don’t come cheap.

I hear you. Those stores are to use for ideas and to get product names so the same thing can be ordered online for a fraction of the cost.