I had been keeping a secret, the kind that glues a smile to my face. A couple of weeks ago, a buyer from West Elm contacted me: there is going to be a new West Elm in Vancouver! And they would like to put some bubbles on the shelves! I thought, “Yes, please!” before I hit the reply button. While counting down to the opening day, I busily prepared the batch of bubbles for their debut. The first chance I got, which is the morning after the opening day (Sept 13, 2012), I went to check out the store with my mom. When I was there, I decided that I love West Elm.
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| Located in the posh South Granville, the store sits alongside its sister stores William Sonoma and Pottery Barn. |
Now, why do I love West Elm? It’s not only because they are so impossibly hip and possibly have the most beautiful duvet covers; it’s also because they love handmade art (see proof no. 1).
West Elm partners with Etsy to discover emerging artists by featuring their work in catalog and online, and connects with the community by showcasing locally made art. Here is proof no. 2 found at the brand new Vancouver store.
/1/ bubbles from yours truly,
Fiber Lab. /2/ dandelion + birch vases and barn owl ornaments from
Eikcam by Grace Lee, for building your own ceramic garden (or an entire forest) /3/ photography from
Walter Helena Photography by Nadine Boyd. These were already all gone by the time I took this photo. Sold out, already? Perhaps! But my investigative googling revealed their approximate locations and their theme: boats/4/ herringbone + striped bottle vases from
Dahlhaus Art by Heather Dahl. The colors are soft and pretty, and I have a thing for chevrons.
Thank you, West Elm! We love you back.
