Friday, February 18, 2011

Visiting West Elm


Recently I wandered through the West Elm store on 17th Street here in Chelsea. I think of West Elm as modern and minimal, but the other day as I walked through, I found more natural colors and textures and an urban rustic feeling. In the middle of the store is an "indoor garden."

Within its exposed brick walls, items were displayed on stacks of rough wooden pallets. Merchandise in green and brown gave the impression of a garden without actually being plants. Home accessories made out of natural materials had an earthy appeal. I thought the whole display presented an attractive way to live.
These balls made out of drift wood, which were actually quite heavy, would look great in a beach house.

Then I came upon this collection. Made of recycled Spanish glass, it offered wine bottles, bud vases and votive candle holders in a wonderful array of irresistible colors including turquoise, emerald, mint green, amber and olive. You know I'm a sucker for a bud vase and a votive candle.

There was also a display of the collection at the door where the glass was arranged on a table and cleverly hung from the ceiling.

Honestly I had a hard time choosing colors because they were all calling to me, a combination of the sea and the land. I got a bud vase in turquoise which I like in our blue bedroom.

It's the same tone as the wall paint. On the table, which I found in an antique store, is a lamp from Pottery Barn and a transferware plate holding a collection of sea glass and seashells that Ted's sister-in-law Chris gathered in the Bahamas.
Bell likes the bud vase too.

I also got an amber bud vase for our green and brown living room. One tulip in a bud vase is so easy and pretty. You may remember I got these metal snow drops sprouting out of a stone at the Jane Street Sale for $5.

At West Elm I also got a few amber votive candle holders which look more antique to me than clear glass. It's the joy of simple things.

4 comments:

Kathy said...

B...I would kill for those metal snowdrops...great buy lucky guy! I think that my favorite West Elm item you've featured is the driftwood ball. I'd take a dozen candlesticks of various heights and styles and place them down my dining table, on about 5 of them I'd place the balls...the rest...mushroom colored candles...voila....drama!...Or.. 3 candlesticks with one large and two small in the center of a round table.....say,..this is fun....thanks for sharing your pics...k

Bart Boehlert said...

Hi Kathy, You could have fun with those!
Best,
BB

Jane Kilpatrick Schott said...

Such a swing in the merchandise ... reminds me of the new look Restoration Hardware did last season.
Organic... nice post.

Karina Gentinetta said...

Dear Bart, love those colored bottles! I have a collection like that from old bottles of wine we have drank over the years in my kitchen and I use them as bud vases and candlestick holders during dinner parties. They carry wonderful memories of past reunions and such. Great to see you at the grand opening of the 1stdibs@NYDC.

Karina Gentinetta