If you’re not the type to go gaga for design and décor, a visit to West Elm Montreal is sure to have you sink right in – and even put your feet up. The Brooklyn-born company is a designer’s candy shop, with an artful array of home goodies and décor accessories too tempting not to at least touch. Take a stroll through the kitchen section – think oak-wood wine barrel serving trays, exquisite espresso machines, and creative storage containers – and you’re bound to see giddy shoppers petting and pawing their way around.
West Elm, known for its contemporary-casual aesthetic, simple and smooth textures, and harmonious mix of neutrals, perfects the art of mix and match. A little California-cool, a little Brooklyn urban edge, with just the right amount of global influence creates a look that is chic, cozy, and never boring. One drool-worthy display at the Montreal store combines the classic plush Henry Sofa, an industrial mango-wood coffee table, and for added punch, a hand-crafted traditional Moroccan pouf.
Known for collaborations with local and international artists, West Elm is brimming with remarkable Montreal talent, such as reclaimed and salvaged Maple log candleholders by Blisscraft & Brazen, and industrial concrete clock by FMCdesign (which is now looking lovely on my wall). Global treats include the spiral-horned Kudu table lamp from South-Africa and ornate carved-wood coffee table delicately crafted by artisans in Jaipur, India.
Aside from the delightful décor panorama is the gooey gaudery of the West Elm Marché, a perfect place to enjoy an espresso and a croissant as you wait for your new living room to be boxed up. Montreal is one of the few international stores to have the complete Marché collection, with its assortment of cookbooks, eco-friendly shopping totes, and “tools to make work wonderful” like brightly coloured gardening hoses, cotton-striped drawstring laundry bags (is it possible to look forward to laundry day?), and even a hipster-chic bike repair kit.
With something to satisfy every palette, and a team of remarkable salespeople to help you find just what that something is, West Elm is sure to become a go-to Griffintown home hot spot.
