West Elm Opens First Store in Rhode Island

Retailer Showcases the Creative Capital’s Local Makers and Artisans on the East Side of Providence

“We are excited to engage in this creative landscape where residents are committed to supporting the local economy and designers.”

BROOKLYN, N.Y. August 25, 2016 –(BUSINESS WIRE)–Home furnishings retailer West Elm today announced the opening of its new store in Providence’s Wayland Square neighborhood on Thursday, September 1 at 10 a.m. The 11,473 square-foot store is the Brooklyn-based retailer’s first store in Rhode Island, bringing approximately 30 jobs to the area. West Elm’s newest retail location in Wayland Square features the brand’s unique fall assortment for modern living, a selection of Rhode Island handmade goods as part of the West Elm LOCAL program, and their signature Design Lab featuring complimentary design services.

“We are thrilled to be opening a store in Rhode Island with its longstanding reputation for supporting independent industrial design, both in its storied heritage and diversity of contemporary makers as well as through the labs and workshops of Brown University and Rhode Island Institute of Design,” said West Elm president Jim Brett. “We are excited to engage in this creative landscape where residents are committed to supporting the local economy and designers.”

West Elm Providence incorporates unique design elements that pay homage to Rhode Island’s history and coastal proximity. There is an overall coastal theme to the store — vintage fishing buoys sourced from the Brimfield Flea Market are strung on ropes on the back of the customer checkout and the front of the counter is crafted from reclaimed tin ceiling panels in a unique scalloped pattern.

To celebrate the opening, West Elm has partnered with Providence-based artist Allison Cole Illustration to design an exclusive tote bag that will be presented to the first 300 shoppers with a $50 minimum purchase. Additional store opening activities will include a sweepstakes* offering local customers a chance to win a $2,000 gift card and an invitation to a private pre-opening celebration on Wednesday, August 31 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. to benefit AS220, a local non-profit organization providing a local forum and home for the arts, through the maintenance of residential and work studios, galleries, performance and educational spaces.

A selection of locally made products by Rhode Island-based makers and artisans will be available as part of the West Elm Providence LOCAL assortment including:

  • Handmade by Allison Cole: A stationery brand based out of Providence, Rhode Island featuring bold graphic illustrations paired with hand-drawn type, colorful phrases.
  • Modern Memere: Each vintage-chic piece is hand picked, hand poured and hand assembled in Rhode Island.
  • Noon Designs: Thoughtfully designed handmade goods from Rhode Island including timeless jewelry, letter pressed greeting cards, and bath products.
  • Photon Fabrications: Custom laser cut and engraved unique nautical gifts from Bristol, Rhode Island.
  • Shore Soap Co.: A handcrafted bath and body brand established in Newport, Rhode Island that channels its inspiration from the sea to create quality products.

For up-to-date information on in-store promotions and events, customers are encouraged to Like the West Elm Providence store on Facebook: www.facebook.com/westelmprovidence and follow the store on Instagram: @westelmprovidence. West Elm Providence is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m.- 6 p.m. The store’s address is 179 Wayland Avenue, Providence, RI 02906 and the phone number is 401.274.1901.

*Open only to residents that live within the Providence, RI area. Official rules of the sweepstakes can be found on the Providence Sweepstakes page.

About West Elm
Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY since 2002, West Elm opened our first store in DUMBO, the neighborhood we still proudly call home. With its mission of helping customers express their personal style at home, everything West Elm does is designed to make an impact in everyday life, from creating unique, affordable designs for modern living to its commitment to Fair Trade Certified product, from LOCAL and handcrafted products to community-driven in-store events and collaborations. The brand operates 100 retail stores in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK, ships internationally to customers around the world and operates stores in Mexico, the Middle East and Philippines through unaffiliated franchisees. In addition to home furnishings retail, West Elm operates West Elm Workspace with Inscape in the commercial furnishings industry. West Elm publishes the blog Front+Main and is part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube. West Elm is a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands.

SOURCE: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.