West Elm

It was my first time visiting a West Elm store IRL (I’ve browsed their website more than a few times), and I was impressed. Their bedding is luxurious and beautiful, and everything seems to be sturdy and expertly designed. Of course, it logically follows that most products are incredibly expensive. Boo and I were lucky to visit on a sale day, but even then most of the products we admired would have been costly even with the discount applied. Nevertheless, we were both able to leave with three lovely items for under $ 50, and we had nice chats with a couple sales associates, who were quite friendly.

This was one of the worst shopping experiences I had in my life. In June 2015 we placed an order for around $ 5000 worth of furniture. Everything was supposed to be delivered in August. I don’t know what was worse, the lack of staffing in the store, the mass confusion in their corporate customer service or their delivery service. To make the long story short, 5 months later and we still don’t have our furniture. We called them dozen times and every time they say they will call back with the status update and then they don’t, the last time they hung up on us. They actually offered to cancel the order at this point but we already have half the items. They are telling us that they can deliver in December since items are «misplaced» and they can’t find them so they would just put another order. Its just getting worse. I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone that wants to keep their sanity. Its like one of those show houses, It looks cool but you really can’t buy anything.

I went here with my friend to see the items first hand since I have only ever seen a catalog/​online store. The parking kind of stunk since it’s right across from the Milwaukee Public Market, but you can park over there and either grab lunch at the Public Market (and have your parking validated) or park there and pay, if you can’t find street parking. The items here are beautiful, unique, and seem high quality. They’re a little out of my budget right now, but they’re still gorgeous.
We went on a Saturday, and it was busy, but not so busy you couldn’t experience the products. We sat on different couches and chairs, touched sheets and curtains, and every time we did a sales person asked us if we had questions about the product and/​or showed us a feature of the product. it was pretty neat because things we were shown were likely not things I would have found out just by sitting/​touching on it.
There is a lot more online, but in the store there are textiles, kitchen goods, furniture, home décor, mirrors in the back hallway, artwork, candles, and more. I wish I could write a more comprehensive review, but I don’t own any thing from here — wish I did though!
I thought the customer service was great and their items were high quality, I suggest checking it out. OH! And, if you’re a couple, you should check out their Wedding Registry!

Terrible customer service. My $ 1,500 item was supposed to be delivered by the end of the week. I contacted West Elm two times regarding scheduling the delivery date (they were supposed to call me but didn’t). When I called the week it was supposed to be delivered they told me that they had been trying to get ahold of me, but that my phone was disconnected and would not be able to deliver on time. My phone was not and has not been disconnected. The lady on the phone (Debra) told me that I shouldn’t blame «her» for the late delivery, if I would have answered my phone, then the late delivery would not have occurred. When I asked to speak to a manager, she said that there are no managers. Terrible customer service. I will never purchase from this store again.

Housewares, furniture, accent pieces and more with a modern, slightly rustic or industrial twist is what you’ll find at West Elm. Think somewhere along the lines of Crate and Barrel meets Anthropologie home section.
Bedding, dining, bath, office or patio, you have options for every room in the house. You can even request free sample fabrics for furniture to help decide which pattern or color works best for your place.
It’s a chain, yes. So if you’ve been to one, you’ve mostly seen what you can find here. There’s a little «local» area of Wisconsin artists featured with kitschy home goods that are sort of commercialized for a broader appeal.
I really like their style and approach. Only, there are dollars and cents involved. And that means having a lot of those to shell out on your new decorations. If you can, look for a coupon or upcoming sale!