BROOKLYN, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Home furnishings retailer West Elm announced today that it will open a new retail store in Kansas City, Missouri on Thursday, August 21, 2014 at 10am. Located at 400 West 47th Street in Country Club Plaza, the approximately 14,000 square foot store is designed to reflect the cultural and architectural heritage of Kansas City and will feature a curated selection of products made in Missouri, part of West Elm’s LOCAL initiative. A limited edition Kansas City tote bag designed by letterpress studio Ruff House Art will be given away to the first 300 shoppers with a $50 minimum purchase.
“West Elm is committed to supporting the communities where our stores are located, and we are thrilled to celebrate our opening with local makers and like-minded organizations in Kansas City,” said Jim Brett, president of West Elm. The Kansas City West Elm LOCAL assortment includes art, hand-woven throws, stationery, bar accessories and pillows from the following Missouri-based makers:
1canoe2
2nd
Story Leather
Axel
Co
Belles
+ Ghosts
Convivial
Productions
Hammerpress
Happy
Habitat
Ruff
House Art
Shop
Ampersand
Sucre
Shop
Tad
Carpenter
“This month we also launched the We Love Local Small Business Grant*, designed to support artists, makers and designers in the communities around all of our stores,” Brett continued. “The prize - $25,000 and ongoing business support from the West Elm team - can have a huge impact on a U.S.-based small business. We’re hoping some of our local partners and other makers from Kansas City will apply.”
In-store Installations
Installations in the Kansas City store are inspired by details found in many of the traditional homes of the area. Pressed tin decorative elements are utilized for the cash wrap and reclaimed cornices and column surrounds are flattened out, mounted as art and wrapped in steel frame. A focal wall of reclaimed lath is reimagined in converging diagonals set in linear frames. The loft ceiling is a wood installation of gently whitewashed, tongue and groove pine planks. “Every West Elm store we open is different – just like every customer,” Brett continued. “We’re reimagining salvaged goods to create store installations that are reflective of the community.”
The Kansas City store will be a creative, community-driven space designed to help customers discover their personal style. In the store’s Design Center – or at their home - customers can work with a free Home Stylist to pick paint colors, fabric swatches or design a furniture plan. The store will open with West Elm’s fall assortment, which includes an expanded collection of lighting, new collaborations and handcrafted pieces from Haiti, India, Peru and the Philippines. Opening week all Pillows + Throws will be 20% off and Wall Art will be 15% off.
Additional store opening activities and events include a sweepstakes** that offers Kansas City residents a chance to win a $2,000 gift card and an invitation to a pre-opening celebration taking place on the evening of August 20th. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit Bridging the Gap, a local nonprofit leading the Kansas City region in sustainability by providing environmental education and action through more than 1,000 volunteers annually. The party will be catered by local favorite Howard’s Organic Fare and Vegetable Patch.
For up-to-date information on in-store promotions and events, Kansas City residents are encouraged to Like the Country Club Plaza store on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westelmkc. West Elm Kansas City is open Monday-Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10am-7pm, Thursday 10am-9pm and Sunday 12pm-5pm. The store’s address is 400 West 47th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64112, and the phone number is 816-960-3765.
About West Elm
Mixing clean lines, natural materials and handcrafted collections from the US and around the world, West Elm creates unique, affordable designs for modern living. The brand offers choice in products and services, builds community through connections with customers, collaborators and associates, and focuses on consciousness in everything we do, from handcrafted and local products to supply chain transparency and sustainability. Headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, West Elm introduced its first catalog in 2002, followed by its first store in 2003. The brand’s complete assortment can be found in 60 retail stores in the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK and around-the-clock at www.westelm.com. We also offer international shipping to customers around the world and have an unaffiliated franchisee that operates stores in the Middle East. West Elm is part of an active community on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram and a member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands.
*NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Contest begins at 12:00:00 a.m. ET on August 12, 2014 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. ET on November 19, 2014; open only to residents of the 50 United States of America or the District of Columbia who are 18 years old or older as of entry time; see Official Rules for complete details at www.westelm.com/localgrant; Sponsor: Williams-Sonoma, Inc., on behalf of West Elm, 3250 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109.
**Deadline to enter sweepstakes is August 17, 2014. For official rules and entry form please visit westelm.com/kansascitysweeps.
