pillows, anyone? *
it's been said that i have something of a pillow fixation and well, i'm not ashamed of it. ac and i are trying to choose a bedding theme and i decided to try and be inspired by accent pillows, as they often add that punch of color that brings a room to life. while looking for affordable (and i mean affordable, under $30 at least) pillows, i found west elm's impressive collection of colorful designs. full of something for everyone, their accent pillow collection is perfect for adding color and pattern where it's needed- with a small and powerful punch. i think we'll end up choosing this pattern or this pattern for our own bedroom (i'll let ya know when i update the d*s apt project next week), but hopefully you guys can find something for your own home among these- they're certainly worth checking out because they're both affordable and fun. enjoy!
Labels: accessories
posted by design*sponge @ 1.2.06
14 Comments:
For some reason I can't post a comment for the laser cut post so I'm doing it here! I think laser cut is a beautiful idea but agree it's been overdone and needs a bit of a break or needs to evolve into something else. As for other trends, dare I say, I'm over deers. I know I'll probably be shot for saying that. : )
And for the record, if Starbucks is doing laser cut for marketing a new line of coffee, then it's definitely time to take a break from laser cut items.
Who gives a s*** how something is made?
Do you like things laser cut?
NO?
Then don't buy them.
You do?
Great... support you favorite laser cut artist...
Same goes for deer. If you like deer and antlers then go for it.
If not then just don't buy it.
Seems like people have no patience or tolerance for something that's been on the market for more than 6 months.
I personally give a "s***" how something is made, Anon.
Karen
Me too.
D*S
Me 3
Dave
The point is to not judge something solely on how it's produced ie. laser cut or whatever.
Maybe the object is "trendy" or too "of the moment".
But... if the object has some stylistic durability, then does it really matter what the production process is?
I say no.
Laser Schmaser, Deer Schmeer. I agree with anon 1, buy it if you like it and if you don't, then leave it. In response to the West Elm Pillows
Lovely knock offs of AREA, JUDY ROSS, and AMENITY...
just to name a few. I swear the designers at West Elm
could not come up with an original idea if their life depended on it.
Thank goodness they have a lot of talented designers around in order to get inspired...Oh right, but I forget, our society is a big supporter of huge corporate branding and mass marketing in order to streamline everything and make it as cheap as possible in another country... Silly me....nevermind...
My point was never to critique how something was made. And as for liking something, I find laser cut things beautiful. And agreed, you should buy it if you like it. I just think as things catch on and become more popular it can reach a saturation point and it's at that point I look forward to new beautiful items coming about.
It's true that many if not ALL of West Elm's designs are knock-offs of other high-end designers and they are extremely lacking in the originality department... nonetheless they are FANTASTIC alternatives for those of us who aren't willing to drop $100-200 on a pillow or throw that you'll likely want to change over in a 1 1/2 or so...
-kellen
FWIW on the laser deer thread, I don't think a process or element necessarily equates to a style. Some of the most interesting pieces I see use existing tools or ideas in a new or really interesting way. I think designs that are mostly an expression of a process or a single element are likely to age poorly in comparison.
And as to whether or not West Elm is a ripoff castle, I think it's partly a matter of education, of a sort. I don't know that most West Elm shoppers, if pressed, would assert that West Elm designs are all "original" or that they shop at West Elm to buy cheaper versions of designer items. What burden is on the consumer to research a design and see if there is an "original" somewhere else or prove that West Elm's work is derivative? How much is a consumer supposed to care?
I know there are individual artists who are trying to make a living at what they do, and that's commendable. They, like other businesses, have to set prices that they think will attract customers. Some people will spend $200 on a pillow, just like some people will spend $8 on popcorn at the movie theater. You can't expect to perfectly replicate theater popcorn in a microwave bag, and you certainly can't expect to replicate an artisan-made pillow at West Elm. Does this obligate people to buy theater popcorn, assuming it did come first and is qualitatively better? It seems like these questions try to take a stand on moral grounds. I'm not convinced of that. Not yet, anyway.
not that anyone gives a crap at this point, but i'd just like to say that i'm over laser cut too and deer and white silhouettes and owls and...what else?
and yes, west elm does rip off independent designers, but then again independent designers rip off each other as well. let's not give examples now.
and it's hard to turn away from west elm especially when they're stuff is so so damn cute and cheap to boot. seriously, i can't bring myself to buy a $100 pillow.
Here's a comment relating to the pillows... Just be aware that you have to pay for the pillow cover and stuffing separately. I made that mistake when I went to a West Elm sale the other day and saw what were $10 pillows. I grabbed a handful, brought them over to the cashier, only to be told that the stuffing would be an additional $20. $30 for a pillow is still not that bad, but I had my hopes up for a moment.
I agree with Kellen, it's hard to justify spending big bucks on an accessory item that you might change out in a couple of months or even in a year. I have items on which I am willing to spend big bucks, like a high-quality coffee table, and then items like pillows where I'm not willing to spend more than $20-$30 because it isn't something I will use forever.
My mom has kind of a pillow library and she rotates out all of her living room throw pillows approximately 4 times a year for each season. She has a ton of pillows, but finds most of them at places like TJ Maxx, and many look like designer pillows. By paying only $10-$20 a pillow, she can change them out whenever she likes instead of feeling married to a couple of $200 pillows just because they cost so much you would hate to put them away.
CHAS - I know it is disappointing when you get your hopes up at West Elm only to find out you have to pay extra for the pillow insert!! I've been there. Here's the good news - when Fall comes around and you find a great pillow at West Elm, you can always reuse the insert you bought for this pillow and put the old pillow cover away until you want to use it again.
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