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West Elm Opens in Old Town North
Old Town North's new West Elm furnishings and decor store is now open for business after throwing a grand opening party Wednesday night. The store, the 100th West Elm nationwide, is located at 925 N. Saint Asaph St. in Old Town North.
Follow the store on Instagram @westelmalexandria. Part of the culture of the brand is to serve as a community hub, and residents shouldn't be shy about stopping by and meeting shopkeeper Brandon. The store hopes to host community events — think book clubs and inviting more local artists to showcase their work.
Alexandria artists are featured at the store, including Hedgehog Pottery (@hedgehog_pottery on Instagram) and Nourish & Refine, offering its natural and non-toxic rosewater spray and more (learn more at nourishandrefine.com).
In addition to featuring local artists, West Elm also included local businesses at its grand opening. Customers checked out the store while also trying out four popcorn flavors (Salt and Vinegar, Sour Cream and Chive, Cherry with Pink Chocolate Drizzle and Mint Chocolate Chip) from Popped Republic and ice cream from Nicecream. (Christina Stanley recently bought Popped Republic, which offers 35 flavors of popcorns from its Alexandria store at 2381 S. Dove St. and food truck.) A whiskey bar, courtesy of Johnnie Walker, also fueled party-goers Wednesday night.
If you aren't sure which rug might work in your living room or you're decorating an entire home, the store offers free design services at the store and at your home; you can make an appointment online or by calling the store.
West Elm partnered with its friends at Leesa Sleep to donate a portion of the night’s proceeds toward providing mattresses to the D.C. Dream Center in support of their mission to serve their community holistically, from mentoring and tutoring to legal assistance and personal development.
The 12,000-square-foot store sells everything from rugs and bedding (they're on track to have 100 percent of their bedding be organic by 2020) to outdoor furniture and dinnerware.The only other West Elm store in Northern Virginia is located at Mosaic District in Fairfax County.
West Elm describes itself as a "global design and lifestyle company with a commitment to conscientious design and sustainability."
The store plans to hold regular events, pop-ups and workshops led by small local businesses designed to spur creativity and connect like-minded individuals. Customers will discover new inspiration with every visit and can connect with West Elm’s Design Crew experts for free design services either by an appointment made in store or by scheduling online at WestElm.com.
Customers can also shop products made in Old Town as part of the West Elm Alexandria LOCAL assortment. In 2014, West Elm set out to empower local artists and makers with its LOCAL program by offering small businesses retail space to sell and market their specialty products. With the opening of West Elm Alexandria, the LOCAL network will continue to expand with the addition of five D.C.-area artists and makers including:
- Goodnight Darling: Naturally relaxing bath products crafted in D.C.
- Hedgehog Pottery: Handcrafted planters and ring dishes made with clay in Alexandria
- Marcella Kriebel: Foodie-themed watercolor illustrated prints made in Alexandria
- The Neighborgoods: Illustrated dish towels and greeting cards designed in D.C.
- Nourish & Refine: All-natural, self-care products handmade in small batches in Alexandria
To keep up with everything happening at the store such as promotions and events, you can follow West Elm Alexandria on Instagram (@westelmalexandria) and “like” the West Elm Alexandria store on Facebook.
West Elm Alexandria regular hours will be: Monday – Saturday, 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., and Sunday 12 noon – 6 p.m. Applicants interested in joining the West Elm Alexandria team can email WestElmStores@wsgc.com.
West Elm is part of the mixed-use EDENS 530 First Street development, which includes apartment homes and other retail and restaurants including Oak Steakhouse and Sisters Thai. Retail also includes My Eye Dr., BeeBee Nail Bar and a Virginia ABC liquor store.
West Elm was launched in 2002 by Williams-Sonoma and is based in Brooklyn, N.Y.
