West Elm to make Michigan debut

Brooklyn, N.Y. -- Home furnishings retailer West Elm will make its Michigan debut when it opens a store in downtown Birmingham, on Oct. 2.



The 15,000-sq.-ft. plus store will feature a curated selection of products made in Michigan, part of West Elm’s Local initiative. The initiative, launched this year, taps into local entrepreneurship by empowering the teams in West Elm stores to find area makers and designers, building and nurturing a creative network that celebrates craftspeople and differentiates the brand with regional assortments.



“Michigan has long been revered as a manufacturing hub in the United States, " said West Elm president Jim Brett. “We are excited to celebrate this community of makers in our new store.”



The Birmingham West Elm store is designed to reflect the environment, culture and heritage of the area through temporary and permanent art installations. A feature wall pays tribute to the manufacturing heritage of the community through a mosaic of industrial molds previously used in metal fabrications. The molds are in various shapes and colors, corresponding to the different metal materials the molds once helped shape.