Whimsical met wingback as West Elm launched its online collaboration with Kate Spade Saturday (the younger sister company of Kate Spade) days earlier than its original Tuesday, December 30, date reported by New York Times.
While we were initially giddy about the prospect of adding some feminine flair to one of our favorite Pottery Barn subsidiaries, we'll admit that, by the time we had scrolled, clicked, and calculated the prices of all the featured items, we were ultimately left with mixed feelings.
See also: The Container Store to Open in Glendale
The Good
The Globe Floor and Table Lamp ($199 to $349) blends the Midcentury Modern look we've come to expect from West Elm with Kate Spade's propensity for sharp contrast. It's contemporary yet classic, simple yet sophisticated, and it pairs perfectly with the Kate Spade Saturday Small Scale Maze Dhurrie Rug ($129 to $749).
Of course, it wouldn't be Kate Spade Saturday without a good helping of hues. A few of our favorite West Elm chairs -- the Anders ($599), the RetroWing ($499), and the Bentwood Slipper ($499) -- get a Spade makeover with colorful floral, bold paint splatter, and linear subway tile prints, turning what was already a well designed furniture piece into a statement piece. Obviously, we wouldn't overdo it by putting more than one of these loud loungers in a room but a single seat would sure add some much needed personality to an otherwise mundane interior.
The Bad
Remember when Lisa Frank went through her abstract period? Neither do we. But judging by the look of the Abstract Printed Rug ($$69 to $99), it must have happened. Perhaps if Kate and her weekend pals had picked a different color palette for this print we would already have it in our online shopping cart but alas their regrettable rainbow choices have left them completely rug burned.
Then there's the all-white Valet Side Table ($229). This pasty piece of furniture is having a serious identity crisis. Part coatrack, part minimalist tree, and part sad stool, this all-in-one oddity generously accepts your keys, jackets, and judgmental looks. On the bright side, however, we imagine that somewhere there's a failed Intro to Woodworking student who feeling pretty validated.
The Biggest Waste of Your Money
If you blow $249 on a canvas sky print with words "No Worries" or "Epic" on it, don't tell anyone. If guests comment on it, tell them you made it. Tell them it cost you nothing, that you found it at a garage sale and you were drunk.
If they ask about the Wall Art, Abstract 2 ($129), tell them your imaginary niece or nephew gave it to you for Christmas. Trust us, if anyone finds out about the amount of money you spent on these pitiful massed-produced works of art, they will put out a petition to make sure you are no longer in charge of your own finances. Just like grandma.
