For the AD100 firm Pierce & Ward, the opportunity to create a collection for West Elm represented a gratifying full-circle moment. “When we started out, it was one of our go-to resources. That was when we’d have a modest budget to decorate a 6,000-square-foot house,” recalls Louisa Pierce. Her partner, Emily Ward, echoes the sentiment: “We relied on them for things that combined quality with good value. This was our chance to build on that legacy.”

The 100-piece collection encompasses furniture, curtains, lighting, tabletop, accessories, wallpaper, and rugs. Dexterity—in style, materials, and application—is a hallmark of the group. “There’s a broad mix of genres and aesthetic sensibilities, much the same as we decorate our projects,” Pierce says. “Certain pieces have a lean, Japanese quality, and others feel like they were crafted by a really good carpenter,” she adds. True to the firm’s signature approach, many of the items have a distinctly vintage vibe, with color acting as a conceptual through line. “We like earthy, dusty tones,” Ward notes. “Basically, ugly colors.”

The partners’ favorite items in the collection hint at the elasticity of their vision. For Ward, standouts include a barrel chair upholstered in a contrasting stripe, a burl wood vanity that nods to 1980s postmodernism, and a curvaceous acacia wood coatrack. Meanwhile, Pierce’s picks include a lacquered sideboard, metal barstools, and a chunky wooden step stool that synthesizes Asian and Craftsman influences. “It isn’t just variety for the sake of variety,” says Ward. “If you bought 20 pieces, we want it to look as if they were collected over time, not purchased all at once in one place.” westelm.com

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