Origami that is. West Elm is a company that I admire on so many levels. As a lover of Mid-century Modern furnishings, West Elm’s clean lines and sixties aesthetic appeal. So too does the price point, the on trend colors and their in-house designers that work to put it altogether for you, if you need a nod indicating you’re doing it right – or a whole hand in crafting your next home look.

Ori on display at West Elm’s Fenway location. 160 Brookline Ave. Boston.
There business model, appears to this outsider, to be pretty pliable. Not something I necessarily associate with a big corporation. They team. Teaming is good for business. It puts the community back into the places these stores are located, and small businesses are very important to our economy, not to mention fighting the good fight against homogeneity. It feels pretty special when you walk into the store, meet with local Etsy purveyors, select a painting from an artist to go above the sofa you saved your hard earned doe to get, so you could stop watching tv on the floor atop a pillow. Add to that a signed copy of Erin Gates book, Elements of Style, and you not only have a story to tell friends when you entertain, you’ve personalized it. That’s the magic of West Elm.

Ori Interface.
Don’t worry, they seem to produce that dust out back somewhere because they have done it again, albeit, in a very different way. This collaboration will be short lived like their Esty pop-ups, so you’ll want to forgo one or two of your fav fall activities to visit the Fenway West Elm store, because Ori – short of Origami – Robotic Furniture has arrived, for a limited time (October 30 . 2018) in store. 160 Brookline Avenue . Boston.

A whole existence in a box.
I’ve written about this MIT Media Lab launched company before – wow that’s a lot of alliteration. Their tag line: “One room . One Hundred Ways” is pretty brilliant, but the fact that you can transform your living room into a bedroom, your bedroom into a study, your study into a walk-in closet, by hollering at Amazon’s Alexa, or if you’re old school, by pushing a button, is AMAZING.

At West Elm . Fenway . Try it for yourself.
Originally only for sale to developers, this limited time offering allows the public – that’s you and me – to get our hands on one. The price point is a bit higher than the developer deal, but in fairness, they are buying in bulk. Full size option at $15,500., Queen at $16,000. Not exactly walking around change, but if you haven’t been tracking, waiting, saving, and hoping (harassing the people at Ori to let you buy one) then you can rent one for $300. a month. Now isn’t that convenient? Designed to snuggle into a 300 – 600SF space, CEO Hasier Larrea (and team) have created something truly brilliant.

345 Harrison . Ori would snuggle in there nicely.
Always willing to try something new, I am considering making my way on down to West Elm and ordering one up to be delivered, right under the gun, to 345 Harrison Ave. a place I am considering for my next home.