Pierce & Ward’s Second West Elm Collab Feels So Thrifted |

“Ooh, where did you find that piece?” “West Elm.” It’s not typically how the conversation goes when it comes to those characterful, quirky pieces that look like they’ve been pried out of the corner of an antique store in some far-flung corner of the world. But it’s exactly what you can expect of Piece & Ward’s second collaboration with West Elm.

“Bigger, bolder, better” is how design duo Emily Ward and Louisa Pierce of the Los Angeles studio describe it. Following the raving success of the first installment last year, the pair is back with a new, much more extensive “heirloom-worthy” collection spanning even more categories, including furniture, lighting, textiles, tabletop, and decorative accessories.

Drawing inspiration from thrifted vintage designs and handcrafted Tramp and Folk Art styles, in particular, “The pieces aren’t designed to match perfectly, but they are designed to work together,” the duo shares. “When brought into a home, they create a layered, lived-in feeling rather than the appearance of a showroom.” And all that without actually having to get arms deep in a dusty thrift store — amazing.

Having designed the homes of celebrity clients including Emma Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Hudson, and Lily Aldridge, it’s never been easier to have a piece of Pierce & Ward’s signature style in your own home. And in terms of design, the pair has pushed this second collection even further, “because that’s where design is headed,” they say.

It’s made up of pieces you could easily work into every room of your home without it looking matchy-matchy. And that’s by design. The key is mixing materials like metals, wood, and textiles, they share: “Combining styles that don’t necessarily seem like they should go together, like traditional and mid-century. It’s really about contrast and balance across different eras and influences, like the mix of cork and Tramp in this collection.”

Standouts include the Arched Burl Armchair, Linked Wood Vase, and the Tramp Art Wall Mirror, Frame, and Trinket Tray, which are very cool. Unfortunately for UK readers, only a select number of the collection is available, but for US readers, don’t skip the furniture, including the corner cabinet that would make a seriously sexy home bar, the Novelty Burl Side Table, which will be a best-seller for sure, and a Sculptural Marble Bistro Table that the designers describe as feeling “vintage and of so many eras.” Materiality has been key to giving these newly-made pieces a sense of history, the designers share.