Boutique home decor moving in downtown

Home furnishings and décor store “west elm” is moving into Reno’s downtown.

Fifty South Virginia developer Bernie Carter announced that “west elm” will be moving into the main floor of the historic U.S. Post Office, Fifty South Virginia.

Brianna Bullentini, the lead designer for the building, said that west elm is a great fit for the downtown urban-living environment.

“We’re super excited,” Bullentini said in a phone interview. “That’s exactly the type of tenant we wanted from the get go.”

A member of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. portfolio of brands, west elm’s store in Fifty South Virginia will be the first major retailer to move into downtown in many years, and the store’s first venture into northern Nevada.

The home decor shop features an eclectic mix of unique items from artisans and craftsers. Many are Fair Trade Certified handcrafted products from its 5,000-plus artisans from around the world. The retailer also contracts with local artisans to add a unique touch to each store.

Bullentini said the company is keeping its target opening date quiet. In case unexpected problems arise, they don’t want to disappoint their customers, she said. But it will open sometime later this year.