Williams-Sonoma/Pottery Barn Flagships to Open

Williams-Sonoma will open side-by-side Williams-Sonoma and Pottery Barn flagships in New York on Saturday — the largest stores open to date. The two-level stores boast a three-story faade and occupy a combined 33,000 square feet of retail space at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue.

According to Bud Cope, vp of store development for the San Francisco-based retailer, the design of the new Pottery Barn flagship reveals a trend moving away from classic architecture to a more modern aesthetic. He describes the 22,000-square-foot store as having an “oversized art gallery” look. The new Williams-Sonoma store (occupying 11,000 square feet of retail space) also features more modern details, with whitewashed wood beams and maple store fixtures.

The company's future plans include the development of Elm Street, a new retail concept that Cope likens to “Old Navy for Pottery Barn.” Williams-Sonoma will begin with a web site (which will open in 2001), and follow with a catalog and, finally, a bricks-and-mortar presence.