Living Spaces is known for its wide range of stylish and budget-friendly furniture, making current trends highly accessible, while West Elm cultivates a more curated, modern aesthetic with a strong emphasis on high-quality materials, craftsmanship, and sustainability. The fundamental difference lies in priority: Living Spaces focuses on affordability and variety, whereas West Elm commits to sophisticated design and ethical production at a higher price point.
Let's compare everything you need to know to decide which of these popular retailers is right for your home.
Living Spaces: The Affordable & Stylish Choice
Living Spaces stakes its claim in the furniture market by offering a huge selection of on-trend pieces at prices that appeal to a wide audience. The brand is a go-to for first-time homeowners, renters, and families who want to furnish their homes stylishly without a massive financial investment. Their model is built on convenience, with large showrooms for in-person shopping and a robust online store.
- Product mix: A vast inventory covering everything from sofas, sectionals, and bedroom sets to dining furniture, home office, and decor. They carry their own branded lines as well as collections from designers like Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent.
- Style/vibe: Broad and versatile, leaning toward contemporary, modern, and transitional styles. Their aesthetic is designed to fit a wide range of tastes, from minimalist to eclectic.
- Price point: Very budget-friendly. Sofas can start as low as $499, with full bedroom sets often available for between $1,000 and $3,000.
- Quality: The quality is generally good for the price, but it varies. Many items use engineered woods and particleboard constructions to keep costs down, which may impact long-term durability compared to pricier alternatives.
- Fit & Sizing: With such a large selection, they have furniture for every scale, including many space-saving options perfect for apartments and smaller rooms. Product dimensions are clearly listed online.
- Shopping Experience: Known for their massive showrooms where you can try out hundreds of pieces. The online experience is straightforward with helpful planning tools.
- Sales: Constant sales and promotions. It's rare not to find a major discount event, especially around holidays like President's Day and Memorial Day.
- Delivery & Assembly: Offers flexible delivery and setup services, with options for quick delivery on in-stock items.
Living Spaces is an excellent choice for shoppers who need stylish, functional furniture quickly and affordably, without being locked into one specific look.
Shop Living Spaces: livingspaces.com
West Elm: The Modern Sustainable Brand
As part of the Williams-Sonoma family, West Elm is a design-forward brand that champions a modern, sophisticated look infused with mid-century and global influences. It appeals to consumers who prioritize original design, lasting quality, and ethical sourcing. Their commitment to sustainability is a core part of their identity, attracting shoppers who want beautiful products that are also responsibly made.
- Product mix: A curated collection of furniture, lighting, textiles, and decor for every room, including a robust outdoor line. Their collaborations with independent artists and designers bring unique pieces to their catalog.
- Style/vibe: Distinctly modern and mid-century modern, often blended with bohemian or Scandinavian touches. Characterized by clean lines, natural materials like wood and marble, and artful details.
- Price point: Mid to high-range. Sofas typically start around $1,200, and bedroom sets often run $3,000 or more.
- Quality: Emphasizes high-quality materials and construction. Most sofas feature kiln-dried hardwood frames, and many wood products are made from solid, sustainably sourced woods.
- Sustainability & Ethics: A leader in the space. More than 60% of their product assortment supports at least one of their sustainability initiatives, like using FSC-certified wood, Fair Trade Certified factories, organic cotton, and GREENGUARD Gold certified products.
- Fit & Sizing: Offers a range of sizes that work well in modern homes and urban apartments, but also has larger, statement-making pieces well-suited to open-concept living.
- Shopping Experience: Boutique-like showrooms that are beautifully styled for inspiration. The online experience is seamless and features design tips and room galleries.
- Delivery & Assembly: White-glove delivery is available for most large furniture items, which includes room-of-choice placement, assembly, and packaging removal.
West Elm is the superior choice for shoppers who see furniture as a long-term investment and place a high value on unique design and sustainable production.
Shop West Elm: westelm.com
Living Spaces vs. West Elm Comparison
Price Comparison
There is a significant price gap between the two brands. Living Spaces is considerably more affordable. For example, you can often find a full-size fabric sofa for $500–$800, whereas a comparable sofa at West Elm will likely start at $1,200 and can easily exceed $3,000 for larger sectionals or premium fabrics.
This difference applies across all categories. A dining set at Living Spaces might cost $800, while a similar-sized set at West Elm can be two or three times that price. Living Spaces’ focus is on providing value, with frequent sales making their pieces even more accessible. West Elm’s prices reflect its commitment to original design, premium materials, and ethical manufacturing costs.
Style & Aesthetic
Living Spaces offers something for nearly everyone. Their aesthetic is mainstream-contemporary, with styles ranging from modern farmhouse to transitional to minimalist. Because their selection is so broad, you can find a piece to match almost any existing decor. Their items are trend-aware but generally versatile to appeal to a mass market.
West Elm’s style is much more specific and curated. It is a destination brand for lovers of mid-century modern and Scandinavian design. Their look is defined by clean lines, organic shapes, warm wood tones, and unique, artful details. While trendy, their pieces often have a timeless quality that prevents them from feeling dated quickly. If you want a specific, cohesive modern look, West Elm is the more focused choice.
Quality & Materials
Quality and material choice are major differentiators. To maintain low prices, Living Spaces often uses materials like engineered wood, particleboard with veneers, and polyester-blend fabrics. While perfectly functional and suited for everyday life, these materials may not offer the same longevity as solid wood or high-performance fabrics, especially under heavy use.
West Elm focuses on long-lasting materials. They use solid, kiln-dried woods for their furniture frames, which resist warping and cracking, and offer many items made of solid acacia, mango, or FSC-certified woods. Their upholstery selection includes durable performance fabrics, natural fibers like cotton and linen, and top-grain leather. This commitment to better materials results in furniture that is generally more durable and substantial.
Sustainability & Ethics
For the ethically and environmentally conscious shopper, there is a clear distinction. West Elm has made sustainability one of the pillars of its brand. They are a leader in using Fair Trade Certified factories, meaning they ensure fair wages and safe working conditions for their crafters. They also heavily feature FSC-certified wood (sourced from responsibly managed forests) and non-toxic, water-based finishes.
Living Spaces has made some progress in this area but does not place the same public emphasis on it as West Elm. While they may incorporate some eco-friendly materials, their primary focus remains on affordability and style, and they lack the extensive certifications and transparency that West Elm provides.
Shopping Experience
Both brands offer excellent in-person and online shopping experiences, but they are tailored to different customers. Living Spaces' large-format showrooms are designed for exploration, letting you see and test a massive volume of products in one place. Their website is built for efficient browsing of their huge catalog.
West Elm’s stores feel more like design studios, with thoughtfully arranged vignettes to provide inspiration. Their customer service often includes free design help both in-store and online. The overall experience feels more hands-on and curated, guiding you toward a complete aesthetic vision.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right brand for you depends entirely on what you prioritize for your home.
Choose Living Spaces if:
- You're on a tight budget or are furnishing your first home.
- You need new furniture quickly and want to take advantage of quick delivery.
- You enjoy having a huge variety of styles to choose from.
- You prefer to see and try out hundreds of options in a big showroom.
Choose West Elm if:
- You love a specific mid-century modern or contemporary aesthetic.
- Investing in high-quality, durable furniture is a top priority.
- Sustainability and ethical manufacturing are important to your purchasing decisions.
- You want a cohesive, designer-curated look for your space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Living Spaces or West Elm cheaper?
Living Spaces is significantly cheaper than West Elm across all product categories. It is positioned as a budget-friendly, value-oriented brand, while West Elm is a mid-to-high-end retailer. Expect to pay 50-200% more for comparable items at West Elm.
Which has better quality furniture, Living Spaces or West Elm?
West Elm generally has better quality furniture. They prioritize higher-grade materials like solid kiln-dried hardwood frames, natural fibers, and sustainably sourced woods. Living Spaces offers good quality for its price point, but its use of engineered woods and veneers means some pieces may not be as durable over the long term.
What is the style difference between Living Spaces and West Elm?
Living Spaces offers a broad, diverse range of styles that fall under the contemporary and transitional genres. West Elm has a much more curated and distinct look rooted in mid-century modern, Scandinavian, and bohemian design.
Is West Elm a sustainable brand?
Yes, West Elm is a leader in sustainability in the home furnishings industry. They are a Fair Trade USA partner, use a high percentage of FSC-certified wood in their products, offer numerous GREENGUARD Gold Certified items, and focus on using organic, non-toxic materials.
Is Living Spaces good for smaller apartments?
Yes, due to its massive selection, Living Spaces has a great variety of furniture lines that include "apartment-sized" sofas, small-scale dining tables, and other space-saving solutions, making it a good choice for smaller homes.
Do West Elm and Living Spaces offer delivery and assembly?
Yes, both brands offer comprehensive delivery services. Living Spaces provides flexible options for delivery and setup. West Elm offers white-glove delivery for most large items, which includes assembly, placement in your room of choice, and removal of packaging materials.
Can you return furniture to both stores?
Both brands accept furniture returns, but policies differ. Typically, you have around 30 days to return most items in their original condition. However, made-to-order and custom pieces are often final sale at West Elm. Always check the specific return policy for the item you plan to purchase.
Who owns West Elm?
West Elm is owned by Williams-Sonoma, Inc., which also owns other popular home brands like Pottery Barn and Rejuvenation.
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