Monday, May 12, 2008

Look For Less: Canopy Living




















Hope everyone had a great weekend, and of course, that all the Moms had a great Mother's Day. Speaking of being a mom, on Friday I got a catalog in the mail for Canopy - the new home furnishings line from Wal-Mart. It was not immediately apparent that Wal-Mart was the producer/vendor so I was initially drawn in by the lifestyle shots and copy that suggested a better life awaited with Canopy. What mom wouldn't fall for alluring words like: "Pets on the sofa, toys in the living room floor and dinner guests arriving any minute - we understand how life works...Relax, it's Canopy." Well, I sure did.

Anyway, the whole look and feel of the catalog suggests that Canopy is Pottery Barn/Crate and Barrel's budget-conscious cousin. While I wasn't crazy about the look of the upholstered furniture pieces (finishing touches like the piping looked a little wonky), I was pleasantly surprised by the wooden furniture items which looked substantial and appeared to be of a nice quality. Prices range from about $130 for an end table to $700 for a king-size sleigh bed. Although my tastes run more modern, I can see Canopy's offerings working well in most homes. Because it's all about the mix, isn't it?

Has anyone seen this new line in person? If you have, what do you think? Is Wal-Mart onto something with a branded lifestyle collection or should it go back to the drawing board? In addition to furniture and upholstery, the Canopy collection also includes bedding, bath and tabletop. You can see more of the Canopy line here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

This catalog came to me like two days ago too and hubby was drawn in because we have a sad sofa that is losing the battle with our two year old...so yeah, I'd say Wal-mart's onto something though I'd like to take our gal to a store-room and test how stain resistant and sturdy that stuff really is.

On a completely unrelated topic, the catalog has a kind of weird vibe going on with it.
Said hubby of the inside cover photo of the dad eating breakfast with his daughter on the kitchen counter...who hugs their daughter like that. But it could just be our twisted little minds and the fact that the heads are cropped out of the photo.

Pretty*Practical said...

Yes, Claire please let me know how your wear-testing works out. As for the weird vibe. I think it's because it's Canopy's first effort and they haven't found their 'voice' as yet hence the cheese or as you suggest sleaze factor.

Simone, I totally agree that the name 'Canopy' evokes outdoor furniture and the sage color does nothing to offset this idea. Perhaps a punchier colorway - a cool, crisp blue or a fresher looking green.