Last week I was invited to a West Elm Purpose Dinner a block from the future home of West Elm Sacramento. Purpose Dinners are intimate sit-down meals hosted by West Elm stores all over the country with the simple belief that  the dining table is a vehicle for connection, discovery, and change.

The city of Sacramento has been riding a revitalization movement and our urban core is growing in so many exciting ways its hard to keep up. I’m no commercial development expert but I love seeing energy being poured into our beautiful old buildings instead of strip malls in the distant suburbs. To me the fact that we’re getting our very own West Elm means our city is stepping up its cool factor.

West Elm Sacramento will be housed in The Ice Blocks in the R Street Corridor, a mix of historic warehouse buildings and innovative new architecture with an eclectic mix of locally owned businesses and national retail shops and restaurants. It was a beautiful evening sharing ideas about ourselves and our favorite parts of the city with new friends.

All photos by the wonderful  Caroline from Milou and Olin. We were enjoying the full-force of Summer Solstice in Sacramento (say that 10x fast) and you can’t even tell that we’re all basically melting. That’s some serious talent, folks.

I love so much about West Elm as a company. Their design-forward products and thinking is the obvious way to my heart, but their commitment to community is real. For being such a large retailer they are dedicated to using their platform to develop local talent. Through in-store pop-ups, hosted events, and intimate dinners like these, they bridge the connection between small makers and larger audiences who otherwise may not find each other.

Since we were in a temporary location overlooking R Street, the West Elm team brought in a gorgeous outdoor tablescape with candles, grapevines and platters heaped with treats. Using a neutral, and organic theme, it paired so beautifully with the modern, industrial architecture of our surroundings. I love the rippled glass + brass on these hurricanes , they give that perfect summer night twinkle.

Beast and Bounty, provided the dinner and every bite was worth every carb consumed. I can not wait until they’re open across the street, I’m still thinking of that perfect pizza and I’ve heard the interior is gorgeous. Joe Boy Bakes was there with his hand-rolled Swedish fika buns, and not only were they beyond delicious, he is simply one of the sweetest humans I’ve met in a long while.

Thank you West Elm! Look for the new store opening August 1st!

All photos by Milou and Olin Photography for West Elm Sacramento