It’s just a few weeks old so we aren’t 100 percent sure that it’s fair to judge, but from the looks of it, the new DownEast location (1170 E. 2100 South, Sugarhouse) is more invested in its new-ish, undershirt-ish apparel than it is furniture. The move is a little regrettable, since DownEasts have come to be known for bringing goods from merchants like Crate and Barrel and West Elm to Salt Lake–and all at a nice, discounted price.

Because we’re lovers of eclectic and modern design, we’ve become a little obsessed with local DownEasts over the years: In the ’90s they brought us European duds from Camper and Diesel. More recently, we’ve struck gold at the Draper and Layton locations. Granted, it takes time and dedication, but when it pays off, it pays off well: Favorites include a floor mirror with shelved framing for $100 and a Danish modern buffet for $250, which we spotted in the West Elm catalog for $500.

The new Sugarhouse location, then, is a tad disappointing. The retail space is much smaller (which is natural for its location), and though the rear of the store is relegated to home goods, the vast majority of floor space mirrors an American Apparel store minus the fashion-forward designs (cute leotards were recently spotted in an AA store) and supersoft fabric.

It’s worth mentioning, though, that basic tees are just $9.99. And if you’re in a need-an-undershirt-pinch, this DownEast will come to your rescue. The selection is anything but lacking. Still, if outfitting your home remains your sole reason to step inside a DownEast, skip over Sugarhouse and try any of the other locales.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 11th, 2007 at 4:00 am and is filed under In the Spotlight, Local Shops, Shopping. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.