Saturday, October 10, 2009

Love Affair with Anthro



We're off to the lake for the weekend....closing up the place for the long cold winter. Thought that I would leave you with this post about my favorite store...Anthropologie....
As many of you know I have an ongoing love affair with with this fabulous place.....I live on the same road as this favorite store of mine and drive by it at least twice a day....on my way back and forth to work...



Anthro is famous for its spectacular and creative displays....Sometimes I stop just to wander through, breathe in the inspiration and clear my mind....it really does calm me after a long day at the office.....



Their displays are so ingenious....the inspiration never ends...I love these fabric medallions.....



Combining simple, everyday objects with the fabrics and details of beautiful and unique women's wear....



Look at these paper airplanes made from old maps...all flying their string routes....



...culminating in this chandelier of paper planes...



A trio of fabulous paper and beaded floral shadow boxes...



Simple tags with a big impact...



Don't you love their use of natural cotton here? Anthro displays always mix things up to create contrast...different textures...old and new....elegance with rustic elements...the surprise mix produces such interesting vignettes...love the mirrored chest of drawers next to the logs of wood....



This industrial table used for display contrasts with delicate bottles of perfume, soaps and feminine items...



Chunky glass votive holders rest among cotton balls in an old wooden trencher...



Gray flannel ruffles decorate this lampshade...



This picture was taken back in August and I'm glad I took it then...I just love the moss in the center of this piece....it has now been changed and has a brightly patterned fabric in the center....



This chandelier would be so perfect in the Adirondacks at the lake house...



Loving this canopy over the bed...



The friendly, hardworking and professional salespeople at the Anthro store near me are always so helpful...it is a well organized and maintained shop. No matter how many times I wander through...I always feel welcome and am greeted warmly. They are an upbeat and stylish group and seem to really enjoy their work environment....which adds to the ambiance of the place...





Always drawn to wire....have some old wire locker baskets of my own....Dan bought me one of these mugs for Christmas a few years ago...



A beachy boardwalk driftwood display ....spectacular...



I asked permission before I took these photographs but took them quickly on my lunch hour...For more professional and wonderful pictures of displays at Anthropologie....click here...
I especially LOVE the ones with the books...

There is also a new reality type show called "Man Shops Globe" which is about Keith Johnson, the buyer for Anthropologie and follows him all over the world as he searches out and finds the fascinating merchandise this store is known for. It is an eight part series on the Sundance Channel and I believe it started this week....have you seen it?

25 comments:

Florence said...

What a great shop to just go into and go ahhhhhhh, however I would want to buy so many things, I could get in a lot of trouble there. Enjoy you last weekend at your lake house. It will soon be time for all of us to start bundling up when we go out. Florenc

Michelle Hughes said...

I have had that love affair for quite some time.... I even remember my first purchase...ahhhh! I adore that gray ruffly lampshade!

SMiles!
Michelle

Anne Marie said...

wonder.....are they the same everywhere? because "my" anthro- doesn't look like that right now........hmmm....

Anonymous said...

oh i could cry. i would love an affair. thank you very much for the photos. i will return amny times. have only seen the catalog and that's great, but nothing like the in store. there are absolutely no anthropologie around here. guess i'm better off. my lusting would never end. but.......aren't there so many artistic people in this world. bless all of them. Bestest,Denise

Susie~From My Home To Yours said...

Well, I'll be..your post prompted me to see if there was a store locally (Orlando), and low and behold there is one here! It's located out of my '5 mile radius', but I'm sure I'll be heading that way before too long! There used to be a shop here that I would also stop by just to rejuvenate and regroup! Thanks for sharing...
Susie

Unknown said...

ohhh....I am so green right now! I so want to have an Anthroploogie store right here in downtown Syracuse. We are finally getting an Urban Outfitters..so I can pray, right? Same family of stores... for now, I'll just gaze at your beautiful pictures...

mIzZ (hONeY) bEe aka Marlene said...

tooo funny our store has a different lay out but similar groupings - I work p/t in our Anthropologie store in New Jersey...so I get to see all this eye candy up close..just worked there today and purchased a treat for myself...thanks for sharing - can't wait to tell the gal from my Anthro about your post...have a honey of a night! grace peace & blessings 2 U Marlene

debi lynn mattingly said...

I have always had a love affair with this store...one of my dear friends has been one of their buyers for a long time. Each store is different, but they maintain the same 'style'.

xo...deb

June said...

Hi Laura,
I love to stroll through Anthro too. It always calms me and is a restful place. I like to go there for a beauty fix. Most of the time, I don't but, just look.
Smiles,
June

Unknown said...

What a totally fabulous store. I would love to visit but afraid I'd bring too much home with me.
Happy Twirls

PS We're having a GIVEAWAY if you're interested French Home 7 piece Wine Set

erin's art and gardens said...

well , very interesting...i love anthro very much, and have been to several...florida, tennessee and two in chicago and all have very different displays (which i adore) and all have different "attitudes". but none as friendly as you are describing...in fact here, in nashville, they would NOT allow photos?! oh well...i do gather inspiration there always... :0)

Unknown said...

Fabulous is an understatement. Heaven is more like it. Where to look is my question? So many fun things to see and nicely displayed.

Pearl said...

How unique and that's the name of the game. Thanks for the tour.

marie said...

Love this store ~ in fact I'll be in one in about 12 hours! My daughters and I are taking a friend of our to the one in Annapolis, MD. She's never been. I can't to introduce her tot he wonders of Anthro....

Tracie~MyPetiteMaison said...

Hi Laura,
Thank you for the tour, your photos turned out lovely. Yes, I have seen the Man Shops Globe on Sundance, had to season pass it on TiVo right away after Ruth (The Beautiful Life) let me know about it. I loved the show and Aurelie's paintings. I would love one of her paintings in my bedroom, or studio, well... anywhere! I hear everything is for sale at Anthro and a lot of people don't think to ask about the displays. Very nice you can go visit on your lunch hour. I used to spend my lunch hours in an old book store and it was always a very nice respite. Enjoyed this, thanks.
~Tracie

Rostrose said...

I can understand that you fell in love with this place, dear Laura! So georgeous & amazing & inspiring! And what a good luck to live soo close to Anthro (hm, well, I am not sure if it would be luck for my purse ;-))
I wish you good days at the lake-house!
Hugs, Traude

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

I spent yesterday wandering through our Anthropology, snapping photos with my phone. You are sooo right~
Inspiring!

Trouvais said...

I don't know if I get the Sundance channel. Yikes...(youtube eventually, I suppose). Anthro love is almost like an ink blot test...pretty much could group a person's style by how much they love Anthro. Rarified, gorgeous Flea/Rough Luxe style. Thanks for the photos, Laura. Trish

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

I love that Trish! Rarified, gorgeous Flea/Rough Luxe style!

Unknown said...

Oh , yes , trouble!!!
Anthro is my favorite store too , I loved it so much my new friend is a manager there!
Apparently , each store has there own art department , Love it ,

Les Cotrions said...

Waw Laura! This shop is stunning!!! All the items are so nice and so beautifully exposed! Why we haven't it in Italy??? Of course in Lucca...it's a bit too big!!!
Have a nice Monday!
Hugs
Vale

Lisa said...

Cool visit! Thanks!
Hugs, Lisa

Thrifted Treasure said...

Oooh, I want to move into that store! So many beautiful things!

manon 21 said...

Oh Laura,tu quittes ton lac ,je pensais ne plus avoir la nostalgie de cette région,mais tu files chez Anthropologie que j'adore!!!!!

amitiés

manon

Gaia said...

I miss anthropologie stores. Unfortunately in Italy we don't have any anthro stores. I know that there's a new store in London and maybe it will be my next destination!
Great store! My wonderland!