Window Shopping: Golly Gee Anthropologie…
… you sure have been full of lovely eye candy lately. Don’t think we didn’t notice.
In fact, here’s a round-up of the stuff that we loved so much we just had to share. And the good news is that many Anthro ideas can be DIYed on the cheap. Take these pretty numbered canisters for instance. Couldn’t you see yourself stenciling on numbers a la these?
And if you don’t want to lift a finger, these guys are only five bucks a pop, so they won’t break the bank. We could see them holding everything from sea salt and other spices to bathroom stuff like cotton balls and q-tips. They would also look super cute anywhere from a mantel to a windowsill as decorative objects that display a meaningful number (like your anniversary, house number, etc).
We also couldn’t tear our eyes away from this amazing DIY mantel.
All you need for your own made-it-myself version are some light pine boards cut to varying lengths and stained a variety of tones for a layered and lovely look. We also think the sides would look super finished if they were stained the darkest tone for a polished effect. Of course it would be safer to do this project to create a non-working fireplace (or over an existing non-working one) where you burn candles occasionally as opposed to giant flaming logs.
And in other fireplace related news, we love the idea of grabbing some super long matches and storing them in a glass container like this next to a working fireplace.
Gotta love something decorative and functional. Of course you can tuck a piece of sandpaper in the jar to use as a striking strip, and places like Target or Walmart sell those jumbo glass containers for under $8.
Then there are these amazing nautical burlap pillows. Sigh.
You may want to stencil on your own anchor to get the look, or even cut one out of navy fabric and sew it onto a burlap pillow for a similar effect. We also love the red diagonally striped pillows, so anything from red ribbon to adding stripes with fabric paint could recreate the mouthwatering mix on a dime.
And we can’t forget this other genius use of burlap that had us lusting for about fifty yards of the stuff. How great would household art looked matted on burlap instead of a blank white mat? Love that texture.
And we can’t walk through Anthroplogie without smiling at their assortment of monogrammed mugs. They make such great personalized gifts for just $6 a pop, and you can fill them with candy or colored pencils or anything else the giftee might enjoy.
Best of all, there’s no gift wrapping necessary. We add any little “filler” like candy or hot cocoa mix, leave them right in the chic little Anthro bag with their pretty tissue paper and hand ‘em over right in the original packaging. People never fail to squeal that they love Anthropologie and it feels nice and special without having to splurge for pricey packaging or create extra waste. Every little eco act counts, right?
And of course we had to snap a photo of one of their $12 ceramic egg crates…
… since I bought something similar years ago in NYC and still use it to organize my jewelry to this day.
You know me and white ceramic things. It’s a sickness, people.
So in summary: Thanks for the memories (and the inspiration) Anthropologie. I’m sure we’ll be back soon to drool some more. What about you guys. Have you spotted any Anthro must-haves or items that have you inspired to DIY something of your own? Snagged anything else at another store that has you weak in the knees? Do tell.
Note: No Youngsters were paid or otherwise rewarded by Anthropologie for this post. We’re just loving their wares these days and wanted to share a few of our favorite things with you.
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I’m so happy to see the bronze, leafy frame on the left! On our one year anniversary my husband used that to frame his proposal “speech” printed on our wedding invitation stationary as a gift to me. Awwwww….
Your man has style! Love that frame.
xo,
s
Funny, I have the Anthro site open in another window! I’m a big fan of their monogram mugs too but never thought to give them as gifts. What an easy idea.
I’m really loving their animal inspired hardware right now, in particular the owl coat hook. Boyfriend and I love owls, so I’m thinking of getting two for our robes when we move in together (three weeks away now!).
And maybe trade in my pink glass drawer pulls for something a little more gender neutral… :)
I swear I could buy the whole store (if I had a gazillion bucks of course). We just got our first Anthropologie in the area and it’s already bad for my pocketbook. I actually asked for a gift card from there for my birthday from my husband this year. I actually posted today about Anthropologie shoes – love everything about that store! PS -Every time I see that white egg crate holder in the store I think about you guys!
We blew through Anthropologie like Hurricane Agnes this weekend! Picked up the cute Feast of Beasts dessert plates because they had a squirrel and deer, and the brass hooks with a squirrel and deer, and door knobs with (wait for it) squirrels, plus our initials in several different materials. I had to put my head between my legs a few times and they *still* separated us from a couple hundred bucks. They’re not exactly a thrift store. It’s a good thing they’re really inconvenient to visit or I’d just have my paycheck deposited directly.
Those mugs are cute, and I’d love to snag an egg crate! Sniffle, Anthropologie is another dearly missed store that don’t have available on the island ~ but it is definitely on my list of must stop at places when we visit the mainland ~ along with Ikea, Pottery Barn, etc :) You should’ve seen me when Target opened here in March, it was craziness! I mean, who doesn’t have a Target? Oahu, apparantly :) Keep up the good work! :)
I had never heard of Anthropologie until I started reading your blog. I was at our local mall the other day and saw that an Anthropolgie is coming! I’m very excited to check it out. :)
OMG! I love Anthropologie, but it usually was a guilty pleasure that I got to indulge in when we went on vacation because we don’t have one in Memphis. However, we are getting our first one soon, so I can’t wait to get inspiration from the store.
I have been loving the burlap pillow trend lately, too! I think I might have to go out and get some iron-on decals to put on some plain pillowcases :)
I love this store, more for the inspiration than anything else. A lot of the ideas are really easy to recreate, and on a much slimmer budget!
One of my best friends has a part time gig at Anthro…just so she can get a discount. It actually works out pretty well, she only works one weekend or so a month, and then spends all the money she makes on fun stuff with a big discount. Plus, as her friends, we get some pretty sweet Christmas gifts out of the deal. Yay!
i absolutely love this store and used to live merely minutes from one. now it’s a couple hours drive to the one in the bay area. ho-hum. in all honesty, it’s probably better that way.
Come and see my adorable white ceramic owl who arrived in the mail for me this morning. ebay £2.60
http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/8/8/3/8/1/5/webimg/271004792_tp.jpg
Those different color candle sticks on the fire place…how cool are those!!!
What better store is there when you can find super cute clothes AND accessories for your home!
I window shop Anthropologie when I’m looking for fresh ideas that I can use as DIY projects… have you seen the killer chest on Design Sponge inspired by Anthropologie? Link: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2009/03/diy-project-britts-anthropologie-inspired-tables.html/comment-page-1#comment-69604
Love the link to those amazing side tables! Thanks for sharing PrettyThings!
xo,
s
I have yet to visit an Anthropologie store (Pottery B arn too) but will definitely put it on my to-do list for the next few weeks. We’ve only just made it over to the local Ikea – when I say local, I mean 2.5 hours away. I’ve just posted about my inspiration finds on my blog: http://amyhogan.com/blog/renovation/
i’ve been lusting after their ‘capri’ quilt by john robshaw…sadly, i don’t think i can diy that one.
Oh! I already have a DIY idea inspired by the jars with stenciled numbers! Pictures to follow soon I am sure!
Thanks! I need to start window shopping for ideas there. I never think about going to Anthropologie, but great ideas!
The egg crates is a fabulous idea since I’ve been looking for a way to keep my necklaces and earrings from getting lost and tangled up! Thanks for sharing.
Hi! I love your post about Anthropologie, I am a HUGE fan and have been in there alot recently for some inspiration. In fact, I just blogged about them myself last week if you want to check it out!
http://ravishingredesigns.wordpress.com/
I’ve never shopped at Anthropologie before, but will definitely plan to (at least inspiration shop) now that I’ve seen your post! We finally made it to our local Ikea last weekend (“local” being 2.5 hours away) – I just finished writing all my inspiration finds at Ikea on my blog.
Good to know that I’m not the only one who walks around Anthro taking pictures! They always have such great displays and color schemes!!
Anyone remember the “Effervescent” chandalier? My heart goes pitter-patter over that one…..and I KNOW I can DIY that one some day!
Funny timing since I also had Anthro’s site open today! I get their catalog and fell in love with the numbered jars and was trying to decide where I’d use them in my home. I love checking out their clearance section – I don’t think I’ve ever paid full price for anything (except my monogrammed mug).
I got one of the monogrammed mugs last fall and just LOVE it!
One of the things I love about YHL is the fact that so many of you also have wonderful, unique blogs – I’m forever losing time in checking out each and every one! So thanks to Kimberly and Amy for sharing theirs – I’ve bookmarked both to my growing list of fave DIY & Decor blogs!
Oh how I love Anthropologie! We had one open up close by this spring, I’m a little disappointed in the size of it, seems smaller than the ones in Orlando and Charlotte, but I’m so glad it’s finally here! Love walking through for inspiration too!
One just opened here in Charlottesville. I’ve been in love with the vintage looking door knobs for a while (clear with air bubbles). But, if you change one door knob, don’t you sort of have to do the rest of the house? Maybe I could just do the bathroom…
Sherry is this where you guys got your “S” and “J” mugs? SO cute!
Hey Heather,
Yup, it’s where we grabbed our S & J mugs (seen everywhere from our glass fronted cabinet in the kitchen to our mirrored shelf in the bathroom). They’re great for housing everything from hot chocolate and pens on a desk to q-tips and cotton balls in the bathroom. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Anthro loves to eat up my paycheck whenever it can! I love the idea of burlap in the frame… have to use that one soon.
Oh, guys. I am one of the reasons Anthropologie is still in business. HAHA. I usually just buy apparel there (lots and lots of dresses and girlie ruffley things). Anyway, I love the Voluspa candles (especially in baltic amber). I put them in clear glass dishes or hurricanes on a bed of sand.
This weekend I purchased another home item from Anthropologie! The Paperie Petting Zoo Love Bird in pink. There is also a crane available in WHITE, Sherry.
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=970004&navAction=jump&isProduct=true&search=true&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS
Ooh I love that punchy hot pink bird! And predictably, I’m feeling a magnetic pull towards the white crane!
xo,
s
I have only been to Anthropologie once — when I was visiting Boston. They don’t have stores in Montreal yet, though we have two Urban Outfitters locations. I loved walking around that store, and I’ve been getting tons of inspiration from their web site ever since. Thank you for the pictures, they’re a good reminder to see what they have to offer for the fall!
I heart Anthropologie! I rarely, if ever, buy anything there but visit regularly for inspiration. Am still planning to try and make the magazine reed coasters on my own….using junk mail maybe?
I love Anthro’s clothes, especially their dresses. So expensive though!
I like your idea of the mugs with candy or some other filler for gifts. I want to try to be more crafty when it comes to Christmas gifts this year but don’t have many ideas yet!
I love the fabric you used for the lampshade! I’m a huge fan of geometric patterns and have been in search of something similar so that I can make my own placemats. That said, can you recommend a fabric store in the DC area that sells similar items? I’ve found that most of the chain stores around here (G Street Fabrics, JoAnn Fabrics, etc) don’t usually have a great selection of these modern-looking fabrics. Thanks in advance!
Hey Kate,
We don’t know of any high-end fabric stores in the DC area off the top of our heads, but you might want to check apartmenttherapy.com (they have a DC-specific blog) or even google independent fabric stores in DC (skip over any chains like JoAnn and check out the expensive-ish boutiques (where there are always deals to be had, hence our $8 lamp shade fabric!).
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Oh blah, I commented on the wrong post. I meant to say I liked the yellow fabric you used on the lampshade for the nursery. :)
I bought those mugs for my two roommates and myself a little over a year ago when we moved into our then-house together. Our little kitchen didn’t have a whole lot, but those three sitting on a shelf over the sink gave the room a jumping-off point; we got more comments on those than almost anything else in the house. LOVE them, definitely worth a purchase.
Any suggestions for cheaper versions of AMAZING and OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE curtains such as these killer Anthro ones?
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=880068&parentid=HOME-CURTAINS&pushId=HOME-CURTAINS&popId=HOME&sortProperties=&navCount=10&navAction=top&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=och&colorName=OCHRE&isSubcategory=true
Hands down my fave shop ever–yet I almost NEVER buy! Too rich for my blood!!
I’m loving this post yet I was waiting to read that one of the sales people came up to you asking you to kindly refrain from snapping pics of their designs and merch. I thought that they weren’t down with that. But good for you!
Those monogram mugs w/ candy are my go- to gifts! They are always a hit.
i have a slight (okay…serious, crazy and insane) obsession with anthro. my goodness. i love it. and i have been eyeing those monogrammed mugs for sometime now!
thanks for the inspiration. you spoke straight to my anthropologie-obsessed heart.
I have to get to that store. I have not been there in years and I keep seeing all these great blogs about them.
Paula Grace ~
http://www.paulagracedesigns.blogspot.com
I love Anthro- while I cannot afford a lot of things there, we do pick up odds and ends. I have the monogram mugs hanging from our Ikea rail with hooks in the kitchen. Also love their bedding and candles (especially Volcano mmm).
Great eye candy. I love this store…and those canisters are too cute! Yes, I see a stencil project coming on :)
Chelsea
Robyn,
The pattern is what makes those curtains – I bet you could make your own with a similar fabric at a much lower cost.
Robyn-
That fabric reminds me a lot of an Anna Maria Horner fabric. http://www.annamariahorner.com/productfabric.html
I’d search around for something similar! http://www.purlsoho.com is one of my favorite online (and in person) fabric stores.
Well, I LOVE me some Anthropologie, and they just built a new location MINUTES from our home! But I’m not allowed to go in… I get myself into too much trouble when I’m there!
I love Anthro also…We have 2 stores in the area and it is so much fun just to browse around for ideas, I also love their catalog…super filled with inspiration.
I love the white canisters. Any advice on where to get fun letters to print out?
Hey Jess,
We would try any local craft store like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby to hopefully turn up some awesome rub on stencils you can use. You can also just google “alphabet letters” or find fonts in Microsoft Word that you can print out and modge podge into place. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
I love the monogrammed mugs. I gave one as a gift to my husband and it’s now his favorite mug – he uses it all the time.
I picked up the artichoke votive yesterday (white! ceramic! adorable!) but it appears to be tough to find.
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=873560&navAction=jump&navCount=258
I also got these cute coasters:
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=973102&navAction=jump&isProduct=true&search=true&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS
I also love to pick up their cute bowls for my cat! His food sits in a prominent spot, so he has to show some style.
Anthro is amazing! I don’t go in often as I usually have my kids with me and personally consider it off limits for my energetic wee ones. But I LOVE Their kids stuff. They have darling books, toys and even occasionally clothes. About a year ago we got my daughter a little pink elephant stuffy, which became just another appendage she carried it around so much. Just a couple months ago it disappeared! I knew it was somewhere in the house by the last time I’d seen it but I looked everywhere and could not find it. So you can imagine my joy and relief when we made a quick stop by Anthro and they still had them!
I’ve also given those initial mugs as gifts before, though we have yet to buy some for ourselves. :) And I get tons of inspiration every time I walk in there. This post is definitely making me want to go now, get some fall decorating inspiration maybe. :)