Anthropologie Dishes and hutch
I love going into Anthropologie. Why? I just like the feel of it. Every item in the store isn’t exactly my style, but that is OK. Somehow when I walk in, I am content and happy! I am inspired to walk slowly, ponder and stay awhile (OK, they have to throw me out at closing time) — I want to take in all the details.
Isn’t that what we all want for our homes? Don’t we want to walk in, feel embraced and at peace and not want to leave? Don’t we want to savor every detail of life at home?
I promised last week that I was going to share some more ideas from my visit to Anthropologie. Since we recently reviewed some tips for finding our own decorating style, today we can find some inspiration for that from Anthropologie.
I decided to take some time to analyze why I love Anthropologie so — to see what inspiration I can take away from Anthropologie stores (because that is just the kind of thing I quietly ponder on a lazy Sunday afternoon, while the rest of the world is napping or planting a garden or whatever. Don’t judge.).
So go ahead and grab your cup of coffee, let’s see what I came up with...
4 Decorating Lessons from Anthropologie
1. Create ambience.
If you’ve been a reader at The Inspired Room for awhile, you know I love LOVE a home with ambience. I feature them, I talk about them, I dream about them. I am not bound by one particular decorating style, but I do love a room that oozes ambience. Most people are affected by the ambience of a room, even if they don’t know why a room makes them happy, draws them in or actually might make them feel uncomfortable.
Anthropologie does a great job at grabbing your senses to create ambience on many levels. From their eye catching displays in old weathered cabinets, textiles that make you want to reach out and touch them, pebbled and distressed wood floors, to delicious smelling (and lit!) candles filling the air, Anthropologie has the ambience thing down well. It feels like a personal and creative home you could really enjoy spending time in.
The more senses we can engage in our home, especially in ways that are personal to us (our own favorite scents, textures, colors, patterns, emotional & spiritual connections, etc.), the more we are going to love the feel of our home.
2. Be fearless.
Break out of the expected decorating box! Instead of being worried about what is right, proper, popular and acceptable in the world of decorating, Anthropologie pushes the envelope on creativity. They ignore all the rules. Animal heads on the wall? Check. Rubber hoses draped on a display? Ok.
Cardboard murals? Why not? Recycled plastic bottle garland strung across the ceilling? Check. Fabric bunched up haphazardly to make a table covering? Check. Giant dinosaur topiary? Fun! Wood crates or pallets for wall hangings or towels? Love that.
Now, bear with the illustration here. I know Anthropologie is a store and what might work in a store might look kind of silly in a home. Or maybe the things they do just aren’t your style. But so what if “you wouldn’t do those things at your home”? What COULD you do? That is the question.
Stretch your mind to look at objects in new ways. Maybe take a tour around a hardware store or your own garage and see what might be able to be re-purposed for decorating. Who says you have to hang a towel on a towel rod? Or that paintings need to be hung from nails? Or that art has to be purchased in an art gallery?
3. Express your personality
{and what does that really mean anyway}
Most people seem to know that our homes should express our personality. That idea has been around for a long time now. In fact, I sometimes I feel like it is an overused concept so I hesitate to use the phrase too much. Yet it something we still can struggle with, even when we know it is something important!
So let’s think about what ‘express your personality’ means, really, and how do we do it?
If we aspire to make our home look exactly like a store catalog we love, does that mean we have ‘expressed our personality’ because we happen to love Ballard Designs catalogs? I mean, I do love to look at Ballard Designs (don’t get me wrong) but do I really want people to come in and say, “wow your home looks just like a {insert store name} catalog!”? Hmmmm. That would disturb me a bit. Just sayin’. But maybe that is just me.
To make our home a true reflection of who we really are, we should be striving to have a unique collection of things that other people couldn’t possibly have because we found them in a thousand different places and moments in time.
I love a home that is filled with things that are basically snapshots of a person’s life. By looking at their accessories you see a part of who they are, their things tell a story! I get that feeling at Anthropologie, like someone has traveled the world and collected a variety of things they found interesting, humorous, or meaningful. The modern, the quirky, the reinvented, the antique and the memorable — all happily coexisting in one personality-filled room.
Life is not lived in a day. You could buy everything in the Ballard Designs catalog in one day, if you wanted to. Instant Decor. And none of it would say much about who YOU are. Enough said. Disclaimer: Nothing personal against Ballard Designs lovers or Ballard Designs catalogs. I love many things in the BD catalog and find it quite inspiring as a resource. It is just an illustration.
If you really struggle with expressing your own personality in your decor, it might mean you are not fully embracing your own uniqueness. What makes you YOU? I can’t truly have a unique style if I don’t really know who I am and what I have loved about life. Our personality at home will flow out of our life experiences. You can’t really copy that.
What ways could you break out of the cookie cutter, predictable and expected decor? Find unique ways to express your life through your accessories. It is OK to have some good basic or classic pieces, but what unique things can you add to make a personal statement?
4. Details Matter.
Anthopologie celebrates details. Their clothes have ruffles and their towels have pom poms. Their lampshades have patterns and their dishes have fun designs and pretty colors. Items have unique buttons and unexpected trim.
If your home is lacking some special little details, it is likely your home will be a little bit boring. Not to say you have to have ruffles or wood buttons on everything, but put some thought into some unique things that will set your style apart from your neighbors and show that you really care about your home. Details take time and a little creativity, but they are worth the effort.
What is your style? Whether you like things that are feminine or rustic or modern or antique, you can find your own trademark details to show off your unique style.
So there you have it. My four take-away decorating lessons from Anthropologie!
all photos taken by me at Anthropologie in Seattle
THANK you for your reflections:) I just lit a candle lol and LOVE it, even if it IS during the day. The smell is wonderful and just ME. I agree, if you don’t know who you are, your home doesn’t “know” who/what it likes. I love the shabby chic style, but with many of MY creations, MY ideas, MY colors it is just MY home
Hugs…
.-= Marian´s last blog ..WONDERFUL news: Three months from now…. =-.
This post addresses exactly what I am working through in my Living Room. I think it is a process but I am enjoying it. Not everything that I thought would work or that I would like have stayed…but because I am being intentional about it I did something this week that I absolutely adore! I would not have done this before. Living and learning!
Thanks for your inspiration!
Becky K.
.-= Becky K.´s last blog ..Chess – A Lesson for Life! =-.
I thought this was an absolutely wonderful post! Thank you. I have recently been copying ideas out of the Pottery Barn catalog because I just like the “feel” of the room I see. I think it is the calmness of more neutral colors. Of course, I have to work this in with what I already have and not spend boatloads of money on new items. This tied in to your post for me about the ambience. I have three little kids, so maybe it really is just that calmness that is speaking to me!
Twitter: AnnieDavie
says:
mate this is a great post, I really like those four rules – def all winners IMO! thanks for that
.-= Annie@A View On Design´s last blog ..A striking Architectual home in Adelaide =-.
Very thoughtful ideas. So sad I don’t have an Anthropologie store near by. I guess the catalogue will have to do for now.
Thanks of the great tips and lessons! Loved #1 create ambiance… so important!
.-= Stephaine @ Geezees´s last blog ..Engagement photo with story,Canvas Unwrapped, Bloggy Bootcamp =-.
Thanks for such a great post! It helped me to realized my home is welcoming and relaxing, because it does reflect my personality. The only thing is it may be a bit boring…but hey, that again is who I am. LOL! I will look at my decor again with new eyes.
You are SPOT ON with this! Love Anthropologie, but I also love the amalgamation of putting a home together over time.
You always give the bestest advice!
.-= Gina @ The Shabby Chic Cottage´s last blog ..transferring tea towels =-.
Lots of great things to think about!! Thanks Melissa!!
.-= TidyMom´s last blog ..I Heart Faces – Jump for Joy! =-.
I do love Anthropologie but you are so right, whether you love it or not you can take ideas from it. As for many stores, mostly boutique ones. I feel like I have created a home that is personal, organized(on the outside, don’t check my closets), and detailed with touches of me and my whole family. I love that in our living room we can have a chinese painting, a large Dr. Seuss print, and some of my childrens paintings too. The colors all work together and it says ME. Or this is who we are as a family. Thanks for sharing, your thoughts.
.-= Annelise Wilcox´s last blog ..Weekly Want From Walmart =-.
Wow! I guess it wouldn’t be the best idea for me to list everything in your photos that I loved, so I’ll just say Anthropologie rawks! I love everything and I have to have a pot with buttons….oh yes I do!
What a wonderful post, and I find myself getting rid of things that don’t reflect our personality. Pretty things are just things that add clutter sometimes. With our space issues we have to love something to keep it around too long!
Have a wonderful week!
~Kim
.-= Kim @ Everything Etsy´s last blog ..Embroidery Tutorial — Stitchin’ Retro Review and Giveaway =-.
I love everything you have featured here this morning! Such inspiration to start out the week!
.-= Tonya Riggs´s last blog ..Friday Fill-Ins {March 5} =-.
I love Anthropologie! I agree that not everything in there is my taste, but somehow it all makes me happy when I am in there. And I am always checking the tags on all the awwwwwwweeeeesome huge antique furniture pieces they use for display…and they are always for sale for, like, $10,000. But they are gorgeous.
I’m a very detail oriented person…so No. 4 … details, details, details!
.-= Katie´s last blog ..It All Starts With One Tiny Little Crack In The Wall… =-.
Great lessons and I agree, Anthro has this down to an art! I love homes that tell a story about their owners!
Kat
.-= Kat´s last blog ..Room With a View =-.
What a wonderful and well written post! It really made me think about my own home and what I’m trying to create for myself, family and friends who come thru our door ~
Sarah
I love to go to my favorite stores for inspiration. I stalk Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma, and I always leave with new ideas!
.-= Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last blog ..Beware of big dogs with grassy breath. =-.
Great thought to ponder this Monday morning. Thanks for sharing!
great post!
there is a show on the sundance channel called “man shops globe”….it follows the head (i think) buyer for anthropologie around the world as he looks for inspiration, ideas and actual products for the stores. it’s a fun show and an interesting look into the process of creating the anthropologie look.
Okay, I’m going to think about it…perhaps I’ll have to journal about it to get it right. Sometimes people feel at home here. Often, people ridicule what I do in my home. Should that be? It always makes me wonder if I leave it because I like it or if I should remove the offending item. Oh well! As always, there’s lots to ponder here.
.-= Vee´s last blog ..Some Good Reading for You =-.
I love wandering through Anthropologie too, after reading your entry today I realize why it’s such a treat to do this! I can always feel the ‘creative vibes’ that flow so freely in that store, it is always very inspiring! Thanks for helping me realize how to create some of that kind of ambience at home!
Great post! As we have so many crazy things going on in our home right now (remodeling…enough said), it is the posts like this one that give me reassurance to what I am doing. Thanks for the bit of creative inspriation!
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..Designing my Kitchen =-.
They do such a great job with their displays!
Thanks for the post!!
Jeanne:)
What a wonderful post. The timing was truly perfect for me in reading this. We are itching to have our house feel more like home but don’t want to rush it. Thanks for the timely reminder that that is OK!!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Progress, one little branch at a time =-.
i love to find inspiration in magazines, but we don’t have one of those stores around here. looks incredible though.
.-= melissa stover´s last blog ..It might get messy =-.
Lovely. Everything in there makes me happy. We all have different styles and that is what makes the world go round. I look online and see peoples homes that have an all white flair and I love the look but it isn’t ME. I love rich colors and that is what my home is. We can enjoy different designs but our home has to be US and the way we live. Great post.
.-= Melanie´s last blog ..Prairie Dust made me bite the dust! =-.
One of my favorite posts….I too love Anthropologie! Your step by step thoughts and tips were perfect. Every since I can remember my design for my home has been a little like anthropologie, people over the years have questioned what I was doing design wise…but in the end it works perfect for my home and the way we live….I like using the usual if I can.
.-= teresa´s last blog ..Pictures from Mason- =-.
I really love Anthrop0logie too and I’m truly impressed with your analysis of why it’s so special and what we can take away it. In particular, I think you’re right on with the “ambiance” and the “details.” Those are just the things I really need to think about in my own home.
.-= Lesley @ The Design File´s last blog ..Beautiful, modern nursery in an urban condo =-.
Love this post Melissa! I am amazed at the creativity and details of Anthropologie displays! And I agree – your home should reflect YOU and not a catalog!
Lovely tips! Particularly loved anthropologie’s buttoned up pot! Different!:)
Melissa, this was an incredible post ! How right you are that Anthro, despite its extreme eclectic styling, does inspire us to decorate outside the catalog box ! ‘Break out of the cookie cutter’ right on !!! Well written, well said. I’ve bookmarked. Love this so much !
Wow, wonderfully written and what great detail. We are truely born to be inspired and to create. These wonderful stores and magazine are great ways to get inspiration, but we should always throw our own style in to the mix.
Sometimes I think the problem with finding our style is that we see so many wonderful blogs and houses, we can’t decide what specifically we like? When we get tired of looking at our own style, we tend to fall for something else, even if it is not really our style.
What a perfectly put piece, about being able to extract out of stores, magazines or whatever we like and using just pieces of things in our own way.
Have a blessed week.
I love this post! Great insights and I felt exactly the way you describe when I was in the LA store at the first of this month. My daughter and I browsed and thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance there. I took a photo of her in the store and I can’t wait to print it out and frame it, just love all the texture and color of it. I don’t know if I can share photos here but if so you can see it here: http://mamaspocketbook.com/picts/Lauren_LA_Anthropologie.jpg
Thanks for a great article. I always enjoy your blog!!
I love what you’ve said recently about letting your style and decor develop as you live life – not only does this teach patience, but it’s good for my budget! Oh, and it’s a good way to slowly see what I really like. For instance, I just added the (almost) finishing touch to my newly painted kitchen by adding valances I made from a bedskirt I found at a thrift store! Nobody else will have those.
Thanks for all the advice. I love the ambiance of Anthro as well even through I have to wait for any item I buy there to go on sale. Your tips are so helpful
.-= michelle @ blissful musings´s last blog ..Blood, Germs, Beyonce, Toddlers and Tacos. =-.
I love Anthro. You are right, it’s not every item they sell but the ambience. My style is french farmhouse meets romantic country I think. The hardest but the best thing to do is let your home evolve. It should say “you” when someone walks in. I am always disappointed when a home doesn’t say anything about who lives there.
Blessings,
Shelley
Thanks for this post and the tour of Anthro. I have yet to visit an Anthro store but the subject of your post has been on my mind a lot lately. I admire many things in others’ homes but I have recently been working on being sure our home is unique to us. I will reread this post again, I’m sure.
.-= Elizabeth @ blue clear sky´s last blog ..Pretty plates =-.
I love these great reminders! For me my home style has been something that’s evolved over a long time-it’s been a process for sure. But because I’ve been patient I’m loving my home more than ever, I’m adding things I love and things that make me happy. That makes home feel more like home to me!
.-= Gina´s last blog ..Doing Hard Things =-.
This is great – details do matter and it is what stands out at Anthropologie whether you are a fan of their style or not! Personally, I love it for little things around the home. I just picked up the most fashionable little butter dish
Marija
.-= Marija´s last blog ..Mon. Morning Distraction #4 =-.
my daughters and i have had a long love
affair with anthropologie, and you have
expressed so eloquently what we love.
that store gave me permission to be a
bit excessive in some areas that i was
afraid to express.
it’s funny that i stumbled upon your
blog, because we are in the midst of
working out details to entice them to
our small shopping center.
thank you,
lea
Melissa, Great post!! Well said and I totally agree with everything you said. I think it is much more important to decorate one’s home with your own likes not everyone else’s or even what the current trend might be. You have made your readers aware of looking outside the box and to look at all things as inspiration. Great Post!!BRAVO, Kathysue
.-= kathysue´s last blog ..Laundry Rooms =-.
Melissa – this is one of my favorite posts ever…by anyone. It’s at least in my top 5. A) I Luh-huv-huv Anthropologie (I’ve said for years I could actually LIVE in one of those stores), and B) YES, our homes should be a reflection of us…not our favorite store, or magazine, or blog, or whatever. A+++ darlin’ (not that I’m grading you or anyting…you know what I mean
).
.-= AnNicole@OurSuburbanCottage´s last blog ..Paint Colors in My Home =-.
Good thoughts! I never really pondered this before. I just knew I LOVE Anthropologie!
.-= Kacey´s last blog ..Progress! =-.
this post is fabulously inspiring! anthropologie coming our way soon and I am so excited! thanks for giving me a reminder of what an actual store looks like
.-= candace´s last blog ..30 before 30 =-.
I love your 4 steps and I say “yes” to them!
I really think the key is to find something to inspire you – perhaps a color or a style and then go with it.
I have rarely had new furniture- we have a lot of hand me downs and inexpensive finds, but we pull it all together through color – neutrals on the furniture with color accents and then I just use things I have.
Sorry for the long comment – I really do love making my home a warm and welcoming for my family first and then for others!
.-= Mrs.Rabe´s last blog ..Happy Birthday Sweet 16! =-.
Great post, Melissa!
.-= Living With Lindsay´s last blog ..My Nursery Inspiration =-.
These are such great tips, and of course I loved the eye candy.
I’m with you, btw. If someone walked into my home and said “It looks just like ______________ (store) I would be a bit unhappy.
.-= Tricia´s last blog ..I’ve been Framed, er, Featured =-.
Twitter: BloomBainbridge
says:
Oh Melissa!
What a fab post!
Much better than any magazine on the stand!
Oh if I had only studied in college like I was studying all of these pictures from Anthropologie!!! ;o) And don’t think I’m kidding! ;o)
Yes…ambiance (i hope I spelled that right!) gotta have it!
I just adore it when friends come over and just SINK into the ambiance of my home! Oh how I am needing a new candle right now. I haven’t been able to find the orange/vanilla candles that were my trademark scent back in the south.
And I love that you addressed a home having personality…telling a story. Made me think of the driftwood that we gathered at the beach on Sunday. I now have bunches of it in an old french basket in my living space…and everytime Doogan passes it he smells it and I know it reminds him of our fun day on the BEACH!!!!
Oh…and all of the SHELLS I have picked up on beaches all over the world are scattered throughout the house…always reminding me of those special moments in time. xxooxx
Great post Melissa! You are so gifted with your words and attention to details.
xxooxx
loved your little run thru! & I love Anthro…it was fun to read this & examine why I “enjoy” shopping there myself & as a shop proprietess what I can do to make my customers have an likewise experience
thanks!
These have been really great posts on “finding your style” and now today’s. Thanks so much for the time you put into these really helpful posts!
A great store! Too bad we don’t have them in Canada!
I have been when visiting Scottsdale..true inspiration today!
Thank you!