Cozy yet eclectic, the interiors styling at Anthropologie always amazes me with its creativity and resourcefulness. The styling combines all the elements I love about modern decorating, with vintage, rustic, handmade, colorful and other seemingly disparate items all forming appealing vignettes throughout the store.
Take a look at the bedroom above. The silvery brown of the reclaimed wood perfectly juxtaposes with the wild mix of colors on the bedspread and bench at the end of the bed. The zigzag design on the wood nicely complements the colors, but the true artistry is revealed upon closer inspection.
The colorful design on the reclaimed wood is composed of strips of fabric stretched out on the wood using nails. Simple ingenuity at its best, and a modern take on string art popular in the 70s.
The display shown above immediately caught my interest because I've been obsessed with paper flowers recently. I had been thinking of creating paper flowers to put in a vase or even to make a wreath, but never thought of putting them on a wall. And yet, why not? I stood a while in front of the paper flower display, imagining it on a wall in a children's room or even in a space used not just by children. It would definitely add a touch of whimsy to an entry, a hallway or even a family room.
Up close, it looks like something that anybody could create using materials already on hand. I would say the true genius of the styling folks over at Anthropologie is how they often use the simplest materials to create such breathtaking displays.
The ball shown above is part of the stores' 2011 Earth Day displays showcasing artwork created using corks. Click on this Anthropologie Facebook link to see more photos and read more about how the stores will help recycle the corks used in the displays so they can be used as flooring, paper pulp and other products.
What I love about Anthropologie is that their Earth-friendly style goes well beyond the month of April. I can step into an Anthropologie store anytime to find displays created using recycled or vintage materials. Most of their props such as tables, vintage locker baskets and other items are for sale, though usually at prices beyond my reach. Many of you already know, of course, that thrift stores, Ebay and Craigslist offer a treasure trove of similar items for far less; it just takes a little searching.
I'm always tempted to replicate some of the Anthro projects I see in my own home, but it's far more satisfying to take the inspiration and add my own twist to make them my own if I can. It definitely helps that my nearest Anthro store is less than 10 minutes away, with a few others within an hour's driving distance, so I am often browsing the displays and sale racks.
Do you have a favorite store you like to browse for inspiration?
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4 comments:
I so agree. Our nearest Anthro store is over an hours drive away so I only get there a few times a year, but I always find it inspiring. I've done a few posts on the displays our store has done.
Yay Minnie, you're back!!! I've been hoping to see you again, and was so, so happy to get your comment a little while ago. Hope all is well with you and your family. I missed your wonderful blog posts. :)
I so agree with you about Anthropologie, and those paper flowers and leaves are absolutely gorgeous! I'm a sucker for things like that, and have bits and pieces stuck on my wall all over the place. My scrapbooking embellishments and paper things end up on the wall more often than they end up in an album or on a page.
Linda. xox
My very favorite store... Love the displays AND the sale racks!
My SIL's mother is an artist and once went into an Anthropologie and spoke with the person (the designers were meeting at that time) who designs/implements the displays. She too is always inspired and fascinated by the materials that they use. She found out that the budget is actually very low, and it allows them to be EXTREMELY creative and resourceful.
I'd love to replicate the paper flowers on the wall... especially in Hailey's room! (the simplification will actually allow me to accomplish projects such as this... finally!) :)
Hey Minnie! So glad you're back:) I also am constantly amazed and inspired by Anthropologie, their store displays, catalogs, products everything. I love to go to the store and just browse around, even if I can't afford anything-haha.
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