The Art of Discovery: Anthropologie Home Furnishings

As promised, today I’m going to share with you a few of the treasures I stumbled upon on a recent visit to Oakville’s Anthropologie store. The new store finds its home in a renovated and extended old bank building on Lakeshore Road in Oakville’s charming downtown core. The architects and designers involved in the design planning are in my good books. Rather than attempting to create a seamless extension off the back of the original building, they kept the gap between old and new on the second floor to create this lovely gallery opening above. I think it does a delightful job of narrating the story of the space by making it a feature rather than burying it into the proverbial woodwork.

Housed within this inspiring structure are countless inspiring pieces just waiting to be found. Just take a peek at a few of my fav finds:

A bold, painterly floral puts a modern twist on this classic bergère chair. Also love the burlap on the arm rests. It’s all about the details for this curvy little number.

I absolutely LOVE these Splattered Pull Up Chairs,  the perfectly proportioned occasional chair that could tuck quite nicely into a front entry, a nook under the stairs or in the corner of a bedroom in need of an infusion of colour and whimsy. The splattered denim upholstery, handpainted by New York artist Carol Horn, is what defines this chair’s refreshingly casual, carefree charm.

This vibrant orange linen upholstered Howell Wingback Chair is the perfect juxtaposition of a classic silhouette with a modern palette. Bold in its colour and yet simple in its textured loveliness, this is a statement piece to enliven any living room or perhaps to serve as “his and hers” chairs for the head and foot of a large dining room table.

These green antique French bistro chairs – complete with peeling layers of history in the form of perfectly chipped paint – are available as a set of four! A rare find at a reasonable price for the sense of story they will bring to the space they get to call home. They would be the perfect perch for morning coffee in the garden.

Another pair somehow makes me think of tennis matches played in long skirts in the 40’s. Perhaps it’s the shape of the chair back and the perforated metal? Onlookers might have comfortably taken in the game in simple metal chairs such as these – a lovely pair to bring a nostalgic warmth to any front porch.

Check out the recycled glass bottle chandelier! So unique.

And this one which was hand-made out of jute and melted plastic cups (among other things) by the amazing team of creative artists who work for the store! This one is display only, but here’s something very similar that you might be able to track down if this becomes a “must have” on your list!

They offer an endless selection of inspiring home + design books from which to choose. Well worth  perusing. “Paris Vs. New York” is already on my wish list.

Also offered is a lovely collection of cabinetry pulls for those looking to refresh an old dresser or side table.

Remember those antique signage letters I stumbled upon at the Christie Antique Show? These zinc letters have a similar feel and are available all year round…in every letter of the alphabet, of course.

Love this hot pink, ikat-upholstered linen sofa with the classic English roll arm style and turned wood legs. Feels like something I could have inherited from my English grandmother and then reupholstered in a contemporary fabric to suit my modern tastes.

As I’m sure you’ve discovered just from reading today’s post, Anthropologie is not just about apparel. In fact, the more time I spend in the store, the more treasures I discover for house + home. They will definitely be on my regular hit list for sourcing inspiring and unexpected home décor. And so we say: Welcome to Oakville, Anthro! We’re so delighted you’ve made yourself such a lovely and inspiring nest in our neck of the woods. We plan to visit frequently to see what surprises you’ve got in store for us.
xo
s.