• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header left navigation
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • about
    • services
    • team
  • portfolio
  • press
Annie Elliott Design, Washington DC

Annie Elliott Design

Greater Washington DC

  • book
  • blog
  • contact

Let’s check in with Anthropologie, shall we?

Annie Elliott | August 31, 2014

@AskVirginia just resurrected L.G. Tumbletown’s absolutely hilarious article about Anthropologie furniture and its maddening tendency toward absurdity.

Even though Anthro no longer makes many of those particular pieces, you can’t argue with the concept.

Unlike my attitude toward Restoration Hardware, however (remember when I wrote them a letter with some constructive criticism?), I view Anthropologie with a mixture of amusement and fondness. Sure, some Anthropologie furniture is, well, a bit silly:

Anthropologie furniture Boline Chair
Anthropologie furniture: Boline Chair
Anthropologie furniture Finn rocking chair
Anthropologie furniture: Finn Chair

but a) it’s less silly than it used to be, and b) there are several items that I REALLY like right now.

I may even love the Rhys chair and ottoman. It’s just mid-century enough, I love the green leather, and the details are great:

Anthropologie furniture: Rhys Chair and Ottoman
Anthropologie furniture: Rhys Chair and Ottoman
Back of Antrhopologie's Rhys Chair
Back of Rhys Chair
Screen Shot 2014-08-30 at 11.36.01 AM
Detail, Anthropologie’s Rhys Chair

I also think the wooden bar cart is pretty spiffy. Check out the leather-wrapped handle (and remember that a bar cart is something every man should have in his home):

Anthropologie furniture: Wooden Bar Cart
Anthropologie’s Wooden Bar Cart
Anthropologie furniture: Wooden Bar Cart
Anthropologie’s Wooden Bar Cart

And the Willoughby Sofa could be perfect in a slouchy, femme-y living room…

 Anthropologie furniture: Willoughby sofa Anthropologie furniture: Willoughby sofa
Anthropologie’s Willoughby sofa

…although not when there are blow-dried Papillon triplets guarding it.

Anthropologie furniture: Willoughby Sofa
Anthropologie’s Willoughby sofa with potentially rabid Papillons

So there you have it. It’s possible to mock the past AND love the present. Which is probably a good thing for all of us to keep in mind :)  .

Bossy color is a full-service interior design firm based in Washington, D.C. We design outrageously beautiful homes for fascinating people.

Category: Furniture + upholsteryTag: Anthropologie furniture, Boline Chair, Finn Chair, Papillon dog, Restoration Hardware, Rhys Chair, Rhys Ottoman, Willoughby Sofa, Wooden Bar Cart

Sidebar

Subscribe

 

Bossy Color Blog

Categories

  • Art + accessories »
  • Bedroom »
  • Color + paint color »
  • Dining room »
  • Furniture + upholstery »
  • Kids »
  • Kitchen + bath »
  • Lighting »
  • Living Room + Family Room »
  • Renovation »
  • Rugs »
  • Wallpaper »
  • Window treatments »

View Portfolio

view Bossy Color's portfolio

Instagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Nov 4

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18117490325589401
This Wallpaper Wednesday we feature Nanjing by @schumacher1889!This  pattern is a modern take on classic chinoiserie motifs: trees, pagodas and fretwork fences. It is named after Nanjing, Jiangsu, East China, one of the four great ancient capitals of China. You may recognize the pattern on your Blue Willow dishes, too :) I used this wallpaper in a client’s Powder Room, and it bring so much energy and brightness to the space. I love the green colorway, too 😊📸 @angieseckinger @schumacher_midatlantic

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Nov 2

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18092508983228146
Where do those gorgeous but multitudinous pillows go at night? See some ideas in my latest blog post… 😌#interiordesign #pillowinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 28

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18167021635426020
My home is my lab :) As evidenced by my constant tinkering. Today: replacing my own DR chandelier.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 23

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18138180424725389
One could argue that each element in this New York living room is dramatic, from the mirrored (wallpaper) ceilings to the purple sofa. If we had put an antique rug in this room — which, let’s be honest, is often my first thought — the effect could have been dowdy. It would have been cozy, it would have been consistent with the moody vibe, and it still would have been kind of interesting given the other things in the room.But the contemporary rug, Danika by @starkcarpet, makes the room SING. The huge geometric scale is a beautiful contrast to the smaller patterns on the chair and the Roman shade. The light background brightens the room while making the darker colors more intense. And the black…well, black always adds drama.It’s hard to explain, but you see it, right?@schumacher_midatlantic @timorous_beasties @starkcarpet_dc#schustagram

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 21

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17995465526842775
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! This week, we dive into Martinique by CW Stockwell.This small, family-run print facility in Los Angeles was founded in 1905. Clifton Stockwell’s daughter and son-in-law traveled to the Bahamas in 1942 and were so enchanted by the foliage that they collaborated with illustrator and textile designer Albert Stockdale to create a wallpaper pattern. The result was Martinique — also known as “The Original Banana Leaf Print.” (Martinique is not to be confused with Brazilliance by Dorothy Draper 😉 .)Martinique famously adorns the Beverly Hills Hotel’s halls, stairwells, and Fountain Coffee Room.CW Stockwell now sells the Martinique pattern in seven colorways as wallpaper, grasscloth, and linen fabric.@cwstockwell @scalamandre#interiordesign #wallpaperinspo

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 19

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17884583844691170
I love this cocoon of a bedroom :) And what makes it REALLY interesting? The red lamps. There’s no other red in the room. Oranges, yes, so the red has something to relate to, but the exact shade appears nowhere else.It’s these unexpected elements that can take a room from beautiful to fabulous.Hats off to: @visualcomfort @cowtanandtout @cowtanwashingtondc#dcdesigner #interiordesign

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 16

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 17947598421345387
I stand by my decision to drywall the window 🤭. See how we created a dark and cozy boudoir in a spacious sunny condo in DC…#interiordesign #dcdesigner

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 14

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18133519813736018
Your bed is the biggest piece of visual real estate in your bedroom. It needs pillows! Check out my latest blog post for ideas about arranging pillows on your bed 🛏️.

annieelliottdesign

View Instagram post by annieelliottdesign

Oct 7

Open post by annieelliottdesign with ID 18635567182053307
Happy Wallpaper Wednesday! Today we’re talking about one of my favorite things in the whole world: grasscloth. (Which technically makes today *Wallcovering* Wednesday, but tomayto tomahto.) Most grasscloth is made of actual grasses that have been washed, dried, bleached or dyed, and glued to paper. Wallcovering made of sisal, seagrass, raffia, or hemp also is placed under the heading “grasscloth.” Talk about timeless style: while grasscloth had a popularity surge in the 1960s and 70s (thanks to a cultural obsession with living in nature), its first known use was in 107 AD, in China ;) Grasscloth has long been appreciated for its insulative properties and durability. From a decorating perspective, I love it because it adds warmth, texture, and dimension to any space. Picture a room painted white, and then imagine that room with an off-white grasscloth on the walls (and, if you’re me, the ceiling). The second room is still light and bright, but it’s cozier and more interesting.Grasscloth can be minimalist in neutral earth tones or maximalist, dyed bold colors, colorfully painted, or appliquéd with spangles, embroidery, or tape trim. It shows its seams when installed, but that’s part of the charm. I love grasscloth in hallways, living spaces, and bedrooms, but I avoid using it in kitchens and steamy bathrooms because I’m nervous about odor retention and excessive moisture.Enough school for the day, but if you remember nothing else: grasscloth enriches every room it graces. Highly recommend.📸 Michael K. Wilkinson@schumacher_midatlantic @schumacher1889 @phillipjeffriesltd
Follow

Looking for something?

Don’t miss a single post

 

Where classic and modern hang out and drink gin.

  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
American Society of Interior Designers Firm Partner

© 2026 · Annie Elliott Design · privacy policy