diy projects with anthropologie in san francisco

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By Chantal Lamers SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Well before the idea of crafting homespun art and objects from castoffs went mainstream, the artists at Anthropologie, a national chain that sells clothing, ac- cessories and home decor, have been toying with ways to metamorphose bottle caps, plastic bags and empty water bottles. “This philosophy comes from the organic need to re-imagine and reinterpret what is already part of our environment,” says Karen Heilbronner, Anthropologie’s visual direc- tor, in Philadelphia. “We are always working with our presentations in a state of evolution, and that lends itself naturally to the reuse and redevelopment of existing material.” At the heart of each of the company’s projects — changed seasonally — is an air of playfulness, a bit of intrigue and a whole lot of surprise. Photos by Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Anthropologie’s Amber Van Weerden (left) and Rachel Robertson team up to create the S.F. store’s eye-catching displays, including a knotted portrait (background). Show and tell time for crafts Re-create Anthropologie’s playful displays at home To make these yarn tassels and two other Anthropologie projects, see Page L4. Decor continues on L4 DIY DECOR More or Less: Branch out with tree-chic seating L3 Home & Garden San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, October 3, 2010 | Section L Check It Off: October gardening essentials L2 white background. There are now vignettes and interior photos that rival those in the glossies. “I absolutely love this shift in catalogs,” Hays said. “Re- tailers are finding a way to engage the readers with their product — not only by show- ing how they would actually fit into a real home but by showing them in the home By Anh-Minh Le SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Like many interior-design fanatics whose homes are continuously evolving, San Francisco’s Jeanine Hays maintains an inspiration board where she keeps track of beautiful rooms and ob- jects that she comes across. “I’m a very visual person,” said the creative director and founder of Aphrochic (aphrochicshop.com). “Images on an inspiration board help me think through my design ideas.” Just a few years ago, that board might have been filled with tear sheets from maga- zines such as Domino and Metropolitan Home. But these days, with those publi- cations shuttered, Hays has found a surprising new source for inspiration: prod- uct catalogs. A review of a recent batch that arrived in the mail re- veals that they are no longer just pages and pages of prod- ucts shot against a plain Decor companies take a page from magazines DwellStudios DwellStudio goes moody with a modern Cubist wool blanket over a vintage chair. Catalogs continues on L5 CATALOG STYLE By Anh-Minh Le SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Earlier this year, during a talk at the Williams-Sonoma Home store in Palo Alto, Grant K. Gibson discussed his recent selection to Elle Decor’s list of up-and-coming interior de- signers. He attributed the honor to one specific thing. It wasn’t a high-profile ce- lebrity client or a well-con- nected publicist (Gibson doesn’t work with one). It was his blog, he said, that caught the magazine editor’s eye and led to his inclusion on the coveted list. “I blog to show clients a behind-the-curtain kind of look at what I do,” said Gibson (grantkgibson.blogspot.com). In addition to design, he cov- ers his travels, cooking ad- ventures, shopping excursions and general observations around San Francisco. In an age when companies are hiring people whose sole responsibility is to manage blogs, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, it’s no sur- prise that social media has also infiltrated the interior design industry. Designers are using blogs as a tool to gain more exposure and connect with a Spilling their creativity on the ’net Sacramento interior designer Katie Denham chonicled her kitchen remodel on her blog. Rudy Calpo Blogs continues on L5 DESIGNER BLOGS When the decor obsessed need an inspiration fix, traditionally it has come in the form of a magazine or photo-rich web- site. These days, add to the list one whimsical craft-centric decor and fashion emporium, some smartly styled catalogs and idea-packed blogs by interior designers. {

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DIY projects with Anthropologie in the San Francisco Chronicle

TRANSCRIPT

By Chantal LamersSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Well before the idea of crafting homespun art andobjects from castoffs went mainstream, the artists atAnthropologie, a national chain that sells clothing, ac-cessories and home decor, have been toying with waysto metamorphose bottle caps, plastic bags and emptywater bottles.

“This philosophy comes from the organic need tore-imagine and reinterpret what is already part of ourenvironment,” says Karen Heilbronner, Anthropologie’s visual direc-tor, in Philadelphia. “We are always working with our presentationsin a state of evolution, and that lends itself naturally to the reuse andredevelopment of existing material.”

At the heart of each of the company’s projects — changed seasonally— is an air of playfulness, a bit of intrigue and a whole lot of surprise.

Ph

oto

s b

y P

au

l Ch

inn

/T

he

Ch

ron

icle

Anthropologie’s Amber Van Weerden (left) and Rachel Robertson team up to create the S.F. store’s eye-catching displays, including a knotted portrait (background).

Show andtell timefor crafts Re-create Anthropologie’splayful displays at home

To make theseyarn tassels andtwo otherAnthropologieprojects, seePage L4.

Decor continues on L4

DIY DECOR

More or Less: Branch outwith tree-chic seating L3

Home&GardenSan Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com | Sunday, October 3, 2010 | Section L

Check It Off:Octobergardeningessentials L2

white background. There arenow vignettes and interiorphotos that rival those in theglossies.

“I absolutely love this shiftin catalogs,” Hays said. “Re-tailers are finding a way toengage the readers with theirproduct — not only by show-ing how they would actuallyfit into a real home but byshowing them in the home

By Anh-Minh LeSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Like many interior-designfanatics whose homes arecontinuously evolving, SanFrancisco’s Jeanine Haysmaintains an inspirationboard where she keeps trackof beautiful rooms and ob-jects that she comes across.“I’m a very visual person,”said the creative director andfounder of Aphrochic(aphrochicshop.com). “Imageson an inspiration board helpme think through my designideas.”

Just a few years ago, thatboard might have been filledwith tear sheets from maga-zines such as Domino andMetropolitan Home. Butthese days, with those publi-cations shuttered, Hays hasfound a surprising newsource for inspiration: prod-uct catalogs.

A review of a recent batchthat arrived in the mail re-veals that they are no longerjust pages and pages of prod-ucts shot against a plain

Decor companies takea page from magazines

Dw

ell

Stu

dio

s

DwellStudio goes moodywith a modern Cubist woolblanket over a vintage chair.

Catalogs continues on L5

CATALOG STYLE

By Anh-Minh LeSPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

Earlier this year, during atalk at the Williams-SonomaHome store in Palo Alto, GrantK. Gibson discussed his recentselection to Elle Decor’s list ofup-and-coming interior de-signers. He attributed thehonor to one specific thing.

It wasn’t a high-profile ce-lebrity client or a well-con-

nected publicist (Gibsondoesn’t work with one). It washis blog, he said, that caughtthe magazine editor’s eye andled to his inclusion on thecoveted list.

“I blog to show clients abehind-the-curtain kind oflook at what I do,” said Gibson(grantkgibson.blogspot.com).In addition to design, he cov-ers his travels, cooking ad-ventures, shopping excursions

and general observationsaround San Francisco.

In an age when companiesare hiring people whose soleresponsibility is to manageblogs, Facebook pages andTwitter accounts, it’s no sur-prise that social media has alsoinfiltrated the interior designindustry. Designers are usingblogs as a tool to gain moreexposure and connect with a

Spilling their creativity on the ’netSacramento interior designer Katie Denham chonicled her kitchen remodel on her blog.

Ru

dy

Ca

lpo

Blogs continues on L5

DESIGNER BLOGS

When the decor obsessed need an inspiration fix, traditionally it has come in the form of a magazine or photo-rich web-site. These days, add to the list one whimsical craft-centric decor and fashion emporium, some smartly styled catalogsand idea-packed blogs by interior designers. {

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art

Catching the eyeand imaginationWith the upswing in do-it-yourself decor, the shop’s envi-able exhibits are garneringmore curious, how-can-I-do-that gazes.

Rachel T. Robertson, seniordisplay coordinator, designsand creates window and interi-or displays and fixtures for theMarket Street store. “I thinkour customers really value thattouch of the hand, appreciatewhat we create and often wantto create it themselves.”

Robertson, 44, often teamson projects with Amber VanWeerden, 31, senior visualmanager, who’s been at An-thropologie for eight years.Whether it’s birds out of news-paper and trash bags or sculpt-ed paper polar bears, VanWeerden says, a display madeout of something clever orunexpected can inspire ormake a person smile.

“I think that our customersare treated to a little escapefrom the rest of the worldwhen they walk into thestore.”

Both women were raised increative households. “I grewup with a mother who hasgreat taste,” says Van Weer-

den. “We used to search fleamarkets in Holland for amaz-ing furniture and collectedcolored glass for our house.”Later, while studying culturalanthropology at San FranciscoState Univeristy, she worked atthe Mission District shop Gyp-sy Honeymoon, which hermother once owned.

Robertson’s dad was anartist and designer and hermother an avid sewer andknitter who “taught me bothwhen I was young,” she says.After earning a degree in fineart from University of Wiscon-sin-Madison, she began de-signing displays for UrbanOutfitters. She landed at An-thropologie three years ago butcontinues to create collages,draw, knit and sew (www.rachelrobertson.com). She re-cently had a show of collages atHello by Candystore Collectivein Pacific Heights.

We couldn’t resist asking thetwo to show us how to re-create some of their eye-catch-ing fixtures. We chose threeprojects at three skill levelsthat can be layered creativelyin a number of decor styles.

E-mail comments [email protected].

Photos by Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

Amber Van Weerden makes tassels using card stock, yarn, trim and a glue gun at Anthropologie. She enjoys surprising customers with unexpected creations.

Decor from page L1

Instructions

1. Use the card stock to create acone shape and glue the seaminto place.

2. Starting from the tip of thecone, wrap the cone with yarn,securing with hot glue along theway.

3. Secure trim along the bottomof the cone with hot glue.

4. Pull string through the top ofcone and add beads if desired.

TasselsFestive, full of texture and acinch to construct, these tasselscan be clustered on a bedpost ordoorknob or used in a holidaydecor project.

Materials

1 Card stock

1 Hot glue gun and scissors

1 Yarn or string

1 Upholstery trim

1 The designers hang the tas-sel with strips of discardedsilk, but you can use string orpieces of colorful fabric.

1 Beads (optional)

Instructions

1. Rip fabric into strips about 3to 4 inches wide and 24 incheslong. Tie each into a knot.

2. Draw a grid over your image.

3. Draw a large grid on thecanvas or board and sketch theimage out with pencil (alterna-tively, use a projector to enlargethe image and then trace itonto the canvas).

4. Start by gluing the knots tothe center of the canvas. Referto the gridded image.

Knotted portraitRe-create just about any image — scaled up or down — using scraps of knottedfabric. If replicating a portrait is too daunting, try a simple seascape or createyour own abstract piece.

Materials

1 Image

1 Fabric strips to match col-ors in image

1 Pencil and ruler

1 Projector (optional)

1 Painter’s canvas or board

1 Hot glue gun

Instructions

1. Cut copper flashing intosquares. (Size depends onpreference. Squares pic-tured are about 2 by 2inches.)

2. Punch a hole in each ofthe four corners.

3. Distress surface of eachsquare with steel wool.

4. Soak pieces of copperovernight in vinegar. Addinga piece of steel wool to thevinegar will create a richpatina.

5. The next day, removepieces of copper and air-dryover a piece of cardboard.

6. Extra credit: To break upthe copper pieces and add

some color, glue magazineimages to tagboard andpunch holes in each corner.

7. Lay out squares in desireddesign and size.

8. Thread 4-inch pieces ofwire through each hole.Attach rows together bytwisting wires loopedthrough each square.

Copper screentapestrySize this gleaming installa-tion to your taste. Drape italong a wall or dangle it fromthe ceiling in a sunlit room.

Materials

1 Roll of 3-ounce copperflashing

1 1⁄8-inch hole punch

1 Steel wool

1 Vinegar

1 Cardboard and tagboard

1 Magazine images andglue (optional)

1 24-gauge copper wire

1 Wire cutters