..no lie.

First of all let me say, I know I am spoiled<a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;hs=Ekv&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&amp;um=1&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;q=ny+anthropologie&amp;fb=1&amp;gl=uk&amp;hq=anthropologie&amp;hnear=New+York,+NY,+USA&amp;view=text&amp;ei=xe5RTJOBBpP80wTEnZ31Ag&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=local_group&amp;ct=more-results&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CCgQtQMwAA"> living in a City</a> that has no less than 4 Anthro's within a short train hop from each other, when many others live miles from an Anthro. I know this.

But while here in my home city I occasioned upon the Anthropologie on Regent Street that is all of 9 months old..(notice that? The gestation period of an human being..coincidence? ) and I had to take a minute to recover when I walked through the door. Why?

First off, it has HUGE, three, count them THREE sprawling - Brooklyn warehouse factory-esque sized floors. The visual display is of course, amazing and the staff dressed trendy yet not pretentious, whimsical and yet not twee. I spotted a few <a href="http://www.sundancechannel.com/man-shops-globe/">toy chandeliers</a> knocking around, as mentioned many times on the Man Shops Globe series. <em>Breathe craven...breathe!</em>

The clothing selection had many of the items I'd spied in the US Anthro's but a few items I did not ( a sustainable brand named <a href="http://www.peopletree.co.uk/about-us/">People Tree</a> anyone?) as well as household bathroom items I'd never seen before  such as <a href="http://www.antonioli.eu/index.php?content=designer&amp;idCategory=19&amp;idDesigner=221">Mad et Lin</a> who had a Geranaum candle that made me smile (price at 58GBP no less). I thought I had truly retail-died and gone to anthro-heaven for all the good purchases i'd made over the years. And then I stumbled across the basement..

Oh the basement.
<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/EA/UKAnthro/anthrohome.jpg" alt="Anthro UK Home" width="400" height="195" /></p>
There were worn and weathered tables and crates piled high with plates, bowls and platters oh my! Have a look at the above amazing white chandelier that draped a table filled with <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-DINNERWARE&amp;id=974426&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=043&amp;colorName=BLUE%20MOTIF&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">from the deep</a> and <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-SERVEWARE&amp;id=973342&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=010&amp;colorName=WHITE&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">beast feast</a> diningware - two of my FAVOURITE Anthro dining collections!

Although three floors the ceiling height is the height of the building as the staircase connecting all floors is in the centre of the building..letting the place flood in light and not feel as though you are in a store on Regents Street but more like in a quiet, spacious haven in the middle of nowhere.
<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/EA/UKAnthro/anthrohome2.jpg" alt="Anthro houseware goods" width="400" height="195" /></p>
There were displays that were insane pops of colour - mixing pattern and textures from the <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/category.jsp?popId=HOME&amp;navAction=top&amp;navCount=45&amp;isSortBy=true&amp;pushId=HOME-KITCHEN&amp;id=HOME-KITCHEN">variety of aprons and tea towels </a>on offer - all peppered with the work of <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-DINNERWARE&amp;id=974445&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=033&amp;colorName=KELLY&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">Nathalie Lete</a>. Her juvenile like drawings are charming as they come, they brought so much cheer to the space. This was the first time I had seen her <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-DINNERWARE&amp;id=974445&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=033&amp;colorName=KELLY&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">Luscious Langoustine</a> plate (see below left). The colours really popped and made me smile..( I just spied the plate on the US anthro site..but am yet to see it in store in NY!).
<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/EA/UKAnthro/anthroukplates.jpg" alt="Anthro Lobster Plate" width="400" height="195" /></p>
I was surprised to see two additional versions of the <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-SERVEWARE&amp;id=973959&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=034&amp;colorName=LIME&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">easy as pie</a> dish. The above one, was my fave, encouraging you to 'bake, make a tart' - I know I wouldn't be able to resist a daily reminder such as that.
<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/EA/UKAnthro/anthroukplates2.jpg" alt="Anthro rose plate" width="400" height="195" /></p>
More <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-DINNERWARE&amp;id=974446&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=066&amp;colorName=PINK&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">Nathalie Lete on the left</a>..the colour of the rose was extremely vivid in person, not at all how it is represented on the site (hmmm, some post production desaturation Anthro??). The plate on the right is the new <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-DINNERWARE&amp;id=073143&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=001&amp;colorName=BLACK&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">Zinnia Thicket Dinnerware</a>, I missed it in store in the US, so was glad to catch it here. Black diningware is spellbinding (no black magic puns intended!), and I noticed many people picking it up and seriously considering it...I can't wait to visit the NY Anthro over and over to check it out.
<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/EA/UKAnthro/antrhoukseafarerplates.jpg" alt="Anthro UK seafarer plates" width="400" height="391" /></p>
And finally more great <a href="http://us.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?subCategoryId=HOME-TABLETOP-DINNERWARE&amp;id=974116&amp;catId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;pushId=HOME-TABLETOP&amp;popId=HOME&amp;sortProperties=&amp;navCount=45&amp;navAction=top&amp;fromCategoryPage=true&amp;selectedProductSize=&amp;selectedProductSize1=&amp;color=040&amp;colorName=BLUE%20MOTIF&amp;isProduct=true&amp;isBigImage=&amp;templateType=">from the deep </a>stuff partnered with what looked like a brighter vibrant version of the celestial coasters..

I spotted a few items that were London store specific (as confirmed by a sales clerk - some of the products are from local UK artists), such as a very nifty 'seasonal produce chart tea towel' - I will be popping back to Anthro for more of my fill..and maybe to fill my bag and empty my wallet...or if I can find out how to have a baby in a few days, they might take that for payment instead?

One can dream.

<em>all pictures taken using shakeitphoto</em>