Right at Home

From the moment you walk into the store, you’ll feel as if you’re coming home.

That’s exactly how they want you to feel at Anthropologie, a store that opened last week in Fashion Island Newport Beach.

With a mix of textures, music and fragrance, Anthropologie encourages customers to linger and to look around.

From antique Indian cabinets (from $695) to bed and bath linens and kitchenware, there’s something for every room in the house. The store’s displays are set in vignettes, with smaller merchandise stashed inside larger pieces. Pieces such as a sofa, armoire, table and bed are arranged in groupings. Many of the accent pieces are used as props to fill out a grouping or vignette.

“We have a little of everything here,” says Kari Abril, store manager. “It’s a way for customers to explore the store, experiment with it. We’ve had some customers who spend hours exploring the store.”

Part of the reason customers linger is Anthropologie’s attention to detail. Each towel and blanket is wrapped in simple paper to give it a cozy, earthy look.

In the garden area, recycled chimney pots house English ivies, and many of the terra-cotta pots come weathered. Bath linens are kept in antique cabinets. Several one-of-a-kind items are displayed throughout the store.

“We are a lifestyle-driven store,” Abril says. “We want to project a sense of home and welcoming.”

Anthropologie, owned by Urban Outfitters Inc., is at 823 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; (714) 720-9946.

On the Move

Make it easy to get carried away, with Pyrex Portables, dishes that come with insulated cases and both hot and cold Microcore pacs that keep foods at the desired temperature for up to two hours.

Various sizes ($30-$40) including a 4 1/2-quart sculptured bowl, a 2-quart sculptured casserole and an 13-by-9 oblong baking dish, are available at department stores. The zippered cases, in several colors, are washable. The NFL Pyrex Portables line features the logos and colors of the National Football League teams.

Floor Plaid

Armstrong puts the tartan classic underfoot, with its Plaid pattern, which is reminiscent of the design that’s popular for fall.

The pattern, part of the new VIOS collection of resilient floor coverings, has been modernized and designed on a larger scale so that it works well with open interiors.

It’s available in four color groups--gray-natural; green-rose; aqua-natural; and blue-green--for about $38 per square yard.

For a nearby dealer, call (800) 704-8000.