Leopards, Cheetahs & Birds

Zara Home Leopard Cheetah Rug“I first discovered Zara Home in Italy last summer – but now their US website is my latest obsession for well priced “wow” home decor pieces.”

imageLast summer when we were on vacation in Rome Jimmy and I spotted a huge Zara Home store in the Prati shopping district. The mega international retailer does not have homes stores stateside, so I was intrigued and wanted to see what the store was all about. I was expecting a lot of monochromatic uber-modern basics – much like what I see in their fashion collections.  But instead I found tons of color and pattern – much of it reminiscent of the glory days of Ralph Lauren Home. In fact I think I instagrammed their leopard pillowcases within a few minutes of setting foot in the store (they reminded me of an old RL pattern from the 1990s which I adore).  And while they may look like Ralph they certainly are not priced like him; yet the quality is there. Nothing looked or felt like it was from Ikea.  The design and construction was strong across many categories – from dishes to flatware, from small accent furniture to rugs.  I was overwhelmed and impressed – but at that point our suitcases were jammed – so I left with only a Palm Print Tablecloth (pictured below).

imageI had honestly somewhat forgotten about Zara Home until I was prowling the net last November for an animal print rug to finish out a spot in our living room. And then Eureka – I saw the insane leopard stenciled cow hide rug pictured in the opening photo above. It was fantastic. I loved that the colors were muted and the print sophisticated (there is such a fine line between cha cha and chic when it come to a leopard print). And the best part was that the rug was almost 30% less expensive than a similar designer version I had been eyeing. Even after my experience in Rome I was skeptical about quality – but upon arrival the product exceeded all expectations. It looks like a million bucks in my living room and got LOTS of attention at our annual holiday gathering.

Zara Home Bird Leg Side Table Interiors Gold Mirrior FootNow I was hooked. In December I began eyeing the whimsical bird’s leg side table.  This time I found the price somewhat frightening. Not for the typical reasons -it seemed too low. For under $200 I was worried it would look completely plasticky and cheap. But again upon arrival the product completely delivered. The mirrored top, the brass trim, and metallic resin work on the table were all extremely well done. I loved it. At the time of posting the piece is currently sold out. But do not fret – I see it is featured prominently in a promo shot for their spring collection so I bet it will be back online soon.  This illustrates a key point about the site – buy it when you see it. I have missed the boat on several items because I waited too long to pull the trigger.  And with the current free shipping and free return shipping offer – what is there to lose?

So while we are waiting for the table and rug to come back into stock – here are six items I am obsessing about from their spring collections.

Zara Home Plaid Throw Blue Dishes Leopard Napkin Ring Floral Table Cloth Gold Basket Picture Frames(clockwise from top – Tiles Dinnerware,  Plant Print Napkins, Round Gold Basket, Metal Bamboo Picture Frame,  Leopard Napkin Ring, & Plaid Throw )

So happy hunting. I purposely left the prices off so you too can be pleasantly surprised. Certainly not everything on Zara Home is my cup of tea, but there are lots of great items at prices that make sampling super angst free. Please keep me posted on your finds.

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