*Sad to hear that as of June 2020, Anko is closed but keeping this up to remember that we had this store here for a little while.*

If you live in Seattle and have shopped at Bellevue Square recently you may have noticed a new store in the mall.  This pop-up called Anko is an Australian export and after our big Australia trip last year we definitely love all things from that part of the world.  The Anko store pop-up in Bellevue was there in 2018 and the flagship Anko Seattle Lynnwood store opened later that year.  (The newest Anko store in the Seattle area just opened in September 2019 in Burien and this one is right next to a Trader Joe’s so it makes for a really easy shopping day too! Apparently Totem Lake is getting the next Anko store, so this is exciting news if you are in Kirkland!)

Why is Anko so exciting?

I visited the Mill Creek store but it’s a little farther for me, so I hope that the Bellevue Anko pop-up comes back again this year.   Last year, there were so many exciting things about this store in Bellevue Square Mall.  From the store’s simple aesthetic, lighting and intriguing tile floor to the array of well-priced and seemingly good-quality home goods, it is fun to shop at this store.  On my trip to the Bellevue Anko pop-up, I was given a gift card to buy some things.  Because we are having a skating party soon, I picked up some fun platters, napkins and plates that you’ll see when I post the pics at Christmas-time.  I also picked out a really fun reindeer bag.  I was really surprised at how reasonably priced the party items were.  The dishware also seemed pretty good quality and I chose a cool wooden tray and wire basket for creating a cheese platter for apres ski-there is finally enough snow in the mountains for our local hills to open up!

A lunch at Black Bottle with Anko

I also went to a lunch at Black Bottle in Bellevue to learn about Anko a couple weeks after I shopped there and I didn’t realize that Black Bottle is right across the street from the Hyatt Regency Bellevue where we’ve stayed a few times.  Black Bottle is such a beautiful restaurant and a great venue for a gathering like the one I went to.  Bloggers and other media were there to meet the Anko team and we were shown a bunch of beautiful party ideas and displays that can be created using Anko products.  We ate delicious food and everything looked so pretty on the dishes from the Anko store.

Have you tried Jenny Cookies?

Jenny from Jenny Cookies was at the Anko party at Black Bottle and I’ve always wanted to try her baked goods but I haven’t made the trip yet to her bake shop in Lake Stevens.  I found it really cool that her cookies were a big part of the dessert display and they were absolutely beautiful.  I think Jenny also created the party ideas featured around the restaurant and an idea for a hot chocolate stand was one of my favorites.  I’m so glad I finally got to try these famous cookies and I was thrilled that they were just as tasty as they were gorgeously designed.

How will I use Anko in my home?

I’m always looking for inexpensive but durable items for the cabin and for the get-togethers we have throughout the year.  I like that many of the the Anko products I saw are not only inexpensive, but they are also things that I would want to keep for a while; they are classic and surprisingly durable considering their prices.  I’m going to be checking back often as I saw a marble-like slab on our table at Black Bottle that is not yet in stores (this similar marble slab is in the Anko online store and it’s also quite tempting)and I think it would look great on my big white table at home.  There are really cute stationary sets and home goods in the pop-up stores right now too.  I found a llama journal that I want to get for my niece but she’s still a little young so I might have to keep it. The whole kids’ section is worth checking out because it has a lot of things that are great for party favors, stocking stuffers and just general things to stock up on if you have kids around too.  If you’re a blogger or food stylist there are also many things in this store that would make great photo props and I’m now totally excited for the new Lynnwood store to open.

Have you been to Anko yet?  And do you know any other stores from Australia that you absolutely wish were in the USA now too?

(PS I was invited to check out the Bellevue Square Anko pop-up and I was invited to a media lunch.  I was provided with a gift card to purchase some items to try for review and as always the opinions in this post are my own.)

(PPS. I think this store is pretty awesome.)

Terumi

Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys.  She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live.  She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)