What is Ideal?

Ideal is a carefully curated shop composed of unique, design-conscious gifts and accessories. The objects we choose are creative, authentic, and refined. They are inspired by the vision of talented artists and designers from around the world.

Our store was formed with our own ideal in mind: that shopping should always be a personal and thoughtful experience.

Enjoy our blog and please come visit our shop in beautiful, downtown Bellingham. If you can't make it in, we take orders over the phone - just call (360-752-5522) or e-mail info@anidealshop.com.


Wednesday, July 29, 2009

kltworks - Mount Vernon, WA













Holding an MFA in Fine Art from The School of Visual Arts in New York City, Kristin Loffer Theiss's artistic background allows her to approach her products with a painter’s eye - being concerned with color, texture, and form. Her children’s collection comes from her love of humor, curiosity, and an appreciation of a child’s creative spirit. All toys are handmade at her studio in Mt. Vernon, WA.

Featured Objects

Plush Animals - Cats, owls, snails, and several birds available

Materials: Wool felt and cotton, stuffed with fine polyfil. Lined with cotton.
Dimensions: Sizes vary. Most animals approx. 13" tall
Price: $40













Northwest Slug Loveys

Materials: Polar tec, organic fleece and cotton
Dimensions:10" x 4" x 3"
Price:$22
While not everyone thinks of a slug to be cozy, these little guys are an exception. They fit just right in the arms of your little one, and offer up comfort & companionship. Easily washable.
Available in gray (Sid), olive green (Avery), turquoise (Klaas) or lime green (Dafne).









Monday, June 15, 2009

First Anniversary Party and Sale - June 20!

Come and celebrate our first birthday with us! We're having a party in the shop on Saturday, June 20 from 10 am – 6 pm. The gathering also kicks off our first Anniversary Sale, with selected items in stock discounted 20%.

The sale runs from June 20 through July 20 but come early to get first dibs on objects of good design. The sale includes selected objects from dozens of designers, including Fatboy lounge bags, Acme Studio, NotNeutral, Areaware, and many more.

The first twenty customers to spend $20 will receive a complimentary gift, and we will be serving frosty root beer floats throughout the day.

Hope to see you Saturday!


Sunday, April 5, 2009

Sandy Chilewich - New York, NY

In her New York based design studio, Sandy Chilewich continues to discover ways to push textiles beyond their comfortable and sometimes monotonous context. Her woven vinyl, which has become her signature textile for tabletop, floormats and bags, is currently available in a wide selection of weaves and colors. Sandy’s passion is finding underutilized, often overlooked manufacturing techniques, and from them produce fresh, modern textiles.

Designed in New York, made in the USA.

Featured Products:

Shag Indoor/Outdoor Mats

Designer: Sandy Chilewich
Materials: Vinyl
Dimensions: Doormat - 18 x 28"; Utility Mat - 24 x 36"; Big Mat - 36 x 60"
Price: Doormat - $50.00; Utility Mat - $70.00; Big Mat - $155.00













Indoor/outdoor mats are equally at home indoors or outdoors, so liven up an entryway, bathroom or deck knowing that they're washable, quick to dry and resistant to mold and mildew. Please note that stripes run horizontally on doormats and big mats, and vertically on utility mats. Available in a variety of colors and stripes - call 360-752-5522 for more information. Shown above are bold stripe, mushroom stripe, and tangerine stripe.




Bamboo Weave Placemats


Designer: Sandy Chilewich
Materials: Vinyl
Dimensions: 14 x 19"
Price: $13.00 each












These lovely placemats are easy to care for - simply wipe them clean. The bamboo weave has a well-defined simplicity within its subtle textural weave that combines modern practicality with a serene Asian sensibility. Available in a variety of colors - call 360-752-5522 for more information. Shown above are Brick, Grey Flannel, and Lawn.