
Pregnancy Style: Anna Bond Of Rifle Paper Co.
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Belathée Photography
If you’ve perused the aisles (both online and in boutiques) for stylish stationery, art prints, wallpaper, iPhone cases, and the like, chances are, you already know the work of our latest Pregnancy Style subject, Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co. The Florida resident started her gift-centric company with her husband 5 1/2 years ago, and now it’s one of the indisputable leaders of the pack, with a plethora of goods being sold in over 5,000 stores around the world, collabs with trendsetters like Garance Doré under its belt, and a spot on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies of 2014. Here, the savvy business lady with a baby boy on the way talks about how she plans on running her empire with a child in tow, as well as her personal and home style, motherhood muses, and more.
- "My style is fairly minimal and lately I've been wearing a lot of neutrals. I would say my ideal outfit is probably a white blouse, blazer, skinny jeans, and some statement shoes." Anna wears a dress by Issa and gold cuff by J.Crew.
- The beauty and the bump.
- "It hasn't changed too much, but I've actually been loving dressing for it. I feel much more confident, which I never would have expected (and we'll see if that lasts this next month)."
- Baby-centric creations by Anna's aunt (upper left) and The Social Type (upper right).
- "Sandro, Erdem, Theory, Saint Laurent, Zara, BDDW."
- The master bedroom.
- "I primarily shop online. Some of my go-to's are Shopbop, Zara, and Net-a-Porter." Anna wears a Zara dress, Loeffler Randall shoes, and J.Crew necklace.
- "I'm stocking up on white onesies for the baby and then just 1 or 2 nice outfits for each size. I just had my showers, so I feel like I have more than I need. I'm trying so hard to stay minimal. Personally, I'm trying to stock up on unique cardigans and kimonos as an easy way to dress up leggings and tank tops that first month or so after the baby is born."
- "Some of my must-haves are Palmer's cocoa butter, the Storq maternity bundle, and seeing a chiropractor to keep everything in line."
- Anna and Nathan's wedding pic.
- "I've been very surprised about how normal I feel. I know I am incredibly lucky to be able to say that, but being pregnant has been a great experience so far."
- These walls!
- "I feel a lot of weight to figure out some big picture things, but the day-to-day hasn't changed much. I'm just trying to squeeze in thoughts about what this all means and rest as much as I can. Another unexpected change physically was that the eczema I'd been struggling with for over 12 years suddenly vanished as soon as I got pregnant (and I had tried everything under the sun to deal with it previously). That was a very pleasant surprise that I hope sticks." Milo glider by Land of Nod, Susila Rattan ottoman by Anthropologie, and Steven Alan for West Elm triangle throw.
- "We tried to plan a babymoon numerous times, but work caused us to cancel all of them. We were in the Adirondacks for Memorial Day weekend, which is amazing, but I was still working the entire trip. Running a business can definitely take its toll in that regard, but I still truly love what I do and know it's worth it. So, even though a big trip isn't possible, I've been trying to find moments and little trips here and there to make up for it."
- Retro vibes.
- "I wanted a room that I would love to spend time in. My life is so hectic that I wanted it to be the most calm and inviting room in the house. I chose a lot of neutral colors and comfortable textures. I put my vintage children's books on display and chose prints that I thought would grow with our boy." Vanderbilt dresser by Dwell Studio, raccoon by Walnut Animal Society, and Caravan crib (not pictured) by Kalon Studios.
- "I love the chair. It's a glider from Land of Nod and it's so, so comfortable. I use it all the time right now! I'm also loving the caravan crib from Kalon and axel mobile from Dwell Studios. They work well with the other pieces to pull the room together."
- Earthy elements. Wyatt Rocking Horse by Serena & Lily and Susila Rattan ottoman by Anthropologie.
- "I didn't use a lot of my artwork, actually, but the two prints I did include were the sketch of the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland cover (I dedicated the book to him, so it seemed very fitting) and 'The World is Your Oyster' print because that's something Nathan has always said to me and I'm sure we will always say to our boy."
- A classic.
- "We rent our 1920's bungalow and the character of the house has definitely affected the style. My personal style is a bit more modern, so I think it has ended up as something of a bohemian mix. We still have a lot of pieces from years ago before we were married mixed with new pieces I love."
- A sweet little perch.
- "I definitely have a few favorites: A Jayson Home & Garden hide chair, Mary McDonald lamps, the coziness of our bedroom..."
- Vintage baubles.
- "At the moment it's probably the nursery. It feels very calming, cozy, and I love the neutral color palette."
- "Buy what you really love. I believe in a balance of sentimental pieces with ones that are just there to fit a style. I also truly believe in comfort, especially in the living room. No one likes sitting in uncomfortable seating."
- "Rifle Paper Co. is an international stationery and lifestyle brand. My husband and I started the company about five and a half years ago. It was just the two of us at that point and we now employ over 150 people and our products are carried in over 5,000 stores around the world."
- "I love that I get to dream up ideas and see them come to life."
- Poolside. Anna wears a Madewell top, maternity jeans by Citizens of Humanity, and Zara loafers.
- "A whole lot of work! I've got some massive deadlines ahead and a lot of work to do to prepare to take a bit of maternity leave."
- "I honestly don't have a plan completely mapped out (I've never been a huge planner), but I know that I will need to make it happen. I have no idea what type of baby I'll have or how I'll feel. I'm starting to make plans, but am also flexible and will take things one day at a time."
- "One of my closest friends has been a big inspiration lately. I honestly probably put off having kids for a while after seeing so many moms complaining on Facebook. I totally understand where they're coming from, but it can also really mess with your perspective. But my friend is just this positive force with amazing balance. She tells the good with the struggles in a way that's so refreshing. She's one of the first moms I've seen who values herself along with her children and makes time for herself, so that she can be a better mom."
- "My mom did an amazing job raising my brothers and I. She was a stay-at-home mom and was always there for us. That's something I think about a lot, because I will be running a business and will have to work harder to find that balance. There are things that I really valued growing up that she did that I know I will work to keep (nightly family dinners, crafting at holidays, reading to us every night, and so on)." Anna wears a Seraphine swimsuit from A Pea in the Pod, J.Crew hat, and Le Specs La Macarena sunnies.
- "I definitely wanted to find out. I always wanted a boy first because I loved having an older brother. But after finding out I was pregnant I really didn't care either way. I just want the baby to be healthy."
- "I feel spoiled to have had two amazing showers. My friends threw a shower a few weeks ago and it was a dream. It was during the evening on a lakeside dock and it was more of a party (co-ed, no present opening, drinks, food, hanging out). The theme was a Kyoto garden party. And my aunt threw a family shower in New Jersey while I was in town nearby for the National Stationery Show. It was more of a classic shower with family and close friends from home, so it felt incredibly special in its own way."
- "I actually feel like I've been more on top of preparing the things we need than most things in life. That nesting thing hit me hard. I have most of the big things (crib, stroller, car seat), but what I need to do now is mentally prepare a bit more and just take some time to wrap my head around this life change."
- "Meeting and loving this little boy. I'm excited to see how he's like Nathan and I, but also know he is entirely his own person. I'm looking forward to getting to know him and will just try to do my very best to raise him to be a person people admire in some way."
- "It's quiet, warm, and the people are amazing."
- "I see ourselves here for the long run, but I wouldn't mind an apartment in New York or a little cottage somewhere."
- "I'm looking forward to strolling downtown Winter Park and visiting the park and farmer's market. And I'm looking forward to meeting other new moms with children around the same age.”
- "I typically get to the studio around noon, meet with my team, handle emails, delegate projects, and then work on my own to-do list, break for dinner, Nathan and I usually meet at some point in the evening to talk about any big picture decisions, and then I wrap up around midnight or so."
- "Hmm...I see Dr. Haskel for my back and I definitely recommend him. Other than that, I'm not sure! I need a good list from someone else, apparently. I did see that the Four Seasons spa has a prenatal massage. That sounds like it should be on my list." Book by Rifle Paper Co.
- "We're working on developing lots of new, exciting products. One of my favorites is our candle collection, which will be available in 2016."
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