Woot — I finally sorted through the 200+ photos I took at two of my favorite on-the-road shopping stops: the Pottery Barn Outlet in Gaffney, SC, and Mary Jo’s Cloth Shop just outside Charlotte, NC. Below are the finds that caught my eye most (and yes, I did buy something — more on that at the end). So buckle up for a long, fun window-shopping tour.
First stop: the Pottery Barn Outlet. Doesn’t the building just beckon you in?
We had Clara and Burger with us for the Haven trip, so John kindly volunteered to stay outside with the baby and the pup. Translation: he didn’t want to shop. I went inside solo with my camera and found all kinds of tempting pieces.
I fell for two metal chairs — an adult white chair marked down from $245 to $123 and a red kids’ chair reduced from $119 to $59. I almost bought the red one for Clara but we already own two kids’ chairs from a yard sale, so I left it behind.
This red stool with a slatted top (marked down from $150 to $75) was another favorite. It’s pricey if you need several, but it’s a great DIY inspiration — imagine spraying the base red and keeping the wood top natural.
Also on my red kick: a giant red light fixture, probably about 24″ wide, reduced from $160 to $70. I almost bought it but didn’t have a place for it and knew bringing it out to the car would have been awkward. Hope someone adopted it.
The back of the store has a huge rack of marked-down rugs — Pottery Barn and West Elm favorites. A nubby silvery-blue rug and a bright orange Moroccan rug stood out; they’re often discounted heavily, sometimes by hundreds of dollars.
I spotted a delicate light fixture that would be lovely in a little girl’s room. The antique bronze finish would look great as-is or painted glossy white, matte gray, or a fun lemon yellow — it reads almost like a bird’s nest.
Then there was this lamp — my dream lamp — roughly three feet wide and more than 50% off (from $550 down to $200). It had a hammered silver exterior and an ultra-reflective metallic interior that would scatter so much light. Perfect for a lofted dining space, though still steep for many budgets.
A mercury glass lamp was reduced from $100 to $50, and a globe light appeared to be about $60 (down from $125). Prices like these are comparable to what you might find at other discount home stores — sometimes they drop further over time.
In the Pottery Barn Kids section I found colorful lanterns (blue, green, pink) for around $19 and a retro airplane desk lamp in red — great kid-friendly pieces I didn’t note prices for.
One of my favorite finds was math art — large framed pieces that connect to my family since my dad is a mathematician and my husband attended a math and science magnet high school. Each oversized frame was reduced from $99 to $69, which isn’t bad for that scale. There was also a combined chalkboard/corkboard reduced to $60 — perfect for a kitchen or pantry command center.
I liked two sheet sets with personality: one reduced from $140 to $50, and some kids’ sets (Penelope) marked down by about $40 from regular price.
Then there was a colossal bathroom vanity priced at $1,330 (marked from $1,900). It was gorgeous and clearly too big to fit in our car, but I hoped a lucky shopper gave it a new home.
The store also had industrial, storied pieces — a printer’s armoire cut from $1,400 to $800 and metal shelving units that would be great in a bathroom or kitchen. The heavy castors gave them a strong, practical look.
A chair I adored was reduced from $600 to $420. It would have been perfect in a sunroom with a bold pillow and a colorful side table. I whispered “I’ll never let go” as I snapped its picture.
Wooden lounge chairs were roughly 50% off (from $709 to $355) and looked well-made — ideal for a sunny deck if you have the budget. Large glass hurricanes were around $39 (down from $80) and would look stunning in clusters on a long patio table or as an asymmetrical porch vignette.
Decorative metal lanterns with lace-like cutouts were also priced around $39 and would make a lovely centerpiece with a candle inside.
Glassware filled many shelves — I liked the simple cups on the top shelf, about $3 each, perfect for casual juice or wine (my mom taught me that anything can be a wine glass — even a jelly jar).
I was tempted by lettered candle sconces that happened to include Clara’s initials (C and P), but the letters were sold as a full set spelling “Peace” for $50. Makes sense and still felt serendipitous that her initials appear in the word.
There were also holiday-friendly pillow covers that aren’t overtly seasonal. A red berry pillow paired with a long green lumbar could dress up a sofa for winter and then be easily stored away.
I left Pottery Barn empty-handed because we had limited car space traveling with a baby and a dog, and I was saving my fabric budget for Mary Jo’s Cloth Shop — my true weakness.
At Mary Jo’s I first spotted a bleached version of our dining-room curtain fabric (Kanjhali Peacock by Robert Allen) — so icy and soft.
Next up were imperfect polka-dot fabrics in several colors — playful and versatile. I didn’t note exact names, so checking Mary Jo’s in person or their online selection is the best bet if you want these prints.
I fell for a velvet-like rainbow fabric — perfect for a nursery or a kids’ room, and honestly tempting for my own bedroom.
There were “cabinet of curiosities” prints that begged to be stretched over a canvas and framed as art. I didn’t catch all the makers, but Mary Jo’s has an ever-changing selection worth exploring in person.
Up close: a bold snake print with yellow and pink spots — delightfully daring.
A pixelated-style fabric in grellow tones and ginkgo prints in multiple colors also caught my eye — yellow or navy would make great accent pillows.
Then I found a vibrant ikat — orange, pink, yellow and blue — called Ubud by Iman Home/Waverly. It was reduced from $25 to $16 per yard, so I bought two yards. I’m already dreaming up possibilities: a table runner, a hall-bath roman shade, or reupholstering a chair. I’ll share what I make with it.
That was the whirlwind of window shopping on our trip to and from Haven. Next time I hope to stop at more recommendations locals gave us. Where have you been window shopping lately? Picked up any fabrics or home items that inspired a DIY?