Last weekend my cousin got married in Brevard, North Carolina — which meant a fun weekend road trip.
It wasn’t as long as the road trip we took to Texas for another cousin’s wedding a couple years ago, but it was a great time nonetheless. Brevard sits in southwestern North Carolina, not far from Asheville and right near the South Carolina border (the rehearsal dinner was actually across the line in SC). From Richmond it’s about a seven-hour drive, but we split the trip with a stop in Charlotte to visit friends Matt and Kristin. The wedding was the highlight — you can see some photos over on Young House Life — but we enjoyed wandering around Brevard and discovering a few local gems.
One of the best finds was the Antique Mall downtown. It was one of the cleanest, most interesting antique shops we’ve visited in a while and it even had a great architectural salvage shop next door. We spotted lots of neat pieces, like a collection of wooden printing press letters — priced at two dollars each. It’s surprising we didn’t buy a full set, but we enjoyed looking and appreciating them without taking any home.
There was also a rack of old skeleton keys for three dollars apiece. Sherry joked about getting a bunch and making a giant chandelier out of them for the dining room — how fun would that be? Maybe next time we’ll commit.
We were tempted by original watercolors by local artists, including a charming painting of a covered bridge. At $49 it was a bit pricier than we planned that day — now we kind of wish we’d grabbed it.
There was also a striking painting of a ram-like creature that caught both of our eyes. It was more than we wanted to spend on vacation, but it left an impression — head over hooves, you might say.
Some pieces had a humorous, quirky vibe — a few ceramics that reminded us of Jonathan Adler-style pottery had us both nodding in approval.
Of course there was plenty that leaned into the eccentric: an inexplicably naked KISS action figure priced at forty dollars, and a light-up stained glass piece that made us laugh.
I’ve always liked the texture and look of potato sacks, and one stood out in the shop. I wasn’t sure what its original purpose was, but Sherry suggested it would make a fun pillow or ottoman cover. People even reupholster chairs with similar fabric these days.
Across the street from the Antique Mall we found a thrift store run by the local Humane Society — Transylvania County, no joke. Clara became completely enchanted by the kittens, so Sherry explored the back of the store while Clara and I hung out in the kitten area. I’m sure everyone got tired of hearing Clara’s relentless greetings: “Hi kittycat. Hi kittycatkittycatkittycat! Buh-bye kittycat! Hi kittycat!”
Sherry did find a couple of entertaining chihuahua-themed items at the thrift shop. Too bad Burger, our dog, wasn’t with us to enjoy them — he stayed at the pet-friendly rental cottage where the rest of our family stayed for the weekend.
The only place we actually bought something was the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. We didn’t purchase much, but even their delivery truck was photogenic.
Sherry joked that one item would look better oriented the opposite way — she also noted another design detail on the other side. Different tastes, different perspectives — that’s the fun of shopping together.
For five dollars we picked up a frame with an intricate paper-cut design inside. We weren’t sure where it would go, but once we returned home we found the perfect spot in our hallway gallery, replacing a generic picture of apples that had been there since our first kitchen.
We trimmed the paper cutting slightly to fit top-to-bottom and it ended up looking great. The piece added color and pattern to that corner of the wall, and we also walked away with an extra frame that will likely get painted and reused elsewhere.
We felt satisfied with not returning home empty-handed — we always enjoy picking up small items that bring back memories of the places we visit. Since we only got a quick taste of Brevard (and barely grazed Asheville, just driving through), we hope to go back for a longer visit sometime. Maybe another cousin’s wedding will give us the perfect excuse.
Have you taken any road trips recently or attended any beautiful fall weddings? If you have recommendations for the Asheville area, we’d love to hear them — it looked like a place worth exploring further.
Psst — check out some of the wedding’s creative touches and family photos on Young House Life.