What does back-to-school mean to you?  For me it means sending my youngest to Kindergarten and for Kathy, one of our fab staffers, it means sending her middle son off to his freshman year at JMU.   What a range!  What a change!

For us it’s all about backpacks and lunch boxes and for Kathy it’s about the mini-fridge and bath caddies for the communal showers.  The list seems insurmountable, where does one begin?

We started last week with our new backpacks and lunch boxes and next week we will work on the new shoes and clothes (particularly new jeans for my oldest as every pair he owns has a hole in the left knee!).  After that we will do the school supplies for them and the school supplies for me.  For the kids we will be stocking up on picutre and chapter books, alphabet flashcards and an apple for the teacher. 

And for me, I’ll be raiding my store for the Russell & Hazel binders and accoutrements (currently, on sale 20% off only in our store during the month of August!) so that I can keep all the kids’s school and after-school schedules, lunch menus and contact lists straight – to keep me straight and from having that inevitable embarrassing moment of having to run to school and bring the field trip permission slip that I forgot to put in the backpack.

For Kathy that will mean a nice new Dash & Albert rug for the cold linoleum dorm room floors, a warm Utility Canvas coverlet (available in the store only, at the moment) and inexpensive but durable Fishs Eddy dishes for those nights of Ramen noodles after the cafeteria closes.

Such big changes that are unbelieveably exciting!  I feel so fortunate to be a spectator as Kathy sends Tim off to college.  They are a great example of how all the hard work of high school, sports and extracurricular activities have paid off. 

To not feel so ridiculously behind, I better get Will back in soccer and Kate signed up for Girl Scouts.  Harvard here we come!

The next time you visit Red Barn Mercantile, you might see spots. Don’t worry, those red and green dots are your signal to save! We’ve marked down a number of items throughout our store to make room for our upcoming fall lines. You’ll receive savings from 25 to 50 percent off. But don’t wait long. These items are marked for clearance and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Get hot savings on your favorite home furnishings during Red Barn Mercantile’s Summer One-Day-OnlySale.

The days are long, so we’re open late today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., to give you more time to take advantage of these sizzling discounts. Everything in the store will be 20% off while supplies last.*

Get discounts on all bedding by Pine Cone Hill, John Robshaw, Matteo and others; tableware including, dishes and serving pieces by Frances Palmer, Thomas Paul and Fishs Eddy, as well as glasses, place mats and napkins; all home decor items, such as Newgate clocks, Jamie Young lamps and shades, frames, vases and more; gifts including coffee table and cook books, scented candles and soaps; and all children’s books, furnishings and toys.

We’re even marking down our one-of-a-kind antiques!

And if that weren’t enough to make you sweat, then slide on your shades and check out these and other specially marked items for in-store savings of up to 50% off:

Fishs Eddy Side Plates Regularly $6.95 ea On Sale One Day Only $3.47	Boylan Soda Pop Glasses Regularly $10.25 ea. On Sale One Day Only $5.12
Jamie Young Table Lamp w/ Cork Drum Shade Regularly $214 / $158 On Sale One Day Only $107 / $79	Thomas O’Brien Surveyor’s Lamp Regularly $750 On Sale One Day Only $375
Salem Baking Co. Cookies Regularly $6.50 On Sale One Day Only $3.25	Art Deco Globe Regularly $215 On Sale One Day Only $107.50

Don’t worry e-shoppers you get the discount too. Enter the coupon code SUMMER to get your 20% discount on everything at RedBarnMercantile.com.

*Offer only applies to in-stock merchandise and cannot be applied to special orders, including new furniture and lamps.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter to get more special offers like this delivered to your inbox.

When the sun sets, the classiest room in the world is nothing without the right lighting. Too much or too little light, the right tone of the shade, the right shape of the base, the distribution of light from standing floor lamps to petite table lamps all have to come together to set the proper mood.

Whether you like classical, vintage-inspired industrial, modern or whimsical, Red Barn Mercantile has what you need to make your favorite room shine. And during the month of April every lamp, light and shade in the store is 25 percent off.

Lamps and fixtures reflect your personality as much as your largest pieces of furniture or smallest keepsake treasures. Day or night, they are among the first things you see when you enter any room.

Not exactly sure what you need? Make an appointment with one of our staff designers to assess your room and help you find the perfect lighting solution.

Brands include: Jamie Young, Arteriors, Visual Comfort, Thomas O’Brien, Architects & Heroes, Barbara Cosgrove and more. And our special 25% off discount applies to special orders too.

I love the Oscars.

There. I said it. It’s a bit of an obssession really but, I’ll work on that later. Right now we are celebrating all things red carpet.

This weekend, March 5th to the 8th, we are celebrating the movies with popcorn, Oscar winners playing on a big screen in the store and a once-a-year discount on all our rugs — red or otherwise!

What is more Hollywood than the red carpet?  We think the best way to celebrate is to give you 15% off makers like Dash & Albert, John Robshaw, Amy Butler, Serena & Lily and Thomas Paul.  Between all these lines there are nearly 200 styles of rugs from which you can choose.

Come by, pick a few out, take them home, try them out in your space, bring them back and order the size you need.  It’s a simple and very user friendly process.  Knowledgeable (and stylish) staff will be on hand all weekend to help you with all your rug needs.

We’ll see you at the movies!

Hello all!

I’m not sure about you, but the snow melting is a welcome sign of Spring.  Whew!  Because the snow made it so hard for you to get to us – and us to get to you – we have decided to extend February’s Semi-Annual Upholstery Sale.  Until March 14th you still have an opportunity to get 25% off all our Cisco Brothers upholstery. 

The 25% is for all special orders, but there is one chair still on the floor waiting for someone to make him their own and.  We have a ton of styles from which you can choose.  And, remember, you are not confined by the standard measurements.  Because Cisco makes their furniture from a pile of FSC certified wood to your custom sofa, you can have whatever length suits your space. 

You aren’t limited by fabric either.  Cisco provides us with a wonderful aray of fabrics.  Pluse we carry several fabric lines that can be used to make your one-of-a-kind piece.  For instance, we have almost the entire fabric collection from John Robshaw at our disposal.  You can do what John Robshaw did with John Derian’s Cisco Brothers made furniture.

You can do this too…

Just a thought…

Anyway, I hope your Spring Fever gets you out to the store soon to take advantage of this great sale!

Take care,

Amy

The snowpocalypse blizzard of 2010 forced us to close Saturday and Sunday. And if you live in the greater DC area, you are likely trapped in its icy grip too. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun shopping!
 
If cabin fever is starting to set in, shop our virtual store and receive a special 20% discount off your entire online order (excluding antiques and already marked down upholstered furniture). Just enter the coupon code SNOW when you check out.
 
So go to the window, stick your tongue out at mean Jack Frost and snuggle up next to your favorite PC or Mac for some indoor winter fun.

UPDATE, February 28, 2010: Because of February’s heavy snowfall, we are extending our Semi-Annual Furniture Sale another two weeks. Recent melting has thawed street parking in Old Town and getting around is much easier. If you put off shopping for your new custom chair or sofa, don’t wait much longer. These specials end with the Ides of March and won’t be back until September.

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Have you had trouble finding furniture that fits a tiny living space or fills a giant family room? Sometimes off-the-floor models just won’t work.

Now you can create your own signature style with custom furniture during Red Barn Mercantile’s Semi-Annual Furniture SALE.

During the month of February all custom furniture is marked down 25 percent. Some special floor models will be marked down too.

Start with one of Red Barn Mercantile’s sofas or chairs from Cisco Brothers, then tell us how you need to tweak it — alter the shape, color or size.

All of Cisco Brothers’ furniture is bench made in the USA and can be customized to your specifications. Turn cramped into quaint or empty into exquisite. Bring your measurements, fabric and paint swatches today and Red Barn’s knowledgeable staff will help you design the perfect piece.

Visit our store at 113 S. Columbus St., to see these special offers for yourself. And as always you can match your new furniture purchase with an antique cabinet, table or accent for added warmth and flare.

UPDATE, February 4, 2010: The Old Town Boutique District Warehouse Sale has been postponed until February 13 because of the heavy winter storm forecast for this weekend. Please join us next Saturday at the George Washington Masonic Memorial from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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You’ll want to get in line early for this year’s Old Town Boutique District Warehouse Sale.

The first ones in the door will get specially marked down merchandise from Red Barn Mercantile and more Old Town merchants than ever before.

Invite a friend. She’ll thank you later.

Besides Red Barn Mercantile, other participating stores include:

PLUS other local designers including: Queen Bee, Top It Off, Fornash and Andrea D’Ambrosia Designs.

Doors will open at 9 a.m. and the sale will end at 3 p.m. Once again, this special event will be held at the George Washington Masonic Memorial (directions). Limited free parking will be available, but the King Street Metro station is just across the street for easy Metro access.

Ring in the New Year with a brand new bedroom — from wonderfully white to classic and colorful. Nothing is better on a cold winter day than snuggling up in a fluffy down duvet covered in cottony softness.

Red Barn Mercantile has bedding to satisfy every taste. And from January 2 through January 31, all of our bedding is on sale 25 percent off.

Choose from:

This limited offer applies to both in-stock merchandise and special orders, so now’s your chance to make your room uniquely you. Sheet sets, duvet covers, quilts, coverlets, shams, bed skirts, pillows and more are all marked down. But don’t delay. When January is over, so is this sale.