Hello all!

Did you see the Washington Post’s Home Section today?  We’re in it!  I’m just too excited to blog about it now, but will give you the low down later.  But, before I go rejoice, just two things… First, thank you, Terri!  The story is fantastic and I feel fortunate to be able to call you friend.  Second, that’s my mom!  Isn’t she great?!

Will write again as soon as my head is out of the clouds!  Take care,  Amy

Hello! I’ve been wanting to talk about this since Thursday… Did you see the article in last week’s Washington Post Home section about family-friendly interiors? It was really well done and very comprehensive. The tips were spot on!

I especially agree with the thought that good-quality furnishings that can be refinished or recovered over time are better than flimsy new pieces.

It is better for your pocketbook and the environment if you buy something that can be used again once it has outgrown it’s intended purpose.

They give an example of a pine kitchen island as a changing table in a baby’s room - can I just tell you… that is exactly what I did four and a half years ago when my son was born. Now my daughter is using it. Great minds think alike! When she is out of diapers - hopefully VERY soon! - I’ll clean it up and use it somewhere else in my house. Maybe in the kitchen… or maybe not. : )

I could go on and on about the article, but you should read it for yourself. I think it sums up a new style of thinking for the whole home, whether you have kids or not. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Speaking of tips… Please take a look at Vintage Indie’s blog. She very kindly asked us to write some design tips on how to mix old and new. We were very honored to contribute. You can view the three-part series here, here and here. It’s a great blog with really neat handcrafted features. I hope you find my tips helpful as well!

Finally, I wanted to give you a proverbial heads up about an upcoming sale. Beginning February 1, all upholstered pieces on the sales floor will be discounted 25%. And, if that weren’t enough, we are giving 15% off all upholstery special orders. Oh, and there will be several accessories on sale too. More details to follow. Sign up for our email list for more information and reminders.

That’s it for tonight! Take care, Amy

Hello all! Today we made the papers!

In today’s edition of the Washington Post Express there was a great article about Home Decor in 2008. It was very cheeky and full of great advice! I especially loved the reference to desperate Tennessee Williams characters and the correlation made between the chair-and-a-half phenomenon and the obesity crisis. Brilliant! Here is a link to the article in case you didn’t get your copy on the way to work today.

Oh yeah, that’s me on the paprika sofa. Yikes! Family and friends agree, the furniture looks good! So, it’s not the photographer’s fault that I look like that. : ) Preston had to reassure me that I’m just not that photogenic. I don’t think she would lie to me…. My mug staring blandly back at me aside, it’s a great article and I’m terribly grateful to Jennifer Barger for, one, including us and, two, making me sound articulate. When we spoke I rattled on about the demise of Shabby Chic and poorly painted white furniture. Kind of glad she didn’t use that.

I would like to point out that we carry a couple of things mentioned in the article. We have the Thomas Paul pillows mentioned in #7 and the Wooden Stag Head mentioned in #5. Both are fantastic and really add a chic touch to any home.

I hope you will stop by the store and check out those things and the items in the photo - there is another row of four presidential pics that didn’t make the shot. This little vignette looks great! I think you will like it.

Take care and Happy New Year!

In the spirit of the giving season we have extended the 20% discount on any one item in the store to Xmas Eve!

Everyone has been so supportive of the store that we wanted to say thank you! It’s not much, but we hope you know how much we appreciate your business, your referrals to friends and your kind words of encouragement.

Thanks and we hope to see you soon! Amy

Today is a red letter day for Red Barn. We just got our first mention in the mainstream media and I’m sure it won’t be our last.

The Washington Post got the scoop. You can look for our story on page 2 of the Home section or read it here. The story also included photos of the store and of Amy. Thanks to Meaghan Wolff and the editors of the Post for doing such a great job.

We’re working on placements in other publications. If you’re interested in writing about Red Barn Mercantile, please contact Amy or me.