Pottery Barn Vs Crate & Barrel: Which One Fits Your Style?
Furniture shopping is not only time-consuming, but it’s also costly. Check out our guide on Pottery Barn VS Crate & Barrel so you can make an informed decision!
When moving into a new place, shopping for furniture can be a nightmare.
It’s not just that you have to find a piece that fits your style, it’s also about finding a store that has the right pieces and reasonable prices for you, endlessly browsing the catalogs of stores like Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel, two favorite stores for many homeowners.
Both are American furniture brands with a loyal following of home decor enthusiasts, but which one suits your style? It’s important to know more about these brands before making such a big investment for your living space – and it’s also important to go for furniture that will last you a long time without breaking down.
Below, we’ve analyzed the differences between Pottery Barn Vs Crate & Barrel, so you can make an informed purchasing decision. We’ll look at factors such as pricing, styles and aesthetics, target demographic and more.
An Overview Of Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn is part of Williams Sonoma, which is also the parent company of West Elm, another hugely popular home decor and furniture store.
Pottery Barn was founded in 1948 by Paul Secon and his brother Morris, who opened their first store in California. Since then, they’ve expanded their stores across the U.S., Canada and Mexico with over 200 locations today (and of course, an online store).
The main focus at Pottery Barn is furniture for your home—including indoor pieces like tables and chairs as well as outdoor items like outdoor rugs or decorations for your garden or patio area.
They also sell kitchenware including bakeware and cookware sets that help make food prep more enjoyable! They have something for everyone: from rustic style pieces to high-end designs that are perfect for young families or professionals looking for high-end furnishings without breaking the bank.
Pottery Barn also produces apartment-friendly furniture for small spaces, perfect for young professionals living on their own for the first time.
An Overview Of Crate & Barrel
Crate & Barrel is a homeware retailer that specializes in contemporary designs and modern furniture, housewares and decorative items. The company was founded in 1962 by Gordon and Carole Segal who opened the first local store in Chicago, Illinois.
The couple decided to open Crate & Barrel after their honeymoon in the Caribbean, where they got inspired by high-quality and tasteful European furniture.
Crate & Barrel aims to provide functional yet aesthetically pleasing products to young people starting out in life. This includes their signature Crate & Barrel tableware line as well as plenty of other must-have items like accent chairs, sofas and dining tables in various shapes, sizes and modern designs that you can use to complete your living room or dining room.
Aside from their popular Crate & Barrel tableware line which can be found at stores nationwide or online through their website, they also offer an extensive selection of indoor and outdoor furniture pieces plus products like lighting fixtures.
They carry everything you need for your home all under one roof — no need for multiple trips between different retailers when shopping here, since the brand offers such a wide range of options for your living space…you’re sure o get exactly what you want without having to settle.
Pottery Barn Vs Crate & Barrel: The Differences
1. Aesthetic
Crate & Barrel has more of a timeless, clean aesthetic that leans toward the younger market. Pottery Barn, on the other hand, has a wide range of styles on its website and storefronts—it appeals to a wider audience than Crate & Barrel.
Crate & Barrel‘s offerings are more modern in their feel—they use sleek lines and bright colors, and often include unexpected touches such as metal details or bold patterns that help create unique looks. If you want something unusual and eye-catching, Crate & Barrel may be the brand for you!
While Crate & Barrel takes cues from urban style with edgy touches like metal accents or grayish-tinted wood, Pottery Barn is known for its classic American style and use of natural materials.
The brand carries lots of bohemian and rustic pieces that appeal more to people who love a cozy-looking home. The brand also carries many farmhouse-inspired pieces.
If you’re looking for something that will fit in with your current furnishings without making a huge statement, this is the brand for you.
2. Prices
The second thing to know about the two brands is the price range. Pottery Barn is the more affordable option, while Crate & Barrel offers many higher-end items.
Both have great quality and the furniture will last for years to come, but if you don’t have any budget restrictions then Crate & Barrel would be your best choice as they offer more expensive and unique pieces that many customers love.
Although Crate & Barrel is the more pricey store out of the two, Pottery Barn also has statement pieces that are nothing to scoff at.
3. Target Demographic
As we established before, Crate & Barrel targets relatively well-off young professionals that sit somewhere between 25-45 years of age, with 25-35-year-old first-time homeowners being a particularly valuable target demographic.
In contrast, Pottery Barn appeals to people of all ages and doesn’t have an equally pronounced target consumer: shoppers are of all ages – they just love the aesthetics of the store and the pricing.
If you’re looking for high-quality pieces that will last, but aren’t necessarily interested in investing in expensive furniture items like sofas or dining tables, then Pottery Barn may be your best bet.
Customer Service
Neither furniture brands offers free delivery service, so you’ll have to pay extra to have the items delivered to your home. Shipping or delivery typically takes 1-2 weeks for both.
However, both brands also offer white glove delivery service — meaning, you won’t have to worry about unpacking and setting up your furniture as the delivery persons will set it up for you, making it super convenient if you don’t have the time or energy to figure out how to assemble your purchase
For Crate & Barrel, furniture and home decor can be returned within 90 days of receiving an order for a refund.
Pottery Barn on the other hand also accepts returned items within 30 days for a refund.
Neither brand refunds shipping or return fees, which can be costly if you are buying big furniture pieces.
Our Favorite Pottery Barn Vs Crate & Barrel Furniture
1. Chairs
Firstly, let’s talk about chairs.
This traditional tub chair from Crate & Barrel is made with ivory polyester, with a rounded and well-padded frame. It has a cozy, cocoon style that just hugs you in all the right places.
It’s an overall comfortable chair that can be used to read books, drink coffee, or just relax. A singular Nora Tub Chair retails for the price of $899.
On the other hand, the Seagrass Wingback Chair from Pottery Barn is the stuff of chic boho dreams – it’s made of sweater weave seagrass over hardwood frame with a chic grey wash feature. It’s ideal for relaxed spaces – a great statement chair for the living room.
This one wins the chair department since it’s very aesthetically gorgeous, and you can comfortably rest your head while sitting on it.
The Seagrass Wingback chair is a little bit pricier at $999, but hey, for an additional $100, you’ll get a beautiful, rustic chic chair to add to your living room.
2. Coffee Tables
The Knurl Nesting Coffee Tables from Crate & Barrel features a space-saving design as it is a set of two coffee tables that nest into each other.
Its industrial aesthetic echoes a very urban design with machine-inspired details, perfect if you want a modern vibe into your living room. For a good quality handcrafted table, the price is really reasonable at $999.
Pottery Barn’s Tulum Acacia Patio Coffee Table is handcrafted with acacia wood and steel frames, which is the perfect mix of modern and rustic.
The wood feature gives us major farmhouse vibes, which is perfect for either the living room or the patio.
The best part? This gorgeous coffee table retails for a very, very attractive price of only $299. If you’re on a strict budget, then better get the coffee table ASAP.
3. Sofas
Crate & Barrel’s Milos Teak Wood Outdoor Patio Sofa is heavily inspired by Scandinavian aesthetic, as it mirrors a natural and sleek, clean style – like you’re having your very own European honeymoon as what the company founders have previously intended it to be.
The wood feature and white cushions lend warmth to an urban patio, and it is ideal for sitting out on the sun or having drinks while friends while watching the sunset.
This outdoor patio sofa retails for a whopping $2,199.
If you’re on a budget but you still want that Scandinavian-inspired sofa, Pottery Barn has a very similar one retailing for only $1,119. The Raylan Outdoor Sofa is constructed using mortise and tenon joinery, as well as kiln-dried wood.
It is a great option for lounging outdoors on a lazy afternoon, and for soaking up the fresh air while relaxing.
4. Dining Tables
The Aya Natural Wood Farmhouse Dining Table from Crate & Barrel is an interesting mix of angles, slants, and straight edges that are designed to completely capture the attention of the buyer.
This table is designed by Leanne Ford, an interior designer who stars in HGTV’s home renovation series called Restored By The Fords. The table itself is made it solid pine, giving it a rustic yet modern look.
This interesting table can be yours for $1,699.
On the other hand, the Reed Extending Dining Table from Pottery Barn is the epitome of rustic chic – it’s simple yet charming, and it comes with 2 extending breadboard leaves to accommodate additional seating.
If you’re the type of person who likes to host dinner parties, then this extending dining room table is absolutely perfect for you – and it’s very affordable for a good price of only $999!
5. Desks
This versatile, rotating twist desk rotates to a full 360 degrees, which is convenient if you have a big space in your place. This Twist Grey Ash Rotating Desk from Crate & Barrel can be used as an office desk or anything you want to be, really.
According to Crate & Barrel’s website it’s in high demand, and for $1,799, it can a pleasant addition to your office space too. It’s made in Indonesia, so expect to wait for at least two or three months before you get this desk delivered to your home.
If you want a twist desk similar to the Crate & Barrel one but it’s just way out of your price range, no worries! The Cayman Rotating L-Shaped Desk from Pottery Barn retails for an attractive price of only $899.
However, unlike the Twist Grey Ash Desk, this one only rotates to an L-shape, not a full 360 degrees. It”s made with reclaimed solid mango wood from India, which makes it very sturdy.
All in all, both of these stores have great furniture, but it just depends on what you’re looking for. If you prefer a more rustic, farmhouse-style look and feel, then Pottery Barn might be the better choice for your space.
However, if you prefer mid-century modern, urban styles with clean lines and an airy aesthetic, Crate & Barrel may be the better option for your home.
Conclusion
Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel are two great home furnishing stores, but they have very different styles. In this post we’ve given you a quick overview of what each store has to offer, so now it’s time to decide which one fits your needs.
If you prefer a traditional country-style vibe and want to stick to buying more affordable decor pieces, Pottery Barn is the place to shop.
For those who want something traditional and elegant, Crate & Barrel offers beautiful pieces with classic styles that will last for decades. The brand’s products are very high quality so they’ll look good even after years of use!
When you’re shopping for furniture, everyone has their own style. You might have a particular look in mind, or you might just be looking for something that feels right.
Whatever your style is, there are plenty of great places to find the perfect decor items – these two could be just the first ones you start with!
We hope you liked our analysis of Crate & Barrel vs Pottery Barn! Did we miss any important details? Let us know in the comments below!
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