Pottery Barn has built a reputation for high-quality furniture, stylish designs, and affordable price tags to match.
But not everyone walks away happy with their purchases—especially when what arrives at the door looks nothing like what they saw online.
That’s exactly what almost happened to TikTok user Kylie Cook (@kylizzlec). In her video, which has over 343,300 views at the time of writing, she warns shoppers about a major issue she ran into while trying to buy a couch.
What’s wrong with the Pottery Barn couch?
“Literally do not order anything from Pottery Barn unless you go in person,” Cook starts.
“You see this couch,” Cook exclaims as she shows off the couch she nearly bought—a deep burgundy sectional listed in a shade called Merlot Velvet.
“I was two clicks away from ordering this, OK,” she says. “I just want you to really take in this color.”
The couch, as shown on the website, is a dark, wine-red color. Exactly what you’d expect from something called Merlot.
But then, Cook reveals the fabric sample she saw in person.
“What the [expletive]?” she says, showing a bright Christmas-red swatch that looks nothing like the photo. “What in the divorced dad is that?”
Cook says she spent four months considering the purchase—it wasn’t a small one, either.
At the time, the couch cost $4,916. But after seeing the sample, she was stunned by how far off the actual color was.
“In what world is this color even close to that?” she says.
And it’s not just that particular couch. Cook claims every version of the sofa in Merlot Velvet looks the same on Pottery Barn’s website, even though the actual fabric is completely different.
No refunds, no returns?
To make things worse, Cook alleges Pottery Barn’s policies make the situation worse.
“You can’t return [expletive],” she states.
Cook calls that insane, especially when the product being advertised doesn’t match what customers are actually getting.
“I understand that it’s hard to get the exact color to be communicated online,” she says. “But this is giving [expletive] AI-generated picture because there is no lighting, no camera settings, nothing that’s going to make that color look like that color.”
She also points out that many customers don’t have the luxury of waiting for fabric swatches before making a purchase—especially if they’re moving and need furniture quickly.
After seeing the actual fabric sample, Cook decided against the purchase and checked out other furniture stores. But she didn’t have much luck.
“I went to every other furniture store that was in the shopping center,” she says. “All of them didn’t have any kind of velvet that was close to that color… I think I’m just never going to get a couch now.”
Is Pottery Barn’s return policy as strict as she says?
As per Pottery Barn’s return policy, customers can return items within 30 days of receiving an order, or within seven days for Quick Ship upholstery items, for a refund of the merchandise value.
However, just as Cook said, certain items are not eligible for return, such as “monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, and made-to-order or custom-upholstered furniture,” according to Pottery Barn’s official website.
What do viewers think of Pottery Barn furniture?
Pottery Barn furniture has mixed reviews online.
On Yelp, the retailer has an average rating of 2.3 out of 5 stars across thousands of reviews, with some customers loving their experience and others swearing they’ll never shop there again.
Some reviewers say the in-store service is great. “Excellent service and well-organized store,” one customer wrote. “I was assisted by Kathy immediately. Everyone was helpful and the price point was great.”
Others however complained about the quality of the pieces. “Extremely over priced for stuff you can get on Amazon for $30,” wrote another reviewer. “It’s messy and the employees are nowhere to be found.”
That said, if you’re thinking about dropping a few grand on a couch, it might be worth a trip to the store first.
Commenters are on Cook’s side
In the comments, users were glad Cook dodged the headache of ordering the couch. Many agreed that the color looked completely different.
“Whew, dodged a bullet there!” exclaimed one user.
“That is literally cinema red,” reiterated another.
“Girl. You just saved me. YOU SAVED ME!!!” wrote a third grateful commenter. “I was going to get this exact couch.”
@kylizzlec @potterybarn #furnitureshopping ♬ original sound – k
The Daily Dot has reached out to Cook via TikTok and Instagram messages. We’ve also contacted Pottery Barn via email for comment.
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