Sitting at a table covered in vibrant bottles of glazes while painting and conversing with my friends would be the perfect Saturday. I invited my friends over, and we drove over to the nearest pottery painting store. I had been to similar stores before, but never to the Clay Cafe in Chantilly.

As I stepped out of the chilly weather and into the store, I instantly felt a wave of warmth. The comforting, homey feel of families joking around and the creativity radiating from different pieces all around the room was enough to captivate me. An employee kindly greeted us and asked us if we had been there before. She explained that we could choose pre-made clay pieces from the shelf and paint them using the glazes lined up on the wall. 

My friends and I made our way to the shelves filled with different clay options. There was an overwhelming number of choices: small animals, mugs, plates, bowls, frames, seasonal pieces, and so much more. After several minutes of deliberation and admiring the cute creations, I finally settled on a little cookie jar, while my friends picked two different bowls. We set our things down and pondered how we would decorate the objects sitting in front of us. As we chose from the plethora of bright glazes, I appreciated how Clay Cafe had every color that would bring my plan to life. Not only that, but the store had all the supplies you could want readily available for customers: sketching pencils, erasers, sponges, napkins, and not to mention a grand variety of brushes in different shapes and sizes.

My friends and I then spent the next two hours laughing and painting small fishes, lemons, flowers, and anything we could imagine. The entire store was enveloped in familiarity and joy. A group of young girls in the back were making their own clay pots, singing happy birthday and appreciating the beauty of each others’ creations. In the front, a father, his son, and his toddler were painting a mug together as a gift for their mother. The atmosphere of Clay Cafe was just as enjoyable as decorating my own cookie jar. The employees, aware of the special bonding occurring all around the room, did not interrupt any of the memorable time people were spending together, allowing them to take as much time as they needed on their work. Even when a customer had a question, they assisted with a kind, relaxing aura.

When my friends and I finally finished, we paid and handed our newly painted objects to an employee. A few weeks later, I received a call from Clay Cafe that our creations were ready. My friends and I met up again and excitedly opened up the wrapping paper. I was thrilled to see that my jar looked even better than I imagined it. Clay Cafe had expertly fired the glazes and the jar was sparkling with color. I peeked inside the jar to see the baby calf that I painted looking up at me with glittering eyes. The flowers and animals I had painted all around the outside looked lively. My friends’ bowls had the same effect. We absolutely loved how they turned out.

When I first found Clay Cafe online, I doubted how much character and quality such a small store could hold. However, the reasonably priced enjoyment that my friends and I got from this experience was definitely worth it. Since then, I have visited two additional times with my family, and I will certainly be going back again.

 

written and photographed by Neeha Mikkilineni

edited by Edmund Garcia