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Wednesday AM - PM. Thursday AM - PM. Friday AM - PM. Saturday By Appointment. Sunday Call for Availability. Charlotte Holiday Hours. By Appointment Only: December 28th — 30th. I had intended to carry on with this exquisite Florida home and I will— by the beatific and immensely talented Summer Thornton. However, I got just a leeeeetle bit side-tracked by a massive road-block. What is it Laurel? Oops sorry. I mean Restoration Hardware.
And this in no way is meant to disparage her or her work, because I admire her talent immensely. And frankly, probably nothing else either except maybe sheets. You can get your sheets there and maybe a framed print of the Flat Iron Building. Oh wait. Forget the print. Even that is a piece of crap in my opinion. You do, huh?
Well… I did too… once upon a time…………………………………….. The flat iron building erected in at 22 stories tall was considered quite the skyscraper in its day. Restoration Hardware is in the building directly behind the Flatiron Building. An Italianate structure, it was built in and was one of the first commercial buildings constructed in this area.
They tore that one down and erected a modern high-rise apartment building, Madison Green, circa My future husband lived there when I met him in Via Googs maps is a birds-eye duh view of the Flatiron, Madison Green to the right and Restoration Hardware; a high-end home furnishings retailer.
This is how I remember the store looking — photo: Daytonian in Manhattan. Restoration Hardware got its humble beginnings in California back in The store had its ups and downs and at a low point, they brought in Gary Friedman, the president of Williams-Sonoma in to rescue it. He is the current CEO. To Mr. He obviously, brought renewed life into the brand which survived the recession of I recall receiving my 17 pound bundle and thinking they must be barking mad.
We have a recycling bin adjacent to our mailboxes and there it went immediately along with the other junk mail. This couple wrote a very funny satire on the best uses for the Restoration Hardware attempt at deforesting the world. This massive renovation was occurring at the same time at the Flatiron store. FPE Architects. Rebranding okay, but black? On the other hand, the darkness suits them. Yes, four ginormous sofas, coffee table, dining table… chairs… lighting….
Yes, the price for one of something is more than if you buy in bulk, but even those prices are a fraction of the retail price RH is charging their customers. Probably not. They might very well be knock offs. But it shows how much the same or similar products are selling for. Handcrafted from reclaimed French oak staves and hoops, the openwork design — inspired by the French Empire form — is at once rustic and refined, organic and elegant. At home indoors and out, it proudly bears the marks and imperfections of salvaged wood.
I mean, they have to pay for all of those trees and printing somehow? There are hundreds of manufacturers in China. And sure, sometimes they change some of the details, but often. But wait. Furthermore reports have it that these ads are a sham. So buyer beware. Oh, I could keep going, but you get it and I have better things to do with my time.
Can you get other Restoration Hardware items from China besides lighting? And you can also get far better deals for the same stuff on Ebay. Like this bed for example. It is cheap crap from China. Not only are they screwing the public, they have cheated many loyal designers who shop there for their clients. People like me. And that just plain sucks. However, these shoddy business practices appear to be catching up with them. I hear from my fellow designers that they have had nothing but problems with the quality of the furniture.
Out of 43 ratings, 33 gave them one-star. We already went through this abomination in an old post about the best sofas to buy. I want people to buy quality. And while I realize that not everything can be made in this country, a lot of my vendors ARE producing a quality product in the USA and selling it for an appropriate margin.
To end on a far happier note. Oh my stars! I almost forgot. I used random. Everyone was assigned a number and I told it to pick 3 numbers and the numbers connected to the names were the winners. Then, I realized that I better have some alternates, so I did it one more time and picked 3 more. Hearty Congratulations to Susan S. Sorry to hear that about the drapes. Reply Cancel. Do they really need to make their whole years profit off just 1 or 2 items?!?
On the UP side—I do like to make my own knockoffs of their stuff for REsale—at a fraction of the price of course! Of course, importing has other costs associated with it and those very well are not the same products, but they might be. I just discovered that RH is private labeling several fixtures by Visual Comfort and sold at Circa Lighting and other vendors.
Hi Laurel. I discovered your blog a few months ago, and I am enjoying it tremendously. Thank you for pointing out the ridiculousness of the RH catalog tonnage, it was extremely off-putting to me. That Gary guy might be a marketing genius, but the first time I saw his picture in some glossy magazine, I felt compelled to check my local SO registry website. Anyway, the sheets came and as I was preparing to wash them I was shocked to discover the fitted sheet was completely split in two.
Horrified, I called RH and they promised to send an entire new set. I was happy… until the new set arrived with exactly the same problem. That has never happened to me from any other bedding source and it broke the spell of all that lush photography.
I appreciate all the varying comments on this subject but I would like to say that one reason your blog is so enjoyable I think, is that it is a lovely place to go and dream, leaving the strident world behind.
Every year the price went up, and my dad wanted to pay to fill that tank just once a year. He built a big, black iron wood-burner in our basement to help with heating the floor of the house.
At the time he was working as a chemist at a distillery and he brought home many truck loads of bourbon barrel staves that we used in our stove. Talk about sweet smelling smoke! Perhaps RH should think about going into the firewood biz the next time they stumble on some French oak barrels! What a lovely, sweet comment and story of your childhood on Owensboro. Yes, I did read that in another post featuring a picture of the McCurty sp?
Thank you again Laurel for such a wonderful blog. It really gives a lift to my day! No cardboard backing, no flaking or discoloring of the hardware. Like most American furniture manufacturers many of their products are made overseas but that does not necessarily mean bad quality. The issue is not that the furniture is made in China or anywhere else. It is that it is not high-end. As an interior designer in this business for 27 years, I can tell you that I work with dozens of vendors who are selling an excellent product and for the same or less than RH.
Yes, some of those vendors need to try harder because I feel they fall short in the marketing department. Thanks for this revealing and entertaining post. I recently noticed the same phenomenon whilst shopping online for bathroom decorative hardware towel bars, tp holders, hooks. It is almost certainly the case that the same three factories in China are manufacturing the hardware that gets rebranded here in the states and sold at wildly varying price points.
While many people recommend Ginger accessories, I am suspicious of the high price — which is exactly what I felt about RH accessories, which are reputed to be high quality. Or … would that be available in your Rolodex ;-? Warm regards. Did you know that Resto bought up Waterworks? Hi Laurel, I meant towel bars, tp holders, hooks — not plumbing fixtures.
This is a great post, and one I think you could do on any number of stores. I have been really disappointed in the way Restoration Hardware has gone in the past few years, where everything is gray and oversized and overpriced. Sometimes I think they have forgotten they are a store, not a gallery. One thing I would point out, though, about the furniture is the pricing. I understand that Lee may be better quality, made in the USA, etc.
Sometimes the difference in price is worth not having a couch that will last forever. Thanks again for all the great work you do on this blog, it is one of my favorites. Go to the Comfortable Couch Company. Fabulous source.
Your post popped up on my Facebook feed via someone that must be a subscriber and felt it was worth a read…and actually a response. To label RH in the way that you have is, in my opinion, is a little like blaming Whole Foods for the fact a conventionally grown apple they sell is more than it is at… say..
For example…you note the wine barrel chandelier at Restoration Hardware. Having actually been in France with Rudi to purchase and load up the truly vintage French barrels which were then deconstructed into staves I bore more than one bruise from that labor of love. And from that pick up we drove more than a few hours to numerous European workshops where the chandeliers were actually made for RH.
This is actually fact. Furthermore, without a platform like RH, those artisans would never have been able to make a living doing what they love in…and maintain an family run craft that, at times, was 2 to 3 generations strong. This is but one example of what could be page upon page that I could give to you of actual fact related to what you stated above.
Design development costs. Royalty agreements to artists.. Construction methods. Retail environments. Travel costs. Procurement of environmentally concious materials. For with a little more research, you would see that lighting is actually one of the categories in which patent protection does not exist…so the Chinese vendors you are showing are actually ripping off many of the original designs of the true artists…the ones that RH gave a platform to from which they built a living for their families.
For if you authentically want to see an industry change…how exactly does singling out a sole retailer actually accomplish that goal? As a consultant for numerous levels of the retail landscape, I could unbiasedly argue that RH has been the single largest influencer of elevating the design knowledge of the buying public domestically and internationally and, in turn, forced an entire industry to once again invest in a consumer shopping experience in the physical World.
Furthermore, the traffic that an RH store or other design inspired leader plug-in: Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Crate and Barrel drives to a mall location has a significant ripple effect across all other retailers in that location…which is well documented by traffic flow patterns when the move to an outside location.
So instead of directing blame to them for something that has been the basis of retail for the last years… I choose to look at them for what they…as any other retailer should be.. Having a voice in social media is a huge gift that no doubt takes endless effort and more energy than anyone, other than someone in it, could know but it also comes with true responsibility.
You obviously have tremendous talent and a great passion for the industry…yet my challenge to you would be to consider how it could be used to actually elevate what you deem an inherent weakness in the global industry rather than call out a single player unfairly. For that, in my opinion, actually just devalues us all. Thank you for your very detailed explanation. And in those comments, I explain some points that you brought up and what my main point is which was lost on some individuals.
My aim with this blog is to educate, entertain and open up a dialog for the greater good of all. And by All, I mean Restoration Hardware too. I want them to succeed, but not at the expense of my colleagues. Surely, the company is aware and is working to create a brand synonymous with quality as well as integrity? Because at the moment, the jury has concluded otherwise. Most of the brands you mentioned in the home furnishings industry are not portending to be high end.
It is as if the gap suddenly started selling their torn, faded jeans for a thousand dollars a pair and then built an exquisite hotel in which to sell them in order to elevate their stature. For years, Restoration Hardware was a brand which was known to be affordable and charming. At least I thought so. I wish that would come back. But if it wants to be a luxury brand, then something else needs to change IMO.
Again, thank you Robb for taking the time to write your perspective. Our company took a stand and decided to build here. Others can do the same. We talked with Ethan Allen and they, for the most part, build here too. I respect that. Keep it local and the locals will benefit.
Our government is at fault. They promote it. China will do anything for a dollar, they are worse than Trump. Ethan Allen quality is quite poor for their price point. I have quite a bit of EA in my home. I bought gorgeous floor lamps from them at a high price point because I simply loved the style.
Imagine my surprise when the made in China label arrived. I am in less than ideal location for furniture refinishing. I seriously considered a EA couch before I began researching online.
When I found out they did not do 8 way hand tied anymore, I nixed them. Some casegoods may be quality, but not the ones with backs. They have cardboard on the back. Mine, about 25 years old, certainly does. Also, when I bought that chest, the in house designer emphasized EA keeps its lines for a long time, so I could come back and buy other pieces. Guess what, within a year or so, the line, which I loved, was gone. Good thing in the end because I subsequently learned that I was paying top price for a mid level quality.
Now I have a aniline dyed green chest I cannot match. My taste has changed anyway, so I am considering refinishing the chest. It did convince me I love aniline dyed wood. I was comfortable enough with EA to buy fabric with which to reupholster a great Craigslist find of French bergeres buy a top notch manufacturer. My Hickory Chair couch in white, bleachable Sunbrella is both gorgeous and more comfortable than my expensive mattress. If American manufacturers asked for quality products out of those factories, the Americans could get them.
Chinese leaders need to plan for their billion plus population; they need to feed and water them. This is a matter of survival. Do I support the regime? Absolutely not, but my aware Chinese students understand the looming problems are dire. American businessmen like Trump are the problem. They always seek maximum profit for inferior products. As others on this thread have personally attested to: one can order any level of quality in Asia.
Now as far as hiring Americans and creating American jobs, this is a critical issue and very complex. We all need to live lightly on the earth. Purposefully create and consume excellent products at a fair price point. Mostly business executives are to blame, but Americans who do a poor job, e.
Sorry to go on, but your posting hit a number of nerves. I have a lot more to say on these topics. Loved your article! My daughter is living in Malaysia for two years and has foun that between there and the surrounding countries she has travelled to that the furniture you can find rivals anything at Pottery Barn, RH, etc. She also says you can find someone to custom make anything you want with just a picture and very little money. That sounds terrific Kat. What about getting it back over here?
I want to say that your honesty in this post makes me want to hire you for a long distance consultation. Gary Friedman is the epitome of what is wrong with American business practices.
He may be clever, but he is not smart. Customer satisfaction needs to be the number one evaluation point for executives of all stripes. Someone should do a dystopian tv show dressed in RH ripoffs which places people living in huge warehouses dealing with decrepit furniture breaking all around them.
Parts falling from 30 foot high ceiling light fixtures, people unable to keep their cafeteria style tables clean; others being hurt from splinters. Sofas seats falling flat to the floor when hapless post apocalyptic residents just try to rest for a few minutes. RH sent me those catalogs after I purchased a toilet paper holder. I started drooling, but the more I looked, the stranger everything appeared. Deconstruction is for literary theory and avante guard architecture.
Deconstructed furniture not only looks uncomfortable, it looks dirty. Ripping off vulnerable Americans is a hellish thing to do. I have an online friend who insisted on buying RH dining room table, chairs and rug. A lot of us tried to dissuade her, but she honestly felt they were the best choices for her. I am not so sure about the sisal rug.
The former employee who commented here had a lot of good things to say about the general accuracy of your analysis but wound up accusing you of a vendetta.
Neither do I have a direct stake in the design industry, except as a hapless customer. RH is just one story among hundreds of thousands concerning selling overpriced junk to unaware Americans. Unfortunately, even those of us who are aware get ripped off over and over because choices for products we need almost on a daily basis are limited to non-existent. I am willing to pay a premium price to have a plastic mechanism which lasts.
Try replacing them. It is almost impossible as the fancy and often expensive bottles have different size threads. Anyone have a source for either of these products? What RH does better than anyone else is marketing. They know exactly how to play on the emotions of their customers. They know how to make people think that they like their furnishings and not only like them, NEED to acquire them!
I learned this in design school. Presentation is everything and yet so many brands fail to understand this. Basically, most of us, whether we realize it or not, are insecure. And I will whole-heartedly put myself in that category. But I have found that people often really want to be told what to do and to feel secure that what they are doing will be met with approval from others.
It always makes me laugh and reminds me that we are all in this together. What I DO know is that for a time, he brought this brand from the brink of disaster into an immensely successful company. And in some ways, I think his vision has merit. But we all make them. Oh, it was so, so pretty and I was immensely proud of it!
I had, had this dream for years and decided that it was high time to just do it and that one thing alone made me proud of myself. Just one not-so-little problem. I had it all backwards. We will see what happens in the coming months and years with RH. I have high hopes that they can turn some of this around.
They did it before. All u have to do, if u r looking for quality, is to feel the arm of a sofa or chair. Everyone here is brave enough to tell the truth. Very few people can allocate their resources to truly finely made, custom furniture.
Their return numbers says it all. There are political parallels , but no one wants to go there. I love your silver leafed Astor Bombe Chest. I have NO showrooms, etc. Can I call you guys directly to get a price? Thanks for stopping by! I looked at both of your websites. Gorgeous and legitimately high-end. Ummmm every furniture manufacturers we see at wholesale market does this.
Especially all the big box retailers, pottery barn, west elm, target… Same with most consumer goods made overseas. Clothes from gap, jcrew, Anthropologie, etc. But the exact same quality!! All of these years we sales associates were told that the higher prices at Restoration Hardware were justified because our furniture was superior, handcrafted in America at companies with extremely high quality assurance standards that could be openly evaluated and monitored.
We passed this information on to the customers and showed them how to evaluate the quality of the pieces, etc. And it turns out, we were big fat liars.
Because it turns out, it can all just be made on an assembly line in China and you can get the identical quality for a lot less money. Or wait, maybe the company is lying now. It will be a product of lesser quality but the company is hoping really hard that charging a couple of hundred dollars less will mean that people will be blinded by the good deal.
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