The Restoration Hardware Look in a Showroom

 After doing all of the research on how to get the Restoration Hardware look for a showroom, I decided to try it out. Here are some images of me applying the info from the last post to work at my store!

The furniture and accessories in this vignette are all Resto looking, but my favorite part is the canopy! A co-worker and I found some burlap from Pottery Barn's Prop collection (a fun source for visual merchandisers! But this item now looks like its discontinued). We draped it over the bed using two drapery rods, pins to hold the fabric in place, chain (I buy chain by the bolt from Home Depot and cut it myself- it sure beats waiting for an employee from Home Depot doing it for you- that just takes forever), twist-on clips to connect to the grid ceiling, and small s-hooks that connect the chain to the twist-on clips. (p.s. none of these are affiliate links. I just had to learn this stuff the hard way so I thought I would pass on what works best for me).

 I am a visual merchandiser for 10 furniture stores. For a contest, I sent the stores my findings from the last post and asked them to recreate their own Restoration Hardware look. I received both of these last images as entrees. Didn't they turn out great?!? I love that they both used the classic Resto layout- two display cabinets behind a sofa or table and large chandeliers.

So my new goal for this blog is to update it weekly. I have some fun tutorials on how I got some high impact art for cheap (around $60) and I actually tried the tea staining DIY I recommended to get the Resto look on books and can't wait to show you how it looks in a showroom. Plus, I am going to be on TV next week and will share the segment and some tips on how to bring the Pantone 2014 color of the year into your home or store. Should be fun!

Getting that Restoration Hardware look for your Showroom

I have such a love for the Restoration Hardware look. Being a visual merchandiser, I like to try to incorporate different looks into my store's design when I find it applicable. Lately I have been thinking about what gives Restoration Hardware their distinctive look.
But first, some background (from their website). "Restoration Hardware is a luxury brand in the home furnishings marketplace offering furniture, lighting, textiles, bathware, décor, outdoor and garden, as well as baby & child products.We serve as a curator of the finest historical design the world has to offer. Our collections of timeless, updated classics and authentic reproductions provide a unique point of view and an unmatched combination of inspired design, high quality and unparalleled value. Each season brings a wealth of new ideas culled from our exclusive partnerships with the world's most renowned artisans, allowing us to showcase their unique products, passion and vision." The company was founded in 1980 to sell restored hardware (obviously). In 2001, Gary Friedman took over the company (we was formally the president of Williams Sonoma) and has reshaped the brand to be what it is now (although he resigned in 2012). The look seems loosly based on Axel Vervoordt's interiors. "Restoration Hardware has done a superb job of adapting a dash of Axel’s witty overscale sofas with a typical Belgian understated monochromatic décor with plain linen upholstery. And there’s Belgian flea-market rough-and-tumble antiques thrown in." (from this article)
So here are my tips if you want to your store to look a little more Resto too:
1. Paint-Go greige or go home. You can buy Restoration Hardware's very own (and very expensive) paint line, or you can buy their paint deck for $10 and have their Slate color matched (I've found Behr's Graceful Grey or Glidden's Wood Smoke are close matches). For a safer look, white always works.

2. For upholstery select masculine leather or tufted linen pieces. Combine with a large case good or a set of case goods behind the sofa and a picture/clock between the case goods. Remember, symmetry is always best

3. For a dining table- start with a farm table and combine with linen upholstered chairs. The more over sized the table (and the accessories on top), the better. And, of course, top with a fantastic chandelier

4. In the bedroom, remember, neutral high-end linens and oversized casegoods.

5. For art, here are some popular motifs that Restoration Hardware uses: black and white architecture photography, flags, framed letters or music, family crests, clocks, antlers, maps, architectural drawings, large mirrors, subway art, and medical art

6. For accessories- go big! Also keep with the neutral theme. Books especially tea stained ones (here's a tutorial on getting that antique book look). Accessories I frequently see RH use: cloches, small touches of nature (flowers, greenery, orchids are a sure bet), architectural salvages, large bowls, groupings of candles, candlesticks, busts, neutral pottery, trunks, and globes. Keep it simple!

 

7. Lighting- more is more. Add a (huge) chandelier , lamps, and sconces. For lamps go industrial. For chandeliers wood, metal or crystal all works you can even add two over a dining table.

All images via Restoration Hardware.
Check back next week on how I used these suggestions in my store!

Store Design- Tips and what I Learned

For work I was asked to do some store design for a new clothing store they wanted to open- it was a new concept store from what they have done in the past. I was asked to pick out wall colors, wallpaper, and a few fixtures. I thought that it sounded fun so I said yes and started my research. The look was boutique + vintage + on trend. We all know I love Anthropologie, so I began with a trip to the store.

I love how they use their furniture as fixtures and I took some pictures of what works for them. I found a few options I really liked- my favorite was a dining table in combination with a cocktail table and a mannequin. I also liked a round table for displaying accessories. I sourced furniture my company carries for those fixtures.

While doing my research, I also looked at paint colors in retail shops. As I mentioned in my Rifle Paper Co. blog, I think white walls are perfect for a store- it lets the product shine. So I selected a Martha Steward paint- Picket Fence (Martha is my fave- she is so good at colors that I start with her paints when choosing a color first). The dining table I selected has a teal base so I picked a coordinating color- Winter Surf by Behr.

We really wanted to incorporate wallpaper so I spent a lot of time sourcing this. Finding wallpaper that wasn’t dated, but fresh and modern with a lemon theme was a little challenging. I finally found the perfect lemon yellow flocked paper with a crisp white floral pattern- and let me tell you, it was love at first sight. I created a mood board with everything and presented it to the CEO’s of the company.

I had actually first considered painting the walls grey, but that was nixed and I am so glad it was- like I said above, white is perfect. We have now since opened two stores with these designs! The first was in Washington State, so I wasn’t able to see it (although I do have a few pictures I will share).

The second was close by, so I was able to stop by and see it. It was so fun to see my designs in real life- and the store turned out so cute! There were a lot of fun details that were added by my coworkers that really made it sparkle (aka, my design was good but the execution by others was excellent and it was fun to see how they added to my vision). In the second store we used wallpaper for the dressing rooms. I was a little concerned with using grey stripes on all the walls- I thought it would be like a fun house. The stripes are so adorable, but they do mess with your eyes while you are in the dressing room.

Anyway, it was a great and fun experience to design a clothing store! Have you ever designed a store? What surprise things did you learn?