A furniture shop may not seem like a must-visit destination in Paris, but the new RH Paris is much more than just a furniture store. It’s gallery, restaurants and garden are so distinctive, beautiful and grand that the complex – despite its American roots – doesn’t seem out of place on the Champs-Élysées alongside French icons such as Dior, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

How it all began

Stephen Gordon founded Restoration Hardware in Eureka, California, in 1979 while doing up a Victorian home and discovering affordable, high-quality hardware and fixtures hard to find.  The company expanded slowly in Northern California and Boston before raising outside capital from Cardinal Investments which allowed it to accelerate its expansion. The company had 47 stores when it went public in 1998, ending the year with over 65 stores.

In 2001, Gary Friedman joined the company from Williams-Sonoma as Chief Executive Officer when Restoration Hardware’s sales were waning and the company was seeking additional capital. Gordon left in 2005. In 2007, Sears Holdings Corporation purchased 13.7% of the shares of Restoration Hardware, prompting speculation that Sears might attempt a full takeover. But the company instead joined forces with Catterton Partners and took Restoration Hardware private in 2008.

In 2012, Restoration Hardware underwent an initial public offering, and was renamed RH. The company concentrated its energies on expanding its product offering and outlets globally.

RH has now grown far beyond its retail beginnings to become the unofficial ambassador of American interior design abroad, recognised for its large-scale furnishings, quiet luxury, international reach and unmistakable sophistication.

Its Parisian outpost sits at one of the most coveted addresses on the Champs-Élysées, right on the corner of Avenue Montaigne. The building, at 23 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, was commissioned in 1983 by French aviation engineer Marcel Dassault. 

RH’s transformation, six years in the making, completely reinvented the property, erasing every trace of the building’s former life.

The original gilded wrought iron gates that surround the property, open onto a long limestone path lined with manicured hedges, giving the impression you are walking through a private estate rather than stepping into a shop.

Monumental 6 metres (19ft) bronze medallion doors, discovered by Dassault’s son during his travels, set a dramatic backdrop for the shop’s entrance where there’s a representation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man – a signature dedication in all of RH’s galleries.

A rare 1521 edition of De Architectura and volumes by Da Vinci, Palladio, and Haussmann are on display near the entrance, grounding the project in architectural history. Seven levels of the gallery rise around a central staircase of frosted glass and ornate brass balustrades, plus a Foster + Partners designed modern glass lift, operated by a member of staff. At the centre of the gallery stands a bronze Caryatid by Louis Félix Chabaud. Each floor showcases bespoke art from different artists.

RH has also extended its brand into hospitality,  with three very different venues to choose from. We enjoyed lunch at Le Jardin RH, also designed in partnership with Foster + Partners, a striking homage to the nearby Grand Palais.

Le Petit RH sits two levels up where it glows with champagne lacquered walls and a ceiling of more than seven thousand handblown glass polyhedra. The Le Petit RH Rooftop and its manicured terrace with far reaching views across Paris, crowns the experience.

On the third floor, The World of RH Bar and Lounge showcases highlights from other RH destinations around the world and doubles as a space for clients to take in a glass of wine while working with their interior designer.

RH is very deliberate and thoughtful about where it positions its gallery locations, often planning and building for many years to create unforgettable destinations. The company’s goal is to attract both visitors and local residents through their aspirational but shoppable galleries, creating environments that embody the richness of a museum while also allowing the experience to extend into customers’ homes. In Paris they certainly seem to have gotten their location right.

RH Paris proves that design is no longer just about furniture. It is about lifestyle, hospitality, and how we want to live. The scale is impressive at more than 4,000 sq metres (40,000 sq ft) but what stays with you is the ambition and the experience – an American vision of design planted right in the middle of Europe’s most iconic avenue.

All images courtesy of RH et moi

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