The RH Membership

Walk into any Restoration Hardware store, and it’s nearly impossible to not immediately start fantasizing. 

When I moved from my little studio into my first one bedroom apartment, I was beyond excited to be able to put together a design scheme for a space larger than 400 sq ft. So I eagerly waltzed down the street and into the newly redesigned RH store in Chicago when my vulnerable self looking at swatches caught the attention of an in-house staff designer. I shared with the designer that I wanted some ideas for my new apartment I was renting. 

Forty five minutes later, I was signed up for the rewards program and interest free credit card (I guess the deal was too good to be true, because they discontinued it), shared what I was aiming to achieve, and walked out beyond excited to see my design renderings. 

When the design was complete, the total quoted amount was… drumroll…. $27,000! I was 25 years old. In what world was I going to spend nearly $30,000 to furnish an apartment I was renting? Bonus: members get 25% off all items. Perhaps the designer thought I was equally crazy so decided to throw everything she had at me. After a brisk chuckle the designer and I parted ways. Outside of the pink velvet bed frame she picked out, there were some good ideas. In Particular, I loved the color palette. 

I used this design as inspiration. The colors and textures were some I hadn’t considered and actually laid a great foundation for the design I pursued. So, I took the build sheet and found items at lower prices that captured a similar aesthetic.

Overall I think if you’re going to spend more than what the membership costs at RH, becoming an RH member is a no-brainer. Just remember to cancel your membership after you’ve made your major purchases.

If you ever walk into a store and work with a designer, take their guidance with a grain of salt. It’s their job to sell what’s in the store, not necessarily what is best suited for the client. Instead, use it to get an idea of the look you want and make it happen with different resources.