Restoration Hardware: CEO Gary Freidman's House in San Francisco

 I received my Restoration Hardware catalog last week and spent about 30 minutes going through it.  My initial thought was that is seemed a bit more fun and I was happy to see some of the furniture more scaled down.  

Yesterday I found a copy of C Magazine in my mail box and one of the homes featured is Restoration Hardware Chairman Gary Freidman's home  in the city of Belvedere, overlooking the San Francisco bay

 It seemed interesting that the timing of this article happened to coincide with the delivery of the catalog...a wonderful happenstance?

I doubt it....

 but it is an interesting article and it gives you a peek inside Gary's world. 

 The house was designed by architect Howard Backen and is a 7000 square foot villa which took over 5 years to complete.

 I was not surprised to see furniture from the new catalog placed throughout this incredible house.  

Most notable was the deconstructed style furnishings which are new this year.   

 The English wing chair in the bottom left of the photo above is $1995 (now $1695)

and is a cotton a burlap creation by artisan Rudy Van Thiel.
  

Van Thiel is know throughout Europe for snapping up antiques and treasures 

and restoring, reproducing and selling, all things beautiful.

Most recently for Restoration Hardware

I think this chair pairs beautifully with the red lacquer Chinese amoire
and I love the little side table made for scavenged architectural fragments

So would you buy this chair?

There have been a few interesting, fun
and rousing discussions
by other bloggers
about this subject:
read Cote de Texas here

I like this chair actually.
I like the scale of the back and the arms
and the legs are really interesting.
I think it's fun and doesn't take itself too seriously!

I would probably try to find an
antique or vintage piece first...
but if budget were a huge consideration and it usually is,
I would buy this chair

The kitchen below seems a bit boring to me
but is probably jaw dropping in real life.

No upper cabinets or much of anything for that matter...very spare.

The space was designed to enjoy views of Mt. Tamalpais and the bay
from all vantage points and doors open up on to sheltered terraces.

 All of the linen fabric used in RH's drapery and furniture are from the centuries old firm of Libeco-Lagae, know for producing the finest Belgium linen available.

 I have some Libeco sheets which are probably 5 years old
and they have just gotten softer and more wonderful over the years

 In the living room
Gary placed these HUGE antique French column  fragment and glass lamps
which inspired a Resto lighting collection

do you like this lamp....retail $1295

Below the deconstructed sofa ($3295 retail)
is paired with a modern Scandinavian chair

The artwork is really stunning in this room

Architect Howard Backen designed the rooms to be perfectly proportioned for entertaining and for showcasing furniture, art and collections.

All of the walls are Venetian plaster and very minimalistic 

with window and doors framed in mahogany.

Looking at this house you clearly see the owner as someone 

who travels to Europe and Asia.  

What I find interesting too, is how there is a mix of modern with antique, Asian and British Colonial....

 and then the addition of mass produced RH furniture thrown in. 

too much?

At least from the photos 

it seems to work really well. 

Perhaps this is how Mr Freidman sees his furniture being used 

and not how it is merchandised in the gallery stores 

I would never want to walk into a house 

and feel like I just stepped into the pages of a catalog.

but

 I definitely feel there is a need for this type of design 

both from a practical and budgetary standpoint.

The fact is, that not every one is good at visualizing
how things may look when they are placed in a room 

Would I have a house full of this stuff?...never 

but a nicely placed chair I could do.

so what do you think?


have a great weekend
~kelley~

ps
thank you so much for the wonderful comment on the Martha book giveaway,
I will now post continuously about my compost bin and muffin tops!

winner will be announced on Monday morning!