Restoration Hardware unveils teen design gallery – GreenwichTime – Greenwich Time

Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media

Restoration Hardware unveils teen design gallery

GREENWICH Many a selfie has been taken from the furry orb chair near the entrance of Restoration Hardwares recently opened gallery for teenagers.

That might as well serve as a seal of approval for the new space, according to Restoration Hardwares Greenwich galleries leader Heather Knox.

This summer, Restoration Hardware's Baby and Child gallery located at 264 Greenwich Ave., partially revamped the store to include designs for teens. Within a few weeks, the Baby & Child section was consolidated so it fills just half of the space, while RH Teen was rolled out in the other half.

Like all of Restoration Hardwares galleries, RH Teen in Greenwich is meant to serve as design inspiration, Knox said. So teenagers interacting with the new space by encouraging their parents to visit with them and snapping photos of themselves inside prove the gallery is fulfilling its mission, she said.

It made sense to make Greenwich an early adopter of RH Teen, Knox said, as many customers have said theyre happy to have a teen-specific design gallery. The layout of RH Teen is important to inspiring creativity, she added while guiding visitors through pocket rooms showing vignettes of girls bedrooms and study areas. They represent an eclectic mix of items from Tibetan and Mongolian furs to faux antler decor and sparkling white orb chandeliers.

Teenage girls drawn to these styles are glamorous but understated, Knox said, describing the style as Bohemian and beachy with distinct natural elements.

The girls spaces flow into pocket rooms showing off boys bedrooms and studies. Given Greenwichs reputation for producing athletes, its sporty style appeal to many customers, she said.

On a recent weekday afternoon, several mothers browsed catalogs and bedding swatches at the back of the store in its design atelier while several boys and girls roamed the rooms nooks. One visitor told his mom that he wanted one of Restoration Hardwares bunkbeds, and it would fit perfectly in his room. Since its opening, both male and female teenagers have visited the gallery in roughly equal proportions, Knox said.

Greenwich joins a handful of locations around the county to incorporate the brands teen offerings. Others include Atlanta, Chicago and Denver, but this is the only one within the tri-state area for now.

RH Teen marks a relatively new venture for the brand, and its expected to help with its growth, Restoration Hardwares chairman and CEO Gary Friedman said in statement announcing its first quarter results in June.

Last year was, the first full year of many new business initiatives such as RH Modern, RH Teen, RH Hospitality, the redesign of our RH Interiors Source Book, the roll out of Design Ateliers across our retail Galleries, and the addition of Waterworks, Friedman said in the statement. All of these new initiatives are expected to contribute to growth in 2017 and beyond. ...While 2016 was a year of transformation and transition, 2017 will be a year of execution, architecture, and cash.

Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_

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