I love Restoration Hardware (now called RH, officially), but feast your eyes on this castle they’ve just opened up in University Village. It blew my mind when I first saw it, and I couldn’t help but gasp and then giggle. Just wow. It’s beautiful. Gorgeous. Super dreamy. Stunning. Adjectives on adjectives that are probably making it sound like I’m lying or full of it but I’m not. The staircase alone is insane. Straight out of a movie insane, with mirrors everywhere. Have I said gorgeous enough? This gallery is 4 floors and over 60,000 square feet of luxury, both inside and out. It also deserves a moat and a drawbridge. All jokes aside, if you’re a fan of RH’s designs there’s no doubt you’ll wish you could live in this gallery.
The actual pieces, as expected, are a beautiful mix of modern and classic styles and materials. Every bathroom was beautiful, with a wide range of amazing hardware styles, from vintage to space-age. And I’m obsessed with all of the Chesterfield couches, whether we’re talking traditional gentleman’s club brown leather or plush soft purple velvet. But my favorite pieces to check out, ok, more like ogle, is RH’s gorgeous chandelier collection. They’re everywhere and they’re at worst interesting and at best stunning. I’ll take one of their 19th Century designs, please. Why is this not my house? Come be roommates in my big RH mansion.
Dan and I were lucky enough to attend the private unveiling of this mansion before the official opening. RH Seattle, The Gallery at University Village was packed with 1,600 influencers and their guests and the party was amazing! The vibe was more New Year’s Eve party than storefront soft-opening. Seattleites of all ages showed out in their best threads/duds, and the atmosphere was electric. Throw in Chris Malinchak DJing the event and you have probably the best party I’ve experienced in my five years of blogging. It was an unforgettable night. From the interiors to the music to the food and drink.
We loved exploring all of the rooms and seeing what each floor had to offer. We walked the entire building, drinks in hand, sitting in a lot of comfortable chairs, chatting with the friends we bumped into, and touching everything. Every floor featured a different cocktail; bellinis by Cipriani NYC on the 1st floor, curated wines by Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley on the 2nd, an artisanal mezcal cocktail by The Bon Vivants on the 3rd, and then a craft beer garden by Stoup Brewing in the rooftop conservatory. Food was prepared by Chef Edouardo Jordan of Salare, one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs for 2016, and it was one perfect bite-size bite after another. I think I had about 5 mini blinis with caviar (so good!), and they had adorable mini lemon meringue pies for dessert. Delicious! I’m so glad we got to experience it.
Even without the party it would have been extremely relaxing wandering through RH’s stylish gallery, playing with everything we could. Though there won’t be any bite sized pies we will definitely be back for a more leisurely visit. You guys should do the same! RH Seattle, The Gallery at University Village is now open!
Photos courtesy of RH Seattle and Duo PR
