Restoration Hardware New Deconstructed Look

Restoration Hardware has just announced their new Deconstructed Line.
I can’t say I am loving it but I am eager to hear what you think.
I like the burlap and even don’t mind the wood showing.  I know the nail holes would
drive me crazy and my OCD would never let me live with the pieces of fabric hanging
from the nails.   The first thing I would have to do is get tweezers and pull out the fabric!
I do love this headboard though.
The first thing that popped in my head upon seeing this new line was “what would my dad say“.
I had to laugh because he has never understood shabby chic and I know he would hate this
deconstructed look.  Dad always has a comment when he visits our home about our painted
distressed furniture.  He will say very kindly that it is a really pretty piece and would
 look nice if it was stripped down and refinished.
Sorry dad,  the painted furniture is staying, though I think I’ll pass on the
deconstructed pieces.
What are your thoughts?
 Do you like this look?
Lucia
Author

93 thoughts on “Restoration Hardware New Deconstructed Look”

  1. Like scooter said, my cats would have a hay day on that stuff. they do enough "deconstructing" I don't have to pay expensive prices for it. Not a fan at all. Last year's look was drab, drab gray. Used to love RH. sigh

  2. I have to admitt, I love using deconstructed chairs when I do brocante events..it always gets attention and it allows people to see what the " bones" look like. But I prefer the original way as found at brocantes in Paris and France all over, not new made to look old. I am very dissapointed how RH copied Eloquence style and presentation allmost exactly!
    Although I love deconstucted chairs and couches…they need their own space..it is difficult to incorporate in a elegant setting….they just don't marry well.
    Colette xx

  3. First time here, I'm visiting from Miss Mustard Seed and wandered to your blog, from another site…does that happen to anyone else?
    I sat the cats down and thanked them for their decorating help on my chairs and they told me not to mention it, they are always willing. I think this look is trying too hard and those little tufts just beg to be taken off.

  4. Omgosh!!They are at it again. I did a post last year on their new look and how I felt they jumped on the bandwagon waaaay too late. I feel the same way with this New/old look. Been there done that, not me personally but so many others. They would be better served to adding color back in their lives and ours, that is the direction consumers are headed, this look has been done to death. I am so surprised at their marketing team, to not be more on the cusp of what is going on in design. They missed the boat again, however I am glad to see it brighter and whiter, their stores are depressing with their muddy gray walls and everything is so dark. I literally feel as if I can not breathe int there. Sorry, I went on and on, no mistake about how I feel, is there Sherry? lol
    xo Kathysue

  5. I am thinking that if I am going to pay their prices for upholstered furniture, it should be upholstered! Not a fan of the ratty upholstery look though I do like the weathered wood.

  6. I just don't see this look going over real big. Seeing the bones of furniture would be okay…for while…but the little bits of fabric would drive me bonkers too!

  7. This post made me smile. The nice thing about the new RH deconstructed look is that it will be easy to knock-off — just pick up a chair at the thrift store and start ripping stuff off 🙂

    Your story about your dad reminded me of my girlfriend's distressed Pottery Barn furniture. Her in-laws came into town for a visit, and one day while she was running errands they decided to surprise her by repainting her distressed pieces. When she got home she was horrified, of course, but all she could do was smile and say "thank you, you shouldn't have".

  8. I am going to be the only one saying this but I actually like it.I love vintage old and worn.I know that is not vintage but I see that stuff in antique shops and I LOVE it.Call me weird but I do like things that look or are well loved that a piece of furniture that is so pristine I am afraid to sit on it.

  9. No I do not care for this look at all. To me it seems too trendy and over the top. Might be okay for some but I say it goes beyond shabby chic.

    hugs
    Sissie

  10. I love the lines and proportions of these pieces, but the deconstructed look is really awful! A couple of years ago RH decided that we should buy splintery, grey, weathered wood furniture … now we can pair it with torn up upholstery???? I don't get it.

  11. Not a fan of this look…just too messy for me, and would be difficult to keep the raw exposed wood clean. They are trying too hard with this one!!! hugs…cleo

  12. I had to laugh when I saw this in their new source book. For years I reupholstered furniture and always loved the way the pieces look after ripping off the old nasty fabric and exposing the burlap underneath and the old rusty nails. Many times I wanted to leave the piece as is but knew it would never sell that way. I could see having one deconstructed piece in a room as sort of a piece of artwork. Then again look at my house….a lot of people hate my style!!! LOL I LOVED the new Parisian apartment….
    ~Des

  13. The cheapest price on their site was a "shelter" chair for $695, think how much $$$ all of us blogger could make by picking up discarded furniture, changing the front, and leaving the back exposed. We could sell them for $200 and still make a profit! LOL. I have a vintage sectional that I was thinking of doing something along those lines, it has some cool looking springs for the seat back, I was going to let them rust, and just have the front side done. Now thinking about it, I am going for it, see how much $ I can make…lol

  14. NO, NO, No!! but it would make it easy to copy this look by just going to goodwill or salvation army and putting it straight into the room! awful!

  15. I like the look, at least in their pictures it works. In my home everyone that came in wouldn't "get" it so I could never try it.

    ~Bliss~

  16. OK I am not a fan of RH-it seems as if they are a little too late for this one. Like that saying-"Been there, done that" Love your blog. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

  17. I like the look, but don't think it would be comfortable. Plus I imagine it would get dusty easy (with the exposed wood). I actually do think it looks neat as a statement piece for a booth at an antique show or something like that though.

  18. No I wouldn't buy it. It's too contrived. It misses the entire point why people are attracted to seasoned furnishings. It's about the history of the piece….if this chair could talk. We image the people that owned these things and by keeping it it kind of means the soul of the person or family lives on. It's not so much a fashion statement….well at least for me. I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of distressed paint furnture either. All I see is a piece of furniture that is supposed to look like an antique but you know all the patina is really due to painting techniques.
    Kathy

  19. I don't like this AT ALL> It looks like they got lazy and decided to put only a little time into it and let the customer finish it. I hope it doesn't become the next "must have" thing!

  20. I don't have time to read all the comments so I am probably in the minority but I really dont' care for it either. I have seen similar pieces on several blogs and I guess I am just too much of a perfectionist-I would keep wanting to "finish" it. I think it is a fad that will probably pass and people will look back and think…what were they thinking? I do LOVE that headboard though. xo Diana

  21. I find that sometimes (with clothes and decor) it takes me awhile to really love what's up and coming. I think I could get used to it looking like it only got 1/2 way through the upholstery shop, but I don't think I could handle fabric hanging off. However, if it does because a big hit, and we gradually learn to love it, it will be that much easier to reupholster things! lol
    –Katie
    @ Creatively Living

  22. Wow- I am loving it really- but I don't know that I would be able to live with so many pieces of furniture deconstructed either and at top $ prices at RH~ thinking the thrift store would have some pretty good candidates for a new deconstructed look! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  23. I think it is OK, in the right spot, I can see it in a warehouse loft apartment with high ceilings….Does that sound weird? Thank you for showing us, this is why I love blogging, someone always keeps us up on the latest trends.

    Carol

  24. Umm, well, I am with your Dad on this one. Although I love the Shabby Chic look, this one looks unfinished and cheap….like they ran out of money half way thru the project. Oh and my Dad, the antique dealer, would have said the same thing about Shabby Chic stuff…needs refinishing!

  25. Hi Sherry,
    My Dad would not understand this look either. I must say I am not really liking it myself. Usually love most everything from Restoration Hardware.
    I don't think this look will catch on, it a little to rough around the edges.

  26. i find this bizarre. i mean, it's one thing to find an old chair that way but to pay THOSE prices for something that looks like it needs to be recovered? i don't know…. my husband likened it to buying jeans already with holes in them (of which i'm guilty of) but jeans don't cost $695 minimum! i like the look…SORTA…but it's still bizarre to me. lol

  27. Uh, no. I'm sure that chair, with its unfinished look and all is probably close to $1,500.00 {if not more}. If I'm going to spend that much money on furniture, it's going to be finished ~ no nail holes, no hanging bits of fabric. Although, seriously, if this is the new look, it will be great for those of us who can't do upholstery! We can just take apart chairs from the thrift store, leave them as is and be trendy!

  28. I gotta say I like it. I wouldnt want a whole room of this look but one piece like the wing chair brings a little quirkiness (I love a little something quirky in a room).

  29. I haven't seen this yet. Thanks for sharing it. I usually like Restoration Hardware (except their high prices). I like the deconstruced look, but feel certain my husband would shake his head at it (and any older generation). I'm sure it won't be coming into my house, but I do like the look. My husband would probably think, gees for that kind of money, don't you think the furniture should be completely upholstered?!

  30. Hmmm…my kids would have those strings of fabric pulled out in 2 seconds flat. LOL! The headboard is beautiful as are some of the other pieces and I can definitely see it all working in the right home. Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Inspiration Friday this week!
    Vanessa

  31. Wow….bet you never expected such a wide variety of comments! Certainly fun to read what people wrote! However, this is one look that I personally don't get! Never have liked it and never will…but as they say…
    "to each his own"!

  32. Good grief ! This looks like you picked it up off the curb and didn't care enough to re-do it ,just stuck it in the living room to see if you could get away with it. No thanks. Ido like the headboard though.

  33. I guess it would be ok in the right setting, but I don't care for it. To me it's kind of like buying brand new jeans that already have rips, tears and worn hems – why??????? I think my age is showing! ;o)

  34. RH has missed the boat for the second year in a row. There isn't anything about this look that appeals to me other than the headboard which would compliment my Annie Sloan painted dresser.

  35. Not a fan. But, on the positive side, if I decided to attempt to reupholster a chair and it doesn't work out… it would actually work out!

  36. I might like a piece in this look but I would never pay restoration hardware prices! I could create this look on my own for LOTS less. Not sure how they stay in business when their prices are so unrealistic.

  37. I love the look. I've been doing it myself for some time. A piece here and there mixed in with some really elegant pieces I think is a nice mix. However, would I pay RH prices for what can do myself which is rip off old fabric? Nope.

  38. I love that someone once ripped apart a chair and saw the beauty in what lied underneath. Showing the art and craft of the inside of an upholstered piece is genius. But once that becomes a trend and further that it's made new to recreate that, it's just not the same.

    I was at RH today and saw them in person. They don't ring true. The burlap seems wrong, the exposed wood is stained and don't have the same language as oxidized wood. I can't see anyone who likes this look buying them new for the prices RH is charging.

  39. It's hideous!

    I can get the same look for a tenth of the cost by buying a thrift store sofa, covering it muslin and then letting my cats loose on it!

    I sure RH is charging a pretty penny for this "look".

  40. Hi Sherry,
    I confess the Restoration image is okay, but I think it's just a bit too undone for my tastes. I'm with you, I'd want to tidy it up a bit…I'd probably contact my upholster and ask them to finish the job!
    Karen

  41. Restoration Hardware lost me a long time ago. They used to have a more classic look that was easier for people to incorporate in their homes. I think they've backed themselves into a corner with their very specific look. It's really too bad – they used to be great. Not a fan now!

  42. Deconstructed? Not for me. Reminds me of when I was in design school ages ago when we studied the "guts" of furniture in furniture design, history of furniture, and re-upholstery class. I think this is taking it a bit too far. Worn and patina are one thing, but this? I don't think we would wear our clothing wardrobe "deconstructed"!!!! lol

  43. Not to sure about this one. Much to trendy, will be out of style in 1 year. If you want this look go to a garage sale or thrift store and buy some old pieces of furniture and take the fabric off. A lot cheaper. My boys would have a field day with the exposed nails and pieces of fabric hanging off. But I will say that it looks really nice in their magazine layout!
    Marianne 🙂

  44. ok..so I understand and accepted the style of torn worn looking jeans were in style. A pair would cost you $100 to look like you just walked out of Goodwill. Well what I cannot accept is when a store like Restoration Hardware comes out with a new line called "The Deconstructed Collection" and expect customers to love it! If I am going to plop down $2000 for a wingback chair I don't want it t look like I went dumpster diving. Do they really think this is a good look for the price?

  45. LOVE looking at it but not so sure it is really functional though I would never ever turn a piece like those down! I had to laugh when you mentioned your father and what he would think. My father in law is the exact same way and just shakes his head most of the time at the stuff I do.

  46. Oh my!! I had to laugh at your comments here because they were identical to mine!! I, too, would obsess over those bits of fabric hanging out and would be snipping and plucking away! And I think this look is too far deconstructed! Cats would love it! Not me, really. But I certainly did enjoy this post! Got your blog name from my newest issue of Romantic Homes. Thanks for sharing!

  47. I also love the look! BUT I don't personally want to live with it. I think it's too trendy, and I don't like to do much "trendy" with large expensive pieces of furniture. It's fine for a few accent pieces though. JMHO. Vanna

  48. No, thank you! This is one of those looks – like putting books on a shelf backwards so the titles don't show – that has me wondering …why?

    What I love is the lovely patina of old, polished wood. I have many pieces of my grandparent's furniture that we've had reupholstered. Other pieces are just the same as they were long ago and they will never be painted while I have them. That's me.

    I really enjoy every visit here!

    Hugs!

  49. Hi Sherry, I'm sure in agreement with you, those little bits of fabric would drive me crazy! I do love everything else about it and would love to have some in my home but my husband thinks like your dad and it's a hard sell. I love the headboard too. Have a great day.

    ~Emily
    the French Hutch

  50. By the time I scrolled down here I read my sentiments many times (and most precisely by Kathysue). So I'll just add my own lamentation – what happened to the RH that was inspirational…..that was home design Mecca? My upstairs halls are silver sage but I still miss you……..

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