Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
RH Opens New Location in Oak Brook, Illinois
September 29,
2021 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
RH has announced the opening of RH Oak Brook, The Gallery at Oakbrook Center, outside of Chicago, Ill. RH Oak Brook represents the latest physical expression of the brand, and its continued foray into hospitality with a glass-encased Rooftop Restaurant and Wine Bar that open onto a beautifully landscaped park.
Commanding three levels and over 60,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, this one-of-a-kind retail concept presents artistic installations of luxury home furnishings in a gallery setting, with expansive spaces devoted to RH Interiors, RH Modern and RH Outdoor. RH Oak Brook also features an interactive Interior Design Firm & Atelier, providing an unprecedented level of professional design services.
“Most retail stores are archaic windowless boxes that lack any sense of humanity. There’s generally no fresh air or natural light,” said Gary Friedman, chairman and CEO. “That’s why we don’t build retail stores, we create inspiring spaces that blur the lines between residential and retail, indoors and outdoors, home and hospitality.”
“RH Oak Brook represents some of our finest work to date, including our first Rooftop Restaurant and interactive Interior Design Firm & Atelier in the greater Chicago metropolitan area,” added Friedman. “We’re proud to bring this new Gallery and its innovative concepts to Oak Brook.”
Conceptualized as a transparent, multi-level contemporary structure, the Gallery features a charcoal grey Venetian plaster exterior with an expanse of glass-and-steel French doors that open onto lush garden courtyards and terraces.
Upon ascending a grand double floating staircase, guests will arrive to the Rooftop Restaurant – offering a timeless, ingredient-driven menu in a year-round, skylit garden escape beneath a dramatic atrium with retractable glass walls, sparkling chandeliers and heritage olive trees. Seamlessly extending from indoors to out, the restaurant opens onto a beautifully landscaped park. Influenced by the great classical gardens of Europe, this immersive destination features a series of intimate RH Outdoor lounge spaces defined by a layered composition of trellised London plane trees, sculptural evergreens and the sound of trickling fountains.
Situated just off the grand stair on level three, a striking Wine Bar presents carefully curated wine and champagne selections from around the world for visitors to enjoy in the Rooftop Park or while exploring the rest of the Gallery – including 40 wines by the glass as well as limited production offerings from some of Napa Valley’s most renowned small vintners.
On level two, guests will discover RH Modern – the largest fully integrated assortment of modern furnishings, lighting, textiles and décor under one brand in the world – as well as the RH Interior Design Firm & Atelier.
On the main level, visitors will pass through a 25-foot threshold of retractable glass and steel doors as they continue into the central hall with its soaring 14-foot ceilings. Along the periphery, barrel-vaulted passageways lead to a classical arrangement of rooms featuring RH collections from internationally renowned designers, as well as one-of-a-kind antiques and artifacts from Friedman’s world travels.