Is Restoration Hardware Good Quality? (Explained)
Restoration Hardware is a rebranded upscale furniture manufacturer whose headquarters are in Corte Madera, California. Presently, the company is known simply as RH.
It sells its furniture through its extensive retail stores, online platforms, and catalogs.
Since its founding in 1979, the company has been producing furniture targeting the American middle-class markets.
However, the company is gradually shifting its focus towards upscale markets.
So, does that mean that the company’s quality is on the rise? Is their furniture of good quality?
Read on to find out.
The Quality of Restoration Hardware Furniture
Restoration Hardware is a good quality furniture manufacturer specializing in designing and making excellent and luxurious-looking furniture.
The company’s furniture is strong, performs well, and will serve you for some years.
However, the company receives a lot of spite due to their overpriced furniture of questionable quality and durability.
For a piece of low-priced furniture, such mistakes are forgivable but given the exorbitant price tags that Restoration Hardware furniture products have, customers usually expect better.
On the contrary, there are two sides to the story regarding the company’s quality. Restoration Hardware furniture made in its American factories is usually very high quality.
The company doesn’t mass produce its furniture as it works with designers to produce unique pieces. It uses expensive hardwood to acquire and will serve you for decades.
The wood is well-crafted to produce the best grain and the correct color before using it for their furniture.
Additionally, the company’s fabrics are strong, have the right color, and are soft. On the contrary, a more significant majority of its furniture or look-alikes are all over the Chinese market at a fraction of what Restoration Hardware sells here in the US.
And of those that manage to reach the US, a vast majority are of questionable quality. Their cushions sag with minimum use, the fabric fades even with minimal cleaning, and the legs of the tables and chairs crack or splinter after a few weeks of use.
Generally, Restoration Hardware has good production processes for its American-made furniture but has little control over the Asian-made furniture.
That’s the prime reason why you’ll get two exactly similar pieces of furniture that are miles apart with regards to quality.
Who Makes Restoration Hardware Furniture?
Restoration Hardware outsources a significant percentage of its production overseas to lower its production costs.
In 2018, the company stated that approximately 35 percent of its production was from China. Even though plans are underway to reduce their level of outsourcing, the company still outsources production to Indonesian and Indian companies.
Some of its international manufacturers include Indonesian firm Posteak and Sydney-based Condo Brothers.
Since 2018, the company has been vague on its level of outsourcing. Most of their representatives lie that all of its furniture is made in America.
Don’t be surprised to find some parts of the furniture having Chinese writings on them. Transparency is critical, and the company should be more honest with its customers.
Problems with Restoration Hardware Furniture
Problems and mistakes are common in most real-life setups. However, they’re less forgivable if more is expected of you. Such is the case with Restoration Hardware, which has two perennial problems that seem to plague the company year in year out.
Quality
Before buying Restoration Hardware furniture, the most significant challenge that you’ll face is determining its quality.
Its product catalog is vast and may run up to several hundred pages meaning that you’ll have to need a lot of patience to go through them.
Alternatively, you can opt to take a walk in their extensive galleries with the hope that you’ll spot the furniture you need. The company’s staff are accommodating and will sort you out.
You’ll then go home and wait for 4-7 weeks for your furniture to be delivered or even longer if you ordered custom furniture. You’ll get your piece of furniture which looks and feels exactly as you had felt in their galleries.
If there’s an area that Restoration Hardware excels in is in producing excellent upscale designs. However, some Restoration Hardware furniture will disintegrate within a week, a month, or some years.
Some of their upholstered furniture wears down quickly, and the cushions become saggy, much like the low-end furniture.
Poor Delivery Services
One area that can sum up Restoration Hardware’s present state is its delivery department. You’ll get very understanding and professional customer service staff who are willing to help you out with a purchase and delivery.
However, you’ll be very disappointed to get items from your order missing. The missing items may range from missing cushions to missing tables. I bet it’s frustrating having a set of 10 dining chairs and missing a table.
And when you call to question why some of your furniture isn’t as you expect, the company gives obscure reasons before settling on a lie that they’ll check your order.
In the end, you spend more money on an already overpriced item.
Restoration Hardware Furniture Warranty
Restoration Hardware warrants the original purchaser of their furniture for three years on a condition that their products remain devoid of defects that result from workmanship errors or faults in materials.
The furniture must be in excellent condition, free from abuse, well handled, and maintained within the said warranty period.
The company requires you to obtain a Return Material Authorization Number from the company before filing your claim.
What The Warranty Doesn’t Cover
- Defects that arise due to modifications, damage, misuse, or abuse of the product
- Change in the color of naturally-sourced materials such as wood
- Labor costs to assemble the furniture
What Do Reviews Say?
Restoration Hardware receives many mixed online reviews and is ranked an average brand. A combination of poor quality products, false advertising, and incomplete deliveries justifies their customers’ adverse reactions towards the company.
A look at houzz.com shows that many of its customers aren’t happy with how the company is conducting itself.
Is Restoration Hardware Furniture a Good Investment?
It depends.
Buying Restoration Hardware products is a considerable gamble, given that they’re expensive.
However, if you’re lucky to get yourself a piece of high-quality furniture, it’ll serve you for a long time.
My Take on Restoration Hardware Furniture
I would expect better products and services for such a company that places a very high price tag on its products.
It’s not to say that the company produces poor quality furniture, which might be very misleading.
The company is still a prime manufacturer of a mix of mid to high-end furniture. The only issue is that their production processes are so ambiguous and vague that you will mix up products.
For example, a dining set will have high-quality chairs and a poor-quality table. We can attribute this to the company’s overseas production.
Locally made furniture is excellent in build and aesthetics. If you must buy Restoration Hardware furniture, take your time to ensure that you get American-made versions.