Restoration Hardware

The home furnishings store Restoration Hardware recently opened it's Mid-Western flagship store in Chicago inside a historic building called the Three Arts Club. Featuring four floors and an outdoor roof-top deck, the building is an architectural gem and it was really wonderful walking around inside of it on a Sunday afternoon several weeks ago. The renovation included a restaurant inside an atrium, which set the tone of causal but elegant style that Restoration Hardware is trying to achieve. I found some of the placements of chandeliers over beds somewhat unusual and over-the-top, but overall the decor was tasteful and well designed.

House on the Rock - Part 2

For Part 2 of House on the Rock, John and I explored the infamous Carousel Room, and my favorite, the Organ Room. The Carousel Room featured an enormous carousel that whirled around with lots of intricately carved figures and had hundreds of stationary angels dangling overhead from the room's ceiling. I loved the lighted peacocks that we seated on the roof part of the carousel. Inside the Organ Room, seemingly Steampunk inspired, there were spiral staircases and bridges that crossed over paths and other bridges. In the middle of the room it featured a giant chandelier that was made up of small lanterns.

Overall, I was impressed by the extravagance and presentation of many items and curious objects that were featured in the House, but because of the lack of object labels and general explanation, I had an uneasy feeling. The House had a sense of subversiveness to it. A hidden meaning that could be sinister. It featured automatons and references to Satan and death. The fixation and obsessiveness of display and presentation along with the time it took to trek through the entire house left me feeling overwhelmed. I wanted to be startled and scared, but nothing ever jumped out to fulfill my anticipating expectation. The haunting sense from the House on the Rock is the most curious and mysterious souvenir I took with me.