RH, Audemars Piguet, CHANEL Beauty. From the looks of these recently bowed and forthcoming brands, it’s clear the cap city is starting to dip its toes in the luxury market—meaning Raleigh is not simply growing in size, but in sophistication and grandeur.
As a city that often decries new development in lieu of landmarks (see: the all-out outrage about the infamous round Holiday Inn on Hillsborough Street), a question surrounding the up-and-coming luxury market arises: Is Raleigh really ready for it?
The barrage of incoming designer brands buying into the belief they’ll earn the attention—and paychecks—of Raleighites points to yes. “It says a great deal about their confidence in our market,” says Steve Brown, senior vice president and director of retail leasing at Kane Realty, regarding how notoriously selective brands such as RH are about storefront placement.
And Brown himself echoes the brand’s confidence, noting that even though the North Hills’ CHANEL Beauty will exclusively feature fragrance and beauty, the possibility it will consider expanding to a full apparel and accessories boutique is totally on the table.
Although she agrees Raleigh is ready to step into the affluent atmosphere, Artsuite founder Marjorie Hodges advises small businesses should not be left behind. “There is a demand for investment in quality items,” she emphasizes—“whether it’s art, fashion or interior design. It’s all about quality of investment.”
While a proponent of such grabs as North Hills’ 2023 Bal Harbour Shops Pop-Up, Hodges says Raleigh should aim to retain its swath of unique local brands and shops. “We shouldn’t try to be Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive,” she cautions. “There is something different about Raleigh—and it would be a shame if national brands took over.”
Bottom line, big-name storefronts aren’t the only places you can scratch the itch for luxury. Raleigh has long retailed designer brands—local businesses such as MODE Consignment, Uniquities and dress sell both new and secondhand designer products.
So as long as Raleigh works to ensure local businesses can still thrive among the bigger brands, the city appears poised to take the next opulent step toward manifesting a lap of luxury.
Set within a year-round skylit garden, the RH eatery is unlike anything Raleigh has ever seen, complete with a landscaped Wine Terrace influenced by Europe’s classical gardens—seamlessly blending the indoor and outdoor spaces with RH Outdoor lounge spaces, pleached London plane trees and shade canopies.
Those luxe details extend into the menus to include new signature dishes like whole grilled branzino, grilled vegetable & shrimp salad, and the “best fried chicken sandwich in America” (!). And don’t sleep on the caviar specialties or brunch, the latter serving up the likes of Italian benedict, Aussie steak and eggs, and Swedish pancakes.
Rounding out the experience is the Wine Bar with global vino and Champagne selects, plus spritzes, to savor on the rooftop or as you meander the gallery. Either way, a real treat. rh.com
RH Raleigh, The Gallery at North Hills marks a major moment for Raleigh.
Chicago, Denver, LA, Munich, Madrid, NYC… Raleigh is joining the elite roster of cities housing a swanky RH gallery (formerly known as Restoration Hardware) experience.
Enter the highly anticipated innovative, immersive RH Raleigh, The Gallery at North Hills, opening Nov. 1 in the former North Hills JCPenney space that “provided an ideal opportunity,” for the tremendous 60,000-plus-square-foot experience, says Kane Realty Corporation SVP and Director of Retail Leasing Steve Brown.
“RH is very methodical and extremely selective of where they open these stores,” Brown continues. “[They] knew North Hills is arguably the best market position for the store. … Many discerning and affluent customers consider [RH] best in class. Therefore, it sends a resounding message to other notable retail brands that Raleigh is a growing, vibrant and sophisticated market with well-traveled customers wanting higher-quality goods.”
More than just a gallery—and unlike anything Raleigh’s ever seen—the three-level interiors and multisensory experience blurs the lines between residential and retail, home and hospitality, indoors and outdoors.
Multilevel Experience
Level One: RH Interiors Level Two: RH Contemporary, RH Modern, RH Interior Design Studio Level Three: Rooftop restaurant & park, wine bar, RH Outdoor
Beyond an entry courtyard flanked by beautifully appointed loggias aglow with handcrafted Italian travertine fire tables, an epic experience awaits. Entree through 25-foot glass and steel doors reveals a central hall brimming with natural light and unobstructed views of lush immersive Euro-inspired courtyards and periphery-dotted rooms housing artistic installations featuring RH interiors—an homage to refined design across the ages and one-of-a-kind antiques from RH CEO Gary Friedman’s world travels.
Ascending a grand double-floating staircase illuminated with natural skylight and cast glass lattice chandeliers, an expansive exhibition space unfolds across a trio of experiences, including RH Contemporary and the brand’s newest and most compelling RH Modern. The constantly evolving collection highlights today’s most celebrated designers, visionary pieces and industry icons in a tribute to 20th century modernism via the largest assortment of modern furnishings, lighting, textiles and decor under one brand the world over.
Rounding out the midlevel, an interactive state-of-the-art atelier showcases designers in a highly styled floor-to-ceiling glass RH Interior Design Studio, complete with a private client presentation room. The floor also spotlights the brand’s exclusive rug collection, vast assortment of textiles, and furniture and lighting finishes.
Topping off the stunning culmination of concepts, atop the grand staircase flanked by a pair of monumental wall fountains is a rooftop restaurant that dishes the brand’s latest reimaginings. Set within a year-round skylit garden escape punctuated by sparkling chandeliers, faux olive trees and a cast-stone fountain, the space seamlessly unfurls into the immersive alfresco European-garden-influenced landscaped park. Also featuring intimate RH Outdoor Lounge spaces appointed with London Plane trees, shade canopies and sculptural evergreens, the alfresco attraction is ideal for sipping on the exceptional global wine and Champagne pours from the adjacent wine bar.
“We’ve been at this a long time,” says Friedman. “We opened our first restaurant in 2015, [and] we have 22 restaurants today. … In somewhere like Raleigh, we know the volume we do. We know when we open a new gallery what the lift is. … Almost every market [where] we’re opening these larger, more immersive, inspiring galleries, we have the data. It’s about understanding the math, connecting the dots, conceptualizing new and bigger and better versions of ourselves.”
There’s no doubt this version will set a new standard of luxury in Raleigh—and that its very existence signifies Raleigh has been bumped up to the big leagues. Never mind what the new arrival will mean for the future of North Hills: “The opening of an RH gallery at North Hills substantiates to other high-quality and luxury merchants how dynamic the property is,” Brown emphasizes. “That will equate to other brands wanting to be here.” Translation: Raleigh has arrived—in style. rh.com
