The new RH Boston: The Gallery at the Historic Museum of Natural History is now open! Today’s post is a photo tour of the store for those of you who haven’t gotten the chance to venture in yet. The photos don’t do the flagship location justice, and I promise you it’s 100% worth it to take the trip and see it in person. RH Boston offers some very unique amenities on each of it’s four floor and is the first East Coast store to have RH Baby and Child design showroom.
The building has an interesting history which dates all the way back to 1857 when it became the second building erected in Back Bay. It opened as The New England Museum of Natural History on March 24, 1863 and housed items for scientific study, including a whale skeleton which was displayed hanging from the ceiling. In 1947 the 234 Berkeley Street location became home to New York department store, Bonwit Teller & Co., and later to Louis Boston, in 1989. As the fourth tenant in the space RH worked painstakingly to restore the interior of the building and pay homage to the its original function as a Museum. The exterior of the building remains largely unchanged. So let’s start the tour…
LEVEL 01
The ground floor has a beautiful entrance which opens to the dramatic glass and iron pedestrian elevator from 1892 as well as a flower boutique.
LEVEL 02
Level 02 has a number of beautiful showrooms, including several bedroom set-ups and of course more elegant chandeliers.
LEVEL 03
The third floor is the most dramatic with heritage olive trees and a 24 foot replica of the Eiffel Tower which was found a Parisian flea market. It also features a Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley Wine Bar as well as an Artisanal Boston Beer Bar (the hundred year old bar was salvaged from a Boston Pub). Here shoppers get a nice view of the original coffered and vaulted ceiling and can also visit the Music Room, Cinema Room, and Billiards Room.
So what do you think? I love the elegant symmetry of the store, the subtle tones, and am of course smitten with every tufted piece of furniture and every chandelier. If you live in the Boston area, take a trip in to the store to see for yourself!
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*All photos courtesy Restoration Hardware.
Pop & Circumstance | Guidebook for Beautiful Living 
Great write up, I can’t wait to check it out!
Thanks Celia! You should definitely take a trip over 🙂
WOW gorgeous!
Agreed! So happy that RH has come to Boston.
went here last weekend and seriosuly wanted to move right in…they did an amazing job with the space!
Right? I’ll just pull up a seat at the wine bar and stay forever.
I was at this awe inspiring store in October. The beautiful building caught my eye as we were driving past, and as soon as I spotted the Eiffel Tower in a window I knew it was RH (I have one in my living room) and that we’d be paying a visit inside sometime during our stay in Boston. We loved the old style elevator and the HUGE model of the Eiffel Tower on the top floor. The wine bar wasn’t open yet when we were there but the stone slab tasting bar was very impressive to see (now I lust for one of my own….in the event that I win the lotto). Loving the linen drapes we purchased for our home during this trip….yes. I covet all things RH 🙂
It really is out of this world. So beautiful! If you’re ever in the area again there’s a Restoration Hardware outlet in Wrentham, MA.