Just a few years ago, Knox Street was brimming with upscale home retailers. A handful of mainstays remain—like Pottery Barn and Crate + Barrel—but several other notable storefronts have shuttered recently, including Z Gallerie, Parachute, and For Home Forty Five Ten. Restoration Hardware, too, quietly closed its Knox storefront several years ago, with the promise of a bigger, better retail concept to come. Renderings have been circulating since 2019 and ongoing construction has taken place on Knox, though the final result has always been a bit of a mystery. Finally, last weekend, the hotly anticipated RH Dallas opened its massive glass doors and re-established Knox as one of Dallas’s top destinations for high-end home goods.
North Texas is one of a handful of regions to score a coveted RH Gallery, which blends retail and hospitality by including amenities—like a rooftop restaurant and a wine bar—that are destinations in their own right. The three-level, 70,000-square-foot building houses one of the largest collections of luxury home goods in the world. But it was designed to feel intimate. Furnishings from RH Modern, RH Interiors, and RH Outdoor are arranged into vignettes to create approachable spaces where couches invite you to take a seat and textiles are meant to be touched.
The building infuses modernity into an otherwise well-preserved neighborhood. The contemporary structure is constructed from glass and Venetian plaster in a moody charcoal gray. Its southern entrance features a 42-foot-wide and 15-foot-tall waterfall that pays homage to the fountain in New York City’s Paley Park. (In addition to its aesthetic contribution, the waterfall blocks out city noise to create a feeling of seclusion.) Floor-to-ceiling windows give the interior an airy, sunny feel, while several sets of glass and steel French doors open onto landscaped courtyards and terraces to mimic seamless indoor-to-outdoor living.
RH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Friedman has always tried to find ways to explore experiential retail, like how he introduced cooking classes at Williams-Sonoma. RH Galleries are his latest foray into immersive shopping. “RH Dallas represents our ongoing quest to revolutionize physical retailing with architecturally inspiring spaces that blur the lines between residential and retail, indoors and outdoors, home and hospitality,” he says.
On the main floor, guests step into a central hall with 14-foot ceilings. Passageways on either side usher shoppers into styled rooms featuring RH Interiors furnishings. Peppered throughout are antiques and artifacts sourced by Friedman during his world travels. Customers can explore about 60,000 square feet of the store; no stock is kept in the back. Instead, an extensive selection of samples are on display–towels, bedding, and more–and the staff can happily place a custom order for anything not available in-store.
Level two houses RH Modern, which RH says is the largest collection of modern furnishings, lighting, textiles, and décor under one brand in the world. The floor is also home to the RH design firm and atelier. Here, clients seeking design help can meet with designers in private presentation rooms or look through the library of textiles, hardware, and the RH Rugs collection.
The crown jewel of the store is located on floor three. When guests ascend a double floating staircase, they’ll reach the Rooftop Restaurant, enclosed in a glass atrium and surrounded by an open-air balcony. Chandeliers and olive tree branches create a canopy above diners and the walls are high enough to hide passing cars and foot traffic. Instead, you’ll see the peaks of neighboring buildings and a stretch of the sky. The restaurant’s menu will evolve with the seasons; expect to see things like truffle grilled cheese, burrata with charred tomatoes and sourdough, or roast chicken with garlic confit and potato purée.
The restaurant opens onto a landscaped park with London plane trees, evergreens, and bubbling fountains. Its series of RH Outdoor lounge spaces offer another immersive setting.
Also on level three is the Wine Bar, which offers a menu of wine and Champagne from vineyards around the world. The selection includes 40 wines by the glass and limited production offerings from esteemed Napa Valley winemakers. Enjoy your chosen beverage in the park, or sip it as you weave your way back to the exit.
RH Dallas is officially open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The gallery is located at 3133 Knox Street and offers valet parking. To schedule an appointment with the design firm and atelier, call the store at 214-520-7255.
