My Restoration Hardware Warehouse Sale Bargain!

Frank and I had been in Texas only a few hours when I spotted it: the RH Warehouse Sale sign. At first, I was super-bummed, because the Restoration Hardware website said the sale had ended the day before. I couldn't believe my bad luck. But then! The mall website informed me that, due to popular demand, the sale had been extended. Rejoice!

It's held only on Friday-Sunday, so I waited patiently all week to storm the warehouse.

The movers misplaced our stroller, which means I've been battling a free-roaming toddler all week. But I desperately wanted to go to the sale, so I decided to say a prayer and hope for the best. Asa and I arrived a few minutes before 10 a.m., when the sale started, and there was already a line out the door. 

Once they allowed us to stampede inside, I quickly learned how the system works: stand by items you want, wave maniacally, and wait on a sales clerk to fill out a purchase form, which you take to the register with you when you're done (the item gets tagged as claimed). 

Super-gorgeous velvet tuxedo sofa, priced at $2,903 (65% off retail).

Priced at 65% off, this Chesterfield chaise was $1,258.

Within minutes of the sale starting, I saw a crowd of people waving like they were trying to board the last Titanic lifeboat, so of course, I joined them. Turned out to be a smart move: They were crowded around the coveted X-back cane dining chairs and stools. I need stools for my new house's kitchen, so I plopped Asa in one and guarded two more until the clerk made his way to me. Luckily, I went in knowing I liked these chairs, because I didn't have time to think. The chairs retail for $195 each, and they were marked down to just $39. No brainer!

An army of X-back chairs. Oddly, the table-height chairs were pricier, at $46 each, than the stools.

I wasn't able to fit much more in my car, and our house isn't going to be finished until July, which means I had to limit myself to the stools. Somehow, I don't think my husband would be thrilled if I made him haul an oversized sectional into our already packed third-story apartment! The sale is going on until July, so I will definitely be back. (There are other locations, typically in California, Texas, and D.C., throughout the year.)

Armchairs were among the last items to be claimed.

Headed to a sale in your own city? Here's my advice:

Arrive early
I naively sat in my car before the sale, not wanting to wrangle my toddler for more time than necessary. So when we walked in five minutes before it started, there was already a massive line. If you're serious about being among the first, arrive early and go ahead and take your place in front of the entrance. While you wait, ask for one of the purchase forms and fill out your personal info ahead of time—that way, when you find an item, the clerk won't have to do this and slow you down from checking out the rest of the sale. 

Come on Friday
The sale lasts (and is restocked) all weekend, but a clerk told me the best items are usually on the floor on Fridays. I plan to check back later in the weekend, though. 

Target your search
The items that seemed to be claimed the fastest were dining chairs and tables. (Just after I walked in, I saw one of RH's amazing trundle tables for only about $550, but it had already been claimed). Save sofas, dining room cabinets, and beds for last; when I walked around toward the end of my time in the warehouse, there were still several of these left unclaimed. 

Know the bargains
The sale advertises that items are priced at 65-90% off. It seemed that most items were between 65-70% off, but according to one of the store clerks I spoke to, dining chairs and cushions for outdoor furniture are most likely to be deeply discounted. Thus my $39 dining stools.

Come with a truck
You only have until 7 p.m. on the day of your purchase to pick up your items. I was able to cram my stools into my SUV, but I would have either had to hire the on-site delivery service or come back with a truck if I'd found more. I'd suggest planning ahead and coming with a large vehicle or U-haul if you anticipate making a big purchase.

The Art of French Decorating: Steal the Style of Julia Child's Kitchen

Back in November, Julia Child's former French cottage, known affectionately as "La Pitchoune," or "the little one," hit the market for the first time, listed at around $880,000. The famous chef's stucco getaway was built on the grounds of Simone Beck, co-author of The Art of French Cooking. Child and her husband Paul visited the 1,614-square-foot home every year from the time it was built into the 1990s, with the agreement that ownership would return to Simone and her husband once they were through with it. That happened in 1992, after Simone died.  

The kitchen of La Pitchoune was modeled after the one in the Childs' Cambridge, Massachusetts, home (which you can see on display at the Smithsonian), complete with extra-tall counters—Julia was 6-foot-2—and pegboard in lieu of upper cabinets, presumably allowing Child to quickly grab whatever tool she needed, rather than rifling through cabinets. 

No one would describe Child's kitchen as masterfully decorated. It's cluttered and a little bit hodgepodge, with a high-end stainless steel gas stove just a few feet from a rather mundane white dishwasher. But it's also endlessly charming: The pegboard provides the relaxed vibe of open shelving,  the butcher block island is both functional and cozy, and the combination of the emerald-green backsplash and copper-colored terracotta flooring adds warmth and depth.

It's admittedly an unusual color combination for a kitchen, but it's undeniably statement-making, whether the mood of the room is relaxed (like Child's kitchen) or formal (like Cameron Diaz's NYC kitchen; see below).

So how can you steal all the charm of Child's kitchen, while upping its style quotient? 

Backsplash

Traditional: William Morris Vintage, Anemone in Emerald Green Small Square Tile ($16.85 per 6" square tile, zazzle.com)

Modern: Glass Subway Tile in Emerald Green by Giorbello ($15.82 per square foot, wayfair.com)

Budget: EliteTile Penny Porcelain Mosaic Tile in Emerald ($9.31 per square foot, wayfair.com)

Floor

Traditional: Solistone Hand Made Terra Cotta 6" by 12" Floor Tile ($9.60 per square foot, Home Depot)

Modern: Salerno Ceramic Tile American Wood Series Red Oak ($1.55 per square foot, BuildDirect.com)

Hint: Try wood-look tile in a herringbone pattern!

Budget: Marazzi Super Saltillo Desierto 12" by 12" Tile ($1.89 per square foot, Regal Floors)

Island

Traditional: Aurora Mills Maple Butcher Block Table ($1,379, OneKingsLane)

Modern: John Boos Work Table with Undershelf ($489.95, ChefsFirst.com)

Budget: French Country Small Workcenter ($489.98, overstock.com)

Light fixture

Traditional: Art Deco Antique Pendant Light ($375, ogtstore.com)

Modern: Cyan Design Vertigo Silver Four-Light Chandelier ($822.50, Bellacor) 

(Yes, this is a serious departure from the original. But this fixture glams up the space, if that's what you're going for.)

Budget: Camden Medium Federal Style Pendant with Mellon Glass Shade ($278.90, houseofantiquehardware.com)

Storage basket

Traditional: Antique French Square Picnic Wicker Basket with Lid ($136.27, Etsy.com)

Modern: Kelby Large Square Lidded Basket ($49.95, Crate & Barrel)

Budget: Birch Lane Large Woven Storage Bin ($39, Wayfair.com)

Shelf

Traditional: Knape&Vogt 24" Shelf-Made Images Instant Shelf ($37.99, wayfair.com)

Modern: Plank Floating Wall Shelf ($29.62, Walmart)

Budget: Lewis Hyman Venezia Shelf Kit ($23.45, Opentip.com)

Mortar and Pestle

Traditional: Antique French Mortar and Pestle ($199, eBay)

Modern: Marble Mortar & Pestle ($99.95, Williams-Sonoma)

Budget: French Kitchen Marble Mortar & Pestle ($29.95, Crate & Barrel)

Now see it all together...

Traditional

Modern

Budget