These are the original antique library chairs that are in our catalog. Those are the original antique tables that we have replicated, says Gary Friedman as he walks briskly through his home in Californias Marin County, passing low-slung brown leather chairs and unpolished wood tables. Friedman is the public face of RH (RH), formerly known as Restoration Hardware, and its guiding spirit. He has many dreams for RH, but the essential one is to create an endless reflection of hope, inspiration, passion, and love that will ignite the human spirit and change the world. Thats the companys vision statement.

Friedmans official title is chairman, chief executive, creator, and curator. He has an official moneymaking philosophy, too: You have to find people who believe what you believe, he says. If they believe in your taste, style, the way you do things, you can create an incredible business. He wears a brown woven bracelet with the word Believe. So do some employees.

Friedman, 56, is also wearing slim-cut khakis, shearling-lined high-tops, and a slate blue cashmere hoodie. Hes cheery and perpetually tanned and stubbled, and he drinks raw coconut water most mornings. His villa has views of the Golden Gate Bridge from almost every room, an architectural feat that required the builders to remove 330 truckloads of dirt from the site. The interior, designed by Friedman and his former wife, consolidates everything RH aims to be. The company no longer sells Quakenbush nut bowls, Boston Ranger pencil sharpeners, or anything else meant to evoke a simple, virtuous American past. It summons the elegance of a salvaged estate: perfectly worn, possibly haunted dining tables, English club chairs in taupe linen, Italian gas streetlights. Friedmans house is all neutral colors, unfinished wood, distressed leather, and Belgian linen. Flowers have to be green or white; books in his library are supposed to be cream-colored.

When Friedman joined Restoration Hardware from Williams-Sonoma as CEO in 2001, the company was near bankruptcy. Now his ambitions for it are vast and expensive. Friedman is planning grand stores in high-income Zip Codes across the country. So far the response from customers and investors has been enthusiastic; sales have been growing more than 20percent a year since 2010, shares are up 50percent in the past year, and analysts expect it to be profitable this fiscal year.

Jake Stangel for Bloomberg Businessweek

RHs store in Boston, which opened last April, is set in an 1862 Beaux-Arts building originally constructed for the Museum of Natural History. It is four stories and 40,000 square feet, with fully staged bedrooms and living rooms and dining rooms, a library, cinema room, billiard lounge, nursery, and conservatory. A glass elevator modeled after one built in 1893 moves between the floors. There is a 24-foot-tall steel replica of the Eiffel Tower (found in a flea market and not for sale) and a vintage lightbulb tester thats been turned into a minibar ($1,995). The cash registers are hidden in cabinets. The store is three times as large as RHs older one in Boston, and if it does as well as the first luxury stores, it could have sales per square foot that are three times as high.

Other stores will be even bigger, with wine bars and restaurants, performance spaces, courtyards, and rooftop gardens. All will have free valet parking. RH says average sales could be $30million a year per store. No one has ever built stores like this, Friedman says. RH has opened five so far and will eventually open 60 to 70 in North America, replacing its 62 existing ones. Friedman calls them design galleries.

Retailers are struggling to find ways to bring more people into their stores. I wish more of them were doing things like this, says Matt Nemer, an analyst at Wells Fargo Securities (WFC).

Friedman opened an RH contemporary art gallery in Manhattan last November and says hell introduce an RH guesthouse in the city by 2016. Hes started a small music label thats signed three groups. Hes announced RH Atelier, a clothing and jewelry line, and RH Antiques and Artifacts, a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces. Much of the money for these projects will come from RHs advertising budget, says Friedman. Even if art never becomes a very big business, but it renders the brand more valuable, thats what you want to do with marketing, right? he says.

The timing of RHs experiment seems fortunate so far: Many companies doing well these days cater to increasingly affluent customers. Friedman has a reputation for getting people to buy what hes selling. Hes the one who put working kitchens in the center of Williams-Sonoma (WSM) stores, changing how Americans shop for pots and pans. He also turned Pottery Barn into the Gap of home furnishings, offering reasonable design at affordable prices. Hes a creative genius. He is that guy, says David Strasser, an analyst at Janney Montgomery. Either you believe the transformation makes sense or you dont. So far the evidence is that its pretty powerful.

Read more from the original source:
Restoration Hardware CEO Gary Friedman's Luxury Retail Ambitions

by Joe Flanagan, 13News Now

WVEC.com

Posted on February 26, 2014 at 3:07 PM

Updated today at 3:56 PM

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Ever wonder who has the job of cleaning, restoring and refurbishing homes and buildings after fires or floods?

I trained with restoration professionals from Serv Pro in Virginia Beach. General Manager Justin Johnson and I worked at one house that sustained about $70,000 in damage from a frozen pipe.

"This used to be a full kitchen. We've had to remove the cabinets, remove the tile, we had to take up some of the floors so that way we can dry the sub-floors underneath. We had to remove some walls that were heavily saturated," said Project Supervisor Ryan Disler.

It takes a special person to walk in and do restoration work.

"It's not for everybody. We've had people that have come in and worked a couple days and just said, you know, this isn't for me," said Johnson.

Serv Pro helped clean up after an arson fire at Royster Presbyterian Church in Norfolk -- a project that lasted a year and a half and cost o$1.1 million.

See the original post:
Joe's Job: Home Restoration Professional

The Attorney General's office has filed a lawsuit against a restoration company that victims say took their money and didn't follow through.

Tony Lopez can look around his 45-year-old Montopolis home and see plenty of things that need repair.

"My cabinets need fixing for sure," Lopez said.

He says it was appealing when two people representing themselves as Castro Property Restoration told him free government money was available to restore his home. All he would need to do is sign a form and pay $99 dollars. They even offered to put him up in a hotel until the work was complete.

"I said that sounds good. That sounds real good," said Lopez.

Lopez gave them $49 dollars as a deposit, but did not sign any forms. Castro representatives gave him a receipt and flyer. Lopez then did some checking. He first called FOX 7. We advised him not to pay any more money and to call the Better Business Bureau.

"He told me don't do anything. Don't sign no paper. Don't fool with them no more," Lopez said.

Rosa Fabien did pay the $99 dollars and sign the forms. She even loaded all of the contents of her home into pods the company brought out for her. But she had a bad feeling about it and unloaded all those items. She still hasn't had a chance to put it all back inside.

Fabien says Castro employees threatened her when she backed out.

"They said if I break this contract that I could go to jail and they could go to jail too," she said. "You know, I got so scared."

Continue reading here:
AG's office files lawsuit against Austin restoration company

log home restoration washington
glass media blasting.

By: wildwoodloghomerestoration

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log home restoration washington - Video

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 - 1:08pm

Austin, Texas (KETK) Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott today charged an Austin-based residential construction contractor with deceiving Texas homeowners and misrepresenting funding sources available to pay for home repairs and restoration.

Castro Property Restoration, its owner Victor James Castro and his business associate Allen Lloyd Kinman are named in the States enforcement action as defendants. According to court documents, the defendants solicit business door-to-door, offering to assist homeowners with home improvement services. The defendants misrepresent to homeowners that free money from the government is available to pay for the home repair work and then require homeowners to sign a contract and pay a $99 administrative fee to the defendants in advance to complete the repairs.

The States investigation revealed, however, that the defendants failed to disclose to homeowners that the contract contained a power of attorney clause that gave the defendants control over financial decisions regarding the homeowners home. Because the free government money claim was false, the only funding source the defendants could obtain was from the homeowners insurance policy and the defendants could file a claim against the homeowners insurance policy by relying on the contracts broad power of attorney clause.

State investigators also found that the defendants failed to clearly communicate homeowners right to cancel the transaction within three days of signing the contract. Court documents state that when one homeowner expressed interest in canceling her contract, the defendants sent two representatives to the homeowners home who told her that canceling the contract might constitute insurance fraud and that she might be arrested for it.

The Office of the Attorney General charged the defendants with violating multiple provisions of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Texas Business Code. The State is seeking a temporary and permanent injunction, civil penalties and restitution for affected customers.

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Greg Abbott charges property restoration company with deceiving Texas homeowners

Home Restoration Video For your Company | Get Restoration Leads | (704)840-4137
http://bit.ly/RestorationLeadsVideoPaidwithBarter This Home Restoration video can be customized for your company in just a matter of days. Included with the ...

By: Rod Potter

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Home Restoration Video For your Company | Get Restoration Leads | (704)840-4137 - Video

After nearly a decade of renovations, the South Carolina home where President Woodrow Wilson lived as a teenager is reopening to the public as a museum not only about the politician but also the Reconstruction Era.

Former U.S. President Woodrow Wilsons boyhood home in Columbia, S.C., is opening as a museum. Photo by The Associated Press

The home where the 28th president of the United States moved at age 13 and spent his teenage years reopened Feb. 15.

Wilsons father taught at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Columbia and was minister at First Presbyterian Church, where Wilsons father, mother and sister are all buried.

The villa-style home built in 1871 is one of four historic sites for Wilson along with his birthplace in Stanton, Va.; a home in Augusta, Ga., where he grew up; and the Washington, D.C., home where he lived after his time as president. The South Carolina home is the states only presidential site.

Saved from demolition in 1928 after residents protested, the historic home in downtown Columbia closed its doors and grounds to the public in 2005 when plaster fell from the ceiling in some of the downstairs rooms and water damage to the homes foundation became evident.

Rather than just start pulling out artifacts from those rooms that were affected, we decided to go ahead and close the whole site, said John Sherrer, director of cultural resources at Historic Columbia, which maintains the property.

The $3.6 million project to restore the home, which is owned by Richland County, was funded through tax money and private donations. During the nearly decade-long closure, Historic Columbia spent that time doing a historic analysis, which determined details like the blueprint of the home when the Wilsons lived in it and what had been added and closed up in the decades since.

The end result was a building that, structurally, looked like it did when the Wilsons called this home, Sherrer said.

If Tommy Wilson (Woodrows nickname) and his family had showed up here in 2005, theyd be walking around going, Whats that window doing there? or How can we get from this room to that room? ... Now what we have is a building that more genuinely reflects what they would have been accustomed to.

Originally posted here:
After lengthy restoration, Columbia home where Woodrow Wilson lived reopens

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) High winds are expected throughout Thursday night around East Tennessee, which means keeping your home safe from flying debris is as critical as ever.

Sammy Savage is the local owner of Savage Restoration and Construction, and sees damage that can be easily prevented after every storm that blows through.

Savage provided some tips to homeowners on things to do before a storm comes in, as well as what to do once it has cleared out.

"We're looking for anything that overhangs the house, like this tree and limbs that are hanging over this house, which potentially could cause severe damage," Savage said as he pointed at a tree.

Savage said the recent snow fall has saturated the ground, which makes it easier for trees to fall and land on, or even in, someone's house.

"We've seen that before," Savage explained. "That's just an incredible amount of damage."

He said it's a good idea to walk around your home, and check for anything that looks out of place. Check for loose shingles, dislodged siding or cracked or broken glass. He suggested to get all those fixed before the next storm comes in. And make sure any lightweight objects are tied down or brought inside.

He said broken tree limbs can be especially dangerous to homes.

"That's one of those things that becomes a flying object, which can hit your house, go through a window and damage your gutters. It can just destroy your home," Savage said.

As for what to do after the storm has passed? Savage recommends getting outside and doing another walk around the house to look for anything that seems out of place.

See more here:
With high winds blowing, keep your home storm ready

Sen. Rand Paul took his push for restoring felons voting rights to the state level on Wednesday, testifying before a Kentucky Legislature committee and urging his home state to lead the way.

The Republican lawmaker was testifying before the state Senate State and Local Government Committee at midday on Wednesday to advocate passage of a bill that would give felons back the right to vote at the end of their sentence, parole or probation through a constitutional amendment.

(QUIZ: Do you know Rand Paul?)

Paul tweeted Wednesday morning about his push for voting rights restoration, both at the federal and state level.

The Kentucky bill, H.B. 70, had a good shot of passage after years of no movement, according to The Lexington-Herald Leader. It has already cleared the House, and if it passes the Senate, voters will be able to ratify the amendment to the state constitution in November.

The bill exempts felons convicted of treason, sex crimes, murder and bribery.

Criminal justice reform has been a key issue for Paul, an area in which he has found himself in agreement with Democrats including Attorney General Eric Holder, who also pushed for felon voting rights last week.

View original post here:
Paul takes voter rights fight home

After nearly a decade of renovations, the South Carolina home where President Woodrow Wilson lived as a teenager is reopening to the public as a museum not only about the politician but also the Reconstruction Era.

The home where the 28th president of the United States moved at age 13 and spent his teenage years reopened Feb. 15.

Wilson's father taught at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Columbia and was minister at First Presbyterian Church, where Wilson's father, mother and sister are all buried.

The villa-style home built in 1871 is one of four historic sites for Wilson along with his birthplace in Stanton, Va.; a home in Augusta, Ga., where he grew up; and the Washington, D.C., home where he lived after his time as president. The South Carolina home is the state's only presidential site.

Saved from demolition in 1928 after residents protested, the historic home in downtown Columbia closed its doors and grounds to the public in 2005 when plaster fell from the ceiling in some of the downstairs rooms and water damage to the home's foundation became evident.

"Rather than just start pulling out artifacts from those rooms that were affected, we decided to go ahead and close the whole site," said John Sherrer, director of cultural resources at Historic Columbia, which maintains the property.

The $3.6 million project to restore the home, which is owned by Richland County, was funded through tax money and private donations. During the nearly decade-long closure, Historic Columbia spent that time doing a historic analysis, which determined details like the blueprint of the home when the Wilsons lived in it and what had been added and closed up in the decades since.

"The end result was a building that, structurally, looked like it did when the Wilsons called this home," Sherrer said. "If Tommy Wilson (Woodrow's nickname) and his family had showed up here in 2005, they'd be walking around going, 'What's that window doing there?' or 'How can we get from this room to that room?' ... Now what we have is a building that more genuinely reflects what they would have been accustomed to."

The home also now has a new roof, shutters and a wood foundation that needed to be replaced because of water damage. The project also included a revamp of the home's exterior paint scheme, which Sherrer says is now closer to what they would have been when Wilson lived there and is being replicated by preservationists working on other Columbia-area buildings from the same era. Once painted white and gray, now the home's outside is cast in more vibrant but still earthy tones, with tan and brown trim and deep blue-green shutters.

"It's exciting because this is a building that is important in its own right, but it's magnified when people use it as kind of a historic preservation laboratory, and in so doing, they can apply those thoughts to their own properties," he said.

Continued here:
Woodrow Wilson's Columbia Home Reopens to Public