Restoration Hardware Soap Dispenser Returned

We bought bathroom accessories at Restoration Hardware several years ago that included a soap dispenser. It has been oozing some ugly black sediment for quite some time. So we just kept cleaning it but weren’t happy with the result. We needed another dispenser so I gambled and purchased the same one that was on sale. This time it started oozing the same stuff almost immediately. So I contacted RH to let them know we were having this issue and see if they had other people concerned about the product. They said they hadn’t heard, but would exchange our new dispenser with another one. However, since I couldn’t find the documentation of purchase for the first one, they wouldn’t exchange that one. So the new dispenser arrived yesterday. I printed the UPS label they emailed and repackaged our “broken” one in the box they sent. We also put our other “broken one” in the same box to make a point. So now we have to mail the package back to RH this week. We rarely - if ever - return things. I’m really not sure it’s worth all the hassle. Thank goodness the box is small enough to carry. 

Restoration Hardware Soap Dispenser

We outfitted our studio condo bathroom with Restoration Hardware bathroom accessories about nine years ago. The soap dispenser was giving up the ghost over the last few months. For whatever reason there was an accumulation of some black tinged slimy stuff under the dispenser mechanism. So we decided to replace it with another one and put it in our one bedroom renovated bathroom condo until the new one arrived. In the meantime I put the stainless steel Simple Human dispenser in the bathroom because it matched the decor better. So I looked on line for a Restoration Hardware replacement and found one just like it - except it was a larger size and only came in a shiny tone rather than the brushed nickel we prefer. But since it was on sale and would actually look okay in the renovated bathroom, we got it. The soap dispenser arrived yesterday. We filled it with soft soap and it is sitting pretty next to the sink. It matches the light fixture above the mirror. My husband still thinks he can fix the old one. My vote is to dump it. Let’s see what happens next. 

Restoration Hardware Sheets and Towels

Last year we transformed a closet in to a monk’s room in our studio apartment. It needed a bed cover, so we went to Restoration Hardware to find something we liked. In so doing, we ended up setting up an account to get a certain per cent off. We haven’t purchased anything else from RH since that time. But we needed a set of sheets and towels. So I checked the website and saw that a sale was going on, plus we had our account discount that will expire soon. I found exactly what we were looking for at a good price. The sheets came right away, and the bath towels followed in two weeks. The hand towels were on backorder. Luckily nothing we ordered was a grave necessity. So yesterday I got notice that the last items are finally on their way. What makes RH so unique is the way items are packaged. The sheets come in their own little sheet pouch tied with a ribbon. We always forgo any sort of personalization like initials, but it is an option. Today we finally decided to put the sheets on the bed and they look really good. The test will be tonight when we actually use them. I just hope the towels are soft. I don’t think we will renew our account this year unless there is something out there that makes it worth while. I always hesitate to throw out the old stuff, but the twelve year old torn sheets and stained towels really are garbage can worthy. 

Restoration Hardware Alpaca Corded Stripe Throw

When you live in small spaces you want to make good use of every square inch. We are working to turn our 70x76 inch closet in to a tiny bedroom - or "monk's room." So the other day we went to a few furniture stores in Georgetown, primarily to visit Restoration Hardware. When we moved to DC ten years ago, we bought several bedding and bathroom items at RH. Since the Alexandria shop closed, that leaves Georgetown or perhaps Tyson's. As soon as my husband saw it, he loved the Alpaca corded stripe throw and the long lumbar matching pillow. It was the pillow that did it. The throw was shown folded at the end of a king size bed, but this would work nicely as the bedcover on a twin bed. Since we couldn't purchase the items in the store, I ordered them on line and became an RH member to get the better discount. The set arrived earlier this week and we were anxious to see the result. Did we make the right choice? I was tempted to get my favorite green color instead, but my husband preferred the more neutral black and white. We are still putzing around the tiny room to make it as cozy as possible. I think the throw and pillow look lovely!

Crate and Barrel & Restoration Hardware Shower Curtain Switch

In Milwaukee we had two bathrooms and both of them had shower doors. Gone were the days of constantly replacing shower curtain liners. When we moved to DC, our tiny condo had a tiny bathroom - with a bathtub and shower curtain rod. When we decided to buy the unit across the hall from us six years ago, increasing our living space to about 1,000 square feet, we also got another tiny bathroom with a bathtub and shower rod. We went to Restoration Hardware and got what we thought was a perfect shower curtain match for the new bathroom. Almost two years ago we had our original unit repainted throughout after almost ten years of wear and tear. The new wall color was called champagne - kind of a pinkish hue. So we went to Crate and Barrel to find a new match since the old curtain no longer worked. Well, it's been since then that it took us to realize that the shower curtains were in the wrong bathrooms. After cleaning each of the liners in bleach and washing the curtains and then rehanging them, it dawned on us that a switch was in order. We were thinking about getting new shower curtain rings too, but realized each set just worked better better on the opposite side. Now it feels like we have two new bathrooms. Sometimes it just the simple, little things that can make a huge difference. And it didn't cost a cent. 

Restoration Hardware at Tyson's Corner Center

We used to love going to Restoration Hardware in Alexandria. But it closed quite awhile ago, and that leaves only one in Georgetown and the other in Tyson's. Georgetown is always a royal pain to get to and find parking, so we decided to try the one at Tyson's Corner Center thinking it might be less busy on a Friday rather than Saturday. Boy were we wrong! Schools must be closed today after the snow storm yesterday because everybody was out. Finding parking was a nightmare, and it was worse because of all the construction going on in the area - the new metro line, condos, and office buildings. It's the only place I know where directions to the freeway are next to the parking lot and it feels like a freeway surrounding this place. All we wanted was to look at shower curtains and bathroom accessories. This place reminds me why I will do anything I can to order things on line rather than try to find them in a shopping mall. But sometimes my husband needs to "see" the item. To me, it's just not worth the trouble. By the time we got to the place, we totally lost interest.