RH Soars To New Heights With An Expansion Into Private Aviation

RH soars to new heights with its stratospheric expansion into private aviation as its latest concept, RH One, takes off.

Some might see the massive success of RH Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Friedman and think he might be ready to rest on his laurels of countless wins ranging from revolutionizing retail into something experiential and regularly outperforming earning expectations. Yet, Friedman is just getting started. The brand recently unveiled RH One (which will be available for charter beginning in 2022), a first-of-its-kind private jet designed by Friedman and his team. The Gulfstream G650 is elegantly outfitted—think brushed European white oak and charcoal linen upholstery—and a high-flying celebration of the fine craftsmanship on which Friedman has built an empire. We checked in with Friedman as his imagination takes flight.

RH One, the brand’s first private jet service, is a 12-passenger Gulfstream G650.

What inspired you to launch RH One?

We believe one of the most important things we do as leaders is allocate human and financial capital—how we invest our time and money. One of the things I’ve learned over the years is I’ve generally been able to raise more money, but I’ve never figured out how to create more time. We also believe that brands or businesses that create time value will become more valuable. And that’s what flying private does—it amplifies the business’s greatest asset, its people. It enables a team to gain more time, cover more ground and connect more dots. It creates an environment of collaboration. When you travel commercially, you could never have 12 people sitting together discussing what you’ve just seen, what you’ve just learned, working in an integrated fashion that enables innovation versus hours lost traveling in isolation.

What was your overall aesthetic approach?

From both a functional and aesthetic point of view, most private planes conform to the same design logic as it relates to the interiors. We believed we could design an environment that amplified collaboration and creativity. Every aspect of RH One is designed using that lens. It’s why the entire cabin is crafted of a single material, European white oak, eliminating the clutter and visual chaos caused by using multiple materials and colors in a small, confined space. Our design ethos is based on the teachings of Vitruvius and his core belief that the most pleasing design is the reflection of human design. It’s the study of balance, symmetry and perfect proportions. It is a hierarchy that creates harmony and enables collaboration and creativity.

What other news is coming up for the brand that we can share?

In 2022, we will launch the World of RH, a new digital portal that will present our ecosystem of products, places, services and spaces.

Our products include RH Interiors, RH Modern, RH Outdoor, RH Beach House, RH Ski House, RH Baby & Child and RH TEEN. This spring, we will be introducing RH Contemporary, a new collection that bridges the gap between RH Interiors and RH Modern.

The jet’s interior features luxe chairs upholstered in charcoal linen.

Our places include our Galleries, Guesthouses, Residences and Restaurants. The first Guesthouse launches in New York early next year, followed by Aspen in late 2022 or early 2023. Our first RH Residences will be unveiled as part of our Aspen ecosystem that includes a new RH Gallery, RH Guesthouse, our first RH Bath House & Spa, The RH Residences at the historic Boomerang Lodge and the RH Residence on Red Mountain.

Our services include RH Interior Design and our RH Contract and Trade business. We believe there are also opportunities to introduce RH Architecture and RH Landscape Architecture.

Our spaces include RH One and RH Two, our private planes; and RH Three, our luxury yacht that will be available for charter in the Caribbean and Mediterranean where the wealthy and affluent visit and vacation.

The cabin is clad in brushed European pale white oak.

What else is a bucket list launch for you for the brand? Are space shuttles on the horizon?

No space shuttles, but lots of new exciting places and spaces that are designed to elevate the brand and inspire our customers.