Random Harvest

From the Washington Post
Thursday, October 4, 2007; Page H05

About the name: It's a favorite book, and when I started this business it really was a random harvest. It still is. It's one of the things we're trying to maintain.
Timeline: First area store opened in Alexandria in 1988, a second in Georgetown in 1996 (those locations have since moved into larger spaces in the same neighborhoods). The Bethesda location opened six years ago. RH Studio, a more contemporary version, opened two years ago in Georgetown.
Background: When I was little, Barbie never had nice clothes, but she always had a very nice house.

Random Harvest style: A traditional base that grows into the transitional. That's where a lot of our client base is right now: Their organic attraction is to the traditional, but then they want to update that look and go transitional. They tend to do that with accessories, art and smaller pieces, like mirrors or lamps. A coffee table is a great way to update a room with a more modern look, because you don't have to clear the whole room and get rid of all of your traditional pieces.

What you stock: A mix of new, antique and vintage pieces that are affordable and smaller in scale. We concentrate on pieces that are not that large, because most of the homes in this area have small rooms. Many homes in this area may have large family rooms added on, but the living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms are not large, and that poses difficulties for people in terms of logistics and scale.

We look for things that are a little unexpected and not found anywhere else -- no big names. Accessories are where we get a little riskier and much less traditional. Unexpected lighting is one example. We still carry a brass candlestick twist lamp, but we also have hand-blown blue bubble-glass lamps. Both will look great on a period dresser. Lamps are a great way to do something unexpected and where we tend to experiment a little more.

What customers are looking for: Primarily to solve a problem: Their home is too dark and they need lamps, or they haven't updated their look in years and they're having a party. Sometimes women just don't like their husbands, and they try to solve that by buying a new sofa. It's the impetus to redo.
Business philosophy : Having a staff that really cares about the customers. It's hard to spend a lot of money in a store and not have someone know your name.
Hottest products: Lighting and our vintage muslin upholstered furniture. From November to mid-December we sell all of our dining room tables, and when daylight saving starts in the fall, we sell lots of lamps.

Personal favorites : The Chinese antiques. They fit with everything, and I love the way they look.

Favorite local shops: Tone on Tone in Bethesda, And George in Charlottesville and Marston Luce in Georgetown. I love going into Baker because it's so well done.

Basic design advice : Trust your instincts. Everyone says, 'I don't know what I like,' but that is simply not true. They may not trust what they like, but they know what they like. If you trust yourself and buy the things you like, odds are pretty good that things will come together.

What's next: A small store is opening in North Arlington this month, and negotiations are in the works for a larger store in Reston Town Center. We are also developing in-house design services.

Random Harvest, locations in Georgetown, Alexandria and Bethesda. For details, http://www.randomharvesthome.com.