RH Expands To The Sea With ‘RH Three,’ A New Expedition Yacht Designed By The Luxury Retailer

Docked alongside the seemingly endless parade of glistening white mega-yachts in Monte Carlo’s Port Hercule during this year’s Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix sat a rather different-looking newcomer to the Mediterranean’s summer yacht circuit. Standing out from every other yacht not only by virtue of its dark metallic Phantom gray color, but as the only expedition yacht in the port, this breathtaking vessel drew as much attention as any over the weekend – with the possible exception of the nearby superyacht showing off a $3 million Bugatti on its deck. RH Three – the recently completed 130-foot explorer yacht from furniture giant RH – may not have been the largest boat in the Monte Carlo port (far from it, in fact), but pound-for-pound might have been the most impressive.

Described by the company as a nautical evocation of the RH design ethos, RH Three is now available for charter, sailing the Mediterranean in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter. To promote the launch of the yacht this spring, RH took RH Three first to the Cannes Film Festival, where she appeared directly across from the famed red carpet photo call, and then trackside to Monaco, where RH partnered with Sotheby’s France to host VIP clients over two days for an exclusive look at the newly- refurbished yacht. Grand Prix weekend even included an exclusive cocktail party aboard RH Three in support of the Princess Grace Foundation, which drew none other than H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco.

The RH Three yacht is just the latest example of the company taking its design aesthetic well beyond furniture, and into other luxury and experiential categories. The company opened its first hospitality venture, RH Guesthouse, in New York City in 2022 – and even owns and charters a pair of private Gulfstream jets. “We are creating bespoke experiences like RH Yountville, an integration of food, wine, art and design in the Napa Valley, RH One and RH Two, our private jets, and RH Three, our luxury yacht,” says Gary Friedman, RH Chairman & CEO. “These immersive experiences expose new and existing customers to our evolving authority in architecture, interior design and landscape architecture.”

“We are creating bespoke experiences like RH Yountville, an integration of food, wine, art and design in the Napa Valley, RH One and RH Two, our private jets, and RH Three, our luxury yacht,” — Gary Friedman, RH Chairman & CEO.

While the expansion of the brand may have been long-planned, the acquisition of a yacht actually stemmed from a chance encounter – and an amazing coincidence. A Belgian designer initially spotted a yacht named RH3 for sale. “He emailed me and asked if it was the company yacht,” Friedman recently told BOAT International. “I don’t know anything about yachts; I’m not even very good at swimming!” Friedman was intrigued, however, and continued to keep his eye on the yacht, even visiting it with his design team in Sicily in 2019. A year later, the company acquired the vessel, renamed it RH Three, and embarked on an extensive refurbishment project.

Built in 2003 by Turkish shipyard RMK Marine, and originally designed by Dutch design studio Vripack, the yacht had already undergone a renovation in 2016 led by esteemed Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen. This time, however, the task involved turning the yacht into a fitting representation of the RH brand. The company’s approach was not simply to make RH Three a floating sourcebook of furniture that could be bought in RH galleries; rather the goal was to make the yacht a reflection of the essence of RH quality and design, with its emphasis on balance, symmetry, and perfect proportions – often through a less-is-more approach.

In a case of addition by subtraction, the brand changed the interior layout of the yacht by adding space to the crew cabins and reducing the yacht’s five guest cabins to four, thereby achieving a minimum guest-to-crew ratio of one-to-one even when accommodating a full group of eight passengers.

The upper deck, which was originally half lounge and half gym, was transformed into a single area with a bar and lounge that extends from indoors to outdoors. The original white ceiling of the yacht was replaced with a warm, wooden ceiling, and the space was completed with a teak fire table and generous outdoor daybed, while a new gym was created on the bow.

The choice of color for the yacht was also a major decision which gave the boat a distinctive RH stamp. Originally white and gray, the company decided to paint the hull a dark, metallic Phantom Gray and champagne metallic – the same colors as the brand’s two jets – and is thrilled with the result. Says CEO Friedman, “Now she’s the most beautiful boat in the harbor!”

RH Three offers many great spaces in which to relax and spend time. The first of these, on the main deck, is the Salon – a large, but cozy space featuring two separate seating areas, a dining table, and a work space. Champagne lacquer walls, wire-brushed white oak furniture, caramel Italian leather chairs and deck chairs, charcoal velvet sofas, and custom lighting by PSLab fills the space, which very intentionally feels like a continuation of the main deck outside. A limited-edition screen print by Bruce Nauman punctuates the room, which may not be an RH showroom, but may have guests running to one soon after their visit to the yacht.

My favorite area on RH Three is the stunning Sky Lounge, a more intimate space a deck above the main deck. While its colors and materials are in line with the Salon, the Sky Lounge’s ribbed walls of curved white oak clearly evoke stacked naval rope, and its lighting is, fittingly, also maritime-inspired. The whole look is exquisite. In the corner, an illuminated bar displaying Rogsaka crystal decanters of spirits from around the world provides a magnetic focal point for guests to socialize.

When not enjoying the public spaces around the yacht, guests should be so lucky as to be able to retire to RH Three’s Primary Cabin. The cabin is large – spanning the full width of the vessel – and with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and reflective lacquered walls and ceiling panels, is full of light. The Primary Cabin is large enough to comfortably include both a desk area and lounge area, but books, artwork, and a cashmere throw help give it a homey feel. The cabin’s ensuite bathroom features Italian Carrara marble, and feels more like a bathroom in a beautiful home than what would typically be found on a yacht. Even the bathroom toilet is notable – like other toilets on the yacht, it is set seamlessly into cabinetry so that it is barely noticeable, like you often see on private jets. After all, why should the toilet be a focal point of the bathroom?

For those guests wanting to do more on RH Three than relax with a good book or a glass of wine, the yacht carries an array of tenders and toys. Most notably, it comes with a beautiful 50-foot expedition chase boat – a feature virtually unheard of for a yacht of this size – along with two 21-foot tenders. The selection of water toys is just as impressive: wave runner, sea bobs, carbon fiber kayaks, paddleboards, water skiing equipment, towable tubing, and snorkeling gear. Frankly, you would probably need more than a week to use them all!

For those interested in immersing themselves into the world of RH – at sea, no less – the good news is that the RH Three yacht experience is now available to be enjoyed by anyone through their charter program. And for those who would rather not travel by sea, you can always get a taste on land as well by booking a night at RH Guesthouse New York, or simply by enjoying a classic martini in the Guesthouse Dining Room or Champagne & Caviar Bar. But if you can enjoy that classic martini on RH Three, all the better!