design
More Beautiful Than Before
RachaelGrochowski transformed The Clairidge and other beloved local spaces
WRITTEN BY JULIA MARTIN
Rachael Grochowski , the architect behind RHG Architecture + Design , has her fingerprints all over town : On The Clairidge Theater ( where new seats were installed in time for this year ’ s festival ), Montclair Film headquarters , The Madison Building , Vault 491 , Hillside Square , Academy Square , and more restaurants , shops and homes than she can list from memory .
Her influence on local design is pervasive , but it is also collaborative . She teaches her staff of17 architects and designers skill sets for working on interiors , exteriors , commercial and private spaces , so they , and the company , can be resilient . It ’ saholistic approach that has helped Grochowski thrive in her business and personal life , asshe ’ s navigated the ups and downs of the economy and raised three children as asingle mom .
In advance ofthe Montclair Film Festival , Montclair Magazine had awide-ranging conversation with her in her sunny , chic offices in the 491Vault building across from The Clairidge , which her firm thoroughly renovated and she oversaw the interior redesign . She talked about the evolution ofher design sensibilities , how scoring anearly job with developer Bob Silver jump-started her Montclair business , and what keeps her going when things get tough .
RACHAEL GROCHOWSKI OWNER OF RHG ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
COURTESY OF DONNA DOTAN
8 FALL 2023 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE