Design Within Reach (DWR) functions as a high-end retailer, curating iconic modern and mid-century furniture from a variety of designers, making it a one-stop-shop for stylish home furnishings. In contrast, Herman Miller is a manufacturer renowned for its own legendary designs, specializing in high-performance, ergonomic office furniture that prioritizes health and productivity.
Let's compare these two pillars of modern design to help you decide which one is the right choice for your space.
Design Within Reach: The Modern Design Curator
Design Within Reach was founded with the mission to make authentic, high-quality modern design accessible to the public. As a retailer, DWR offers a curated collection of furniture, lighting, and accessories from some of the most influential designers and brands in the world, including Herman Miller itself. Their catalog is geared toward design-savvy consumers looking to furnish their entire home with timeless, aesthetically pleasing pieces.
- Product mix: A broad selection of home furnishings, including sofas, dining sets, beds, outdoor furniture, lighting, rugs, and decor. DWR carries pieces from iconic brands and designers, acting as a gallery for modern design.
- Style/vibe: Clean, minimalist, and contemporary with deep roots in mid-century modernism. The aesthetic is sophisticated, stylish, and focused on creating beautiful living spaces.
- Price point: Mid to high-end. Sofas typically start around $1,200, dining tables from $800, and authentic designer accent chairs can run from $300 into the thousands.
- Quality: Quality is focused on great design and durability for residential use. They feature pieces made with premium materials like solid woods, metals, and performance fabrics, but quality can vary depending on the specific designer or product line.
- Warranty: Most items come with a standard 1-year manufacturer warranty.
- Delivery & Assembly: Full-service white-glove delivery and assembly are available for large items, ensuring furniture arrives in pristine condition and is set up professionally.
- Shopping Experience: DWR offers a premium experience with beautiful physical showrooms in major cities and a comprehensive, user-friendly website.
- Sustainability: The company is increasingly focused on sustainable practices and responsible sourcing, but it is not the primary feature of their brand identity.
DWR is the ideal destination for those who appreciate authentic modern design and want a curated selection for every room in the home, all in one place.
Shop Design Within Reach: dwr.com
Herman Miller: The Ergonomic Innovator
Herman Miller is a legendary American manufacturer that designs and builds its own furniture, defined by a legacy of innovation and ergonomic research. Known for creating some of the most iconic pieces of the 20th century, like the Eames Lounge Chair and the Aeron office chair, the brand is synonymous with performance, health, and comfort. Their focus is on creating solutions that improve human well-being, especially in the workspace.
- Product mix: Highly specialized in seating, office systems, desks, and storage. While they offer lounge and living room furniture, their reputation is built on ergonomic task chairs.
- Style/vibe: Function-driven and innovative. The aesthetic is born from solving problems, resulting in designs that are both timeless and performance-oriented, often with a sleek, tech-forward look.
- Price point: Premium. Their ergonomic chairs, like the Aeron, start around $1,200, and classic pieces like the Eames Lounge Chair cost several thousand dollars, positioning the brand as a long-term investment.
- Quality: Engineered for extreme durability and long-term use. Products are made with advanced materials like high-strength polymers and recycled aluminum, backed by rigorous testing to withstand decades of commercial or home use.
- Warranty: A key differentiator. Herman Miller famously offers a 12-year warranty on most of their high-performance seating and furniture, covering parts and labor.
- Shopping Experience: Purchases can be made directly online, through their own showrooms, or via a global network of authorized dealers who can provide expert ergonomic consultations.
- Customization: Extensive customization options are available, especially for office chairs, including different sizes, finishes, arm types, and caster wheels to perfectly fit the user's body and space.
- Sustainability: A core pillar of the brand for decades. The company is a leader in eco-conscious manufacturing, holding GREENGUARD and FSC certifications, pursuing carbon neutrality, and using recycled materials.
Herman Miller is the definitive choice for those who view furniture as an investment in health, productivity, and sustainable, long-lasting design.
Shop Herman Miller: hermanmiller.com
Design Within Reach vs. Herman Miller Comparison
Price Comparison
While both brands operate in the premium market, their pricing structures serve different purposes. Design Within Reach offers a wider spectrum of prices, from mid-range accessories and smaller furniture pieces to high-end designer sofas that can exceed $3,000. It provides more entry points for someone looking to acquire a piece of designer furniture.
Herman Miller's pricing is consistently in the upper tier, reflecting the extensive research, premium materials, and engineering that go into their ergonomic products. An Aeron chair is an investment, but its price is justified by its 12-year warranty and a design proven to support well-being through decades of use. In short, DWR is priced for style, while Herman Miller is priced for performance and longevity.
Style & Aesthetic
Design Within Reach is focused on the aesthetic of modernism for the home. Their collection is curated to create a cohesive, stylish environment across living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, featuring clean lines and iconic mid-century forms. The primary goal is visual harmony and design authenticity.
Herman Miller's aesthetic is an outcome of its function-first philosophy. Their designs are sleek and minimal but are shaped by the demands of a high-performance workspace. This often results in a more technical or utilitarian look that fits perfectly in a modern home office but is more about performance than blending into a living room-centric decor scheme.
Quality & Construction
Both brands offer exceptional quality, but it's important to understand the difference. DWR’s furniture is built for a residential setting, favoring materials like solid wood, durable fabrics, and sturdy metals that look good and hold up well to everyday life. The focus is on authentic craftsmanship and material beauty.
Herman Miller’s construction is meant to withstand constant, demanding use. The materials are often advanced, like proprietary mesh for breathability and flexible polymers for support. The true measure of their quality is found in their industry-leading 12-year warranty, a promise of durability that few other brands can match.
Product Selection
This is the most critical distinction. Design Within Reach is a retailer with a vast library of products from different creators. You can find sofas from one designer, tables from another, and lighting from a third. This is ideal for those who want to mix and match high-end designer brands.
Herman Miller is the creator. They have a more focused product line centered around their own innovations in seating and office systems. While they do offer solutions for other parts of the home (like the classic Eames Lounge), their depth is clearly in furniture that supports work and well-being.
Sustainability & Ethics
Herman Miller has been a long-time leader in sustainable manufacturing. Their commitment is deep and demonstrated through initiatives like their focus on circular design, zero-waste facilities, and official certifications like GREENGUARD. For eco-conscious shoppers, Herman Miller is one of the top choices in the furniture industry.
Design Within Reach is also committed to responsible sourcing and offers many products made with sustainable materials. However, as they are a retailer for many brands, their overall eco-footprint is a reflection of their various partners rather than a single, unified manufacturing philosophy like Herman Miller.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends entirely on your needs, as both brands represent the pinnacle of modern design in different ways.
Choose Design Within Reach if:
- You're furnishing an entire room or home and want a curated, one-stop-shop for authentic modern furniture.
- Aesthetic cohesion and iconic styles are your primary motivation.
- You appreciate having a wide selection of products from many different world-class designers.
- You need furniture for residential spaces like the living room, dining room, or bedroom.
Choose Herman Miller if:
- You are setting up a home office and prioritize ergonomic support and long-term comfort.
- You view furniture as a long-term investment in your health and productivity.
- A comprehensive 12-year warranty and superior durability are important factors for you.
- You want to support a brand with a deep and demonstrable commitment to sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is more expensive, Design Within Reach or Herman Miller?
Herman Miller is generally positioned at a higher, more premium price point for its specialized ergonomic chairs and classic icons. While Design Within Reach sells many expensive pieces, it also offers a wider range of items at more accessible, mid-range luxury prices.
Does Design Within Reach sell Herman Miller furniture?
Yes, Design Within Reach is an authorized retailer for Herman Miller. DWR offers a curated selection of their most popular items, like the Aeron Chair and Eames Lounge Chair, alongside products from many other designers.
Which brand has better quality?
Both have exceptional quality, but it's geared toward different uses. Herman Miller's quality is centered around high-performance ergonomics and extreme durability, designed to last for over a decade under heavy use, as proven by its 12-year warranty. DWR's quality promise is focused on authentic, well-crafted design for sophisticated residential living.
Which brand is better for a home office?
Herman Miller is the specialist. While DWR offers beautiful desks and chairs that are perfectly suitable for casual use, Herman Miller's entire philosophy is built around creating ergonomic tools for health and productivity during long hours of work.
What is the biggest difference in their product selection?
The biggest difference is scale and focus. DWR offers a broad catalog covering every room of the house from many different designers. Herman Miller offers a deeper, more specialized catalog focused primarily on their own iconic seating and workspace solutions.
Can I return furniture to both brands?
Both brands generally accept returns on standard items within a specific window, though policies can be strict for oversized furniture. Made-to-order or custom items from either brand are typically not returnable. It is always best to check the specific policy for the item you are purchasing.
What's the main style difference between them?
DWR's style is curated modernism, focusing on the visual and aesthetic appeal of mid-century and contemporary forms for home life. Herman Miller's style is functional innovation, where the form is a direct result of solving ergonomic or spatial problems, lending it a clean, performance-driven look.
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