Design Within Reach (DWR) is a premium retailer that curates authentic modern and mid-century furniture from a wide range of iconic designers, focusing on style and aesthetic versatility. In contrast, Herman Miller is a manufacturer renowned for its innovative, high-performance office and home furniture, with an emphasis on ergonomic design, sustainability, and longevity.
Let's find out which of these iconic brands is the right fit for your home and lifestyle.
Design Within Reach (DWR): The Modern Design Curator
Design Within Reach acts as a high-end gallery for the best in modern design, offering a vast, curated collection from legendary brands and contemporary designers alike. Their mission is to make authentic modern design accessible. This makes DWR a go-to source for style-conscious shoppers who want a one-stop-shop for furnishing a sophisticated, contemporary home with pieces from designers like Eames, Saarinen, and Nelson - often sourcing directly from manufacturers like Herman Miller and Knoll.
- Product mix: A comprehensive selection for the entire home, including living room furniture, dining sets, bedroom collections, lighting, rugs, and outdoor pieces. DWR is an authorized retailer for multiple high-end brands, including Herman Miller.
- Style/vibe: Predominantly mid-century modern, Scandinavian, and contemporary styles. The aesthetic is clean, sophisticated, and warm, featuring a mix of timeless classics and modern innovations.
- Price point: Premium, but with a broader range than a single manufacturer. Dining chairs start around $300, sofas from $1,200 up to $10,000+, and lighting fixtures typically range from $200–$1,000.
- Quality: Quality is generally high but can vary since DWR curates items from different designers and manufacturers. They focus on authentic, well-crafted pieces made with premium materials like solid wood, high-quality upholstery, and durable finishes.
- Fit/Sizing: Offers a wide variety of dimensions perfect for different spaces, from compact accent chairs for small city apartments to large sectional sofas for spacious living rooms.
- Shopping Experience: Features a visually rich website and stunning showrooms in major cities that allow customers to experience products firsthand. They also offer design services to assist with space planning.
- Sales: Holds sales several times a year, often with event-based promotions (like the Herman Miller sale or Semi-Annual sale) offering significant discounts on specific brands or categories.
- Delivery & Assembly: White-glove delivery service is available, which includes unpacking, assembly, and placement of furniture in your room of choice.
DWR is the ideal choice for those who value authentic design history and want to blend pieces from various iconic brands to create a cohesive, modern interior.
Shop Design Within Reach: dwr.com
Herman Miller: The Ergonomic Innovator
For more than a century, Herman Miller has been at the forefront of "problem-solving design." Synonymous with creating some of the most iconic pieces of the 20th century, like the Aeron Chair and the Eames Lounge Chair, the brand is most famous for its dedication to ergonomic excellence, scientific research, and sustainable manufacturing. Herman Miller furniture is an investment in comfort, health, and timeless design that is built to last for generations.
- Product mix: Specializes in office and home seating, workstations, tables, and storage. While known for office furniture, they offer a full range of home products, including iconic lounge seating, dining sets, sofas, and beds.
- Style/vibe: Functional modernism with a clean, often minimalist aesthetic. Designs prioritize ergonomic function and efficiency without sacrificing style, creating a look that is both professional and sophisticated.
- Price point: High-end and premium. The iconic Aeron Chair starts around $1,200, while investment pieces like the Eames Lounge Chair can range from $5,000 to over $8,000 depending on materials.
- Quality: Exceptional and consistent build quality. Herman Miller uses innovative, high-performance materials like proprietary textiles and recycled aluminum. Every product undergoes rigorous testing for durability and performance, often backed by extensive warranties (e.g., 12 years on most office chairs).
- Customization: Offers extensive customization for many products, especially office chairs which can be configured by size, back support, arm style, and finish to achieve a perfect ergonomic fit.
- Sustainability: An industry leader in environmental responsibility. Herman Miller focuses on circular design, uses recycled and recyclable materials, and holds numerous certifications, including FSC, GREENGUARD, and Cradle to Cradle.
- Shopping Experience: Products can be purchased directly online, through company showrooms, or from a network of authorized dealers. The focus is often on ergonomic consultation to ensure customers choose the right product for their physical needs.
Herman Miller products are for buyers who see furniture as a long-term investment in their well-being, prioritizing performance, durability, and sustainable practices.
Shop Herman Miller: hermanmiller.com
DWR vs. Herman Miller Comparison
Price Comparison
DWR offers a wider spectrum of prices because it curates products from various brands. You can find well-designed accent pieces under $500 alongside investment sofas costing over $10,000. This makes some of their collection more accessible. DWR also holds regular sales events that offer significant markdowns.
Herman Miller is positioned firmly in the premium, high-end market. Prices reflect deep investment in research, development, materials, and craftsmanship, plus long-term warranties. For example, a basic Sayl Chair starts around $700, while the performance-focused Aeron exceeds $1,200. Sales are less frequent, typically happening only a few times a year. While Herman Miller is more expensive upfront, the cost is justified by the furniture's longevity and ergonomic benefits.
Style & Aesthetic
DWR’s aesthetic leans more toward warm, inviting mid-century modern and contemporary styles. Their catalog features a blend of warm woods, vibrant textiles, and sculptural forms perfect for creating a stylish and comfortable living space. While DWR sells many minimalist pieces, its overall collection is broader and more decorative.
Herman Miller’s style is driven by function. The look is quintessentially modern, clean, and often minimalist, with a subtle aesthetic that fits perfectly in both professional offices and contemporary homes. While pieces like the Eames Lounge Chair are luxuriously comfortable, the brand’s overall vibe is more utilitarian and performance-oriented than purely decorative.
Quality & Materials
One of Herman Miller's biggest strengths is its unwavering commitment to quality and material innovation. The brand fabricates its own products under strict standards, using proprietary materials and rigorously tested components designed for decades of use. This consistency ensures that any product carrying the Herman Miller name meets an exceptionally high bar for durability.
As a retailer, DWR's quality is dependent on the brand that manufactured the product. However, they are highly selective and only curate authentic pieces from reputable designers and manufacturers known for their craftsmanship. You can be confident you're getting a well-made item, though the specific construction and materials will vary from a Loll Designs outdoor chair to a Cassina sofa.
Product Selection
DWR offers a much broader selection for furnishing an entire home from top to bottom. Their inventory includes everything from sofas and beds to rugs, lighting, dinnerware, and decor accents. This makes DWR a convenient hub for anyone decorating a full space with a cohesive, modern aesthetic.
Herman Miller’s selection is more focused. They excel at performance seating, office systems, and a curated collection of iconic residential furniture developed by a specific family of designers (the Eameses, George Nelson, etc.). While they offer high-quality dining and living room pieces, their depth and breadth can't match a large multi-brand retailer like DWR.
Sustainability & Ethics
While DWR has focused more on sustainability in recent years by featuring brands that use eco-friendly materials, Herman Miller is a recognized pioneer in this area. Herman Miller has been committed to environmental responsibility for decades, establishing aggressive goals for carbon neutrality, waste reduction, and circular design principles. Their products often hold extensive environmental certifications, making them a clear winner for the eco-conscious consumer.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both DWR and Herman Miller represent the pinnacle of modern design, but they serve different consumer needs.
Choose Design Within Reach (DWR) if:
- You want to furnish your entire home from a single, expertly curated source.
- You appreciate a mix of different modern designers and styles, from mid-century to contemporary.
- Aesthetics and creating a specific decorative vibe are your primary concerns.
- You want more options for decor, rugs, lighting, and accessories.
Choose Herman Miller if:
- Ergonomics and long-term user comfort are your highest priorities, especially for a home office.
- You value "buy it for life" durability and are seeking an item you can potentially pass down for generations.
- Corporate sustainability and responsible manufacturing are important factors in your purchasing decision.
- You are investing in a singular, iconic piece of design history, like an Aeron or Eames chair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DWR or Herman Miller cheaper?
DWR is generally more accessible because it offers a broader range of products from various brands at different price points. While still a premium retailer, you can find a wider variety of affordable options compared to Herman Miller, whose products consistently occupy the high-end market. That said, DWR holds more frequent sales, including promotions on the Herman Miller products it carries.
Which has better quality furniture?
Both offer exceptional quality, but Herman Miller is arguably more consistent. As a manufacturer with legendary quality control, every Herman Miller product is built to last and backed by an extensive warranty. DWR sells high-quality, authentic products, but the construction varies depending on the original manufacturer.
Does DWR sell authentic Herman Miller products?
Yes, Design Within Reach is an authorized dealer for Herman Miller. When you buy a Herman Miller product from DWR, you are getting an authentic piece with the full manufacturer's warranty and backing.
Why is Herman Miller furniture so expensive?
Herman Miller’s prices reflect significant investment in ergonomic research, an exhaustive design process, premium and innovative materials, precision U.S.-based manufacturing, and long-term durability. The extensive warranties they offer also speak to the confidence they have in their products' longevity.
Which brand is better for a home office?
Herman Miller is the definitive choice for a performance-focused home office. Their ergonomic chairs are designed based on decades of scientific research to promote health and comfort during long hours of work. While DWR offers many stylish desks and office chairs, none can match the ergonomic engineering of a dedicated Herman Miller task chair.
Which brand is more sustainable?
Herman Miller is a recognized global leader in sustainable manufacturing. Their decades-long commitment to environmental stewardship, use of recycled materials, and certifications like Cradle to Cradle put them in a class of their own for eco-conscious design.
Can I find sales for these brands?
DWR has several major sale events throughout the year, with discounts often ranging from 15-25% off. Official Herman Miller sales are a bit rarer but typically happen twice a year, offering a 15-20% discount on their catalog.
Should I buy a Herman Miller chair from DWR or directly from Herman Miller?
The price and product will be identical, as DWR is an official retailer. The decision may come down to which company is offering a better sale at the time, your prior customer service experience, or the availability of other items you may want to bundle in your order.
At Interior Insider, we're dedicated to curating the best in home decor, interior design, and home essentials to help you discover brands we think you'll love. Every brand we feature is independently selected by our editorial team based on quality, design, and craftsmanship. When you make a purchase through our links, Interior Insider may earn a commission - which helps support our small team and allows us to continue bringing you inspiration and expert advice for creating your perfect space.
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