Style Your Home for Generations: Design Within Reach
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They say home is where the heart is. Well, the heart of Design Within Reach (DWR) is style for your home that endures. The prominent furniture retailer, which opened its first Utah store at City Creek Center in November, exists to provide access to authentic modern design, inspiration and high quality, generational pieces fit for building lasting spaces.
“We curate what we think has importance and will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
DWR was founded in San Francisco in 1998 by Rob Forbes, who identified that many iconic pieces, like the popular Eames lounge chair and ottoman, were “out of reach” for most homeowners, due to industry exclusivity and long delivery times. “Rob’s mission was to give people access to the best in modern design,” says Omar Nobil, DWR’s Creative Director. “We do that by curating what we think has importance and will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
Nobil calls the Eames chair an “integral, critical part” of DWR’s central assortment. The womb chair by Eero Saarinen, originally designed for Knoll, is another. Both pieces, which have been around for over 70 years, represent renowned classics by historically significant designers.
DWR places emphasis on the word “modern” in the term “midcentury modern.” Nobil says, “As we think about design, we don’t compartmentalize. We only market products that can live up to these historically significant icons, and our goal is to always have them live together.” This “dynamic, eclectic mix” of designers past and present can be found in every vignette, or setup, at each DWR store.
“We work with people who have shared values with us,” Nobil says. “People who are thinking about life today and how to improve it, as opposed to someone who just wants to catch a trend, or someone who does have the ability to create beautiful things, but they don’t function for life.” He adds that DWR looks to collaborate with current designers who can create pieces that are “culturally relevant now but have an enduring quality to them.”
Susan Clark is one such modern designer. She is also a gallerist in New York City and is steeped heavily in the industrial style. Her Contra Sofa can be found in-store alongside the Noguchi Table, a coffee table designed by legendary 20th century designer Isamu Noguchi. Nobil says Clark has a “real deference for the heritage of making in America,” informed by her personal training in “glassblowing, metalworking, weaving and woodworking.” Exemplifying this ethos, her Contra Sofa relies on sturdy, solid wood in its construction, which intentionally complements the solid wood of the Noguchi Table base in the Salt Lake City store.
“The materials that really resonate for us as a brand are largely natural materials”
“The materials that really resonate for us as a brand are largely natural materials,” Nobil explains. “We’re a brand that leans heavily into high-end and luxurious upholstery textiles and natural fibers. Structurally, we use a lot of solid wood and natural stones.” DWR’s commitment to excellent craftsmanship means their pieces are meant to last and be moved from home to home or generation to generation.
“We want to make sure we’re bringing access to the best in modern design to parts of the country where there’s a cultural interest in design and the arts, and we see Salt Lake City as emblematic of that.”
At DWR, you’re not just purchasing furniture, you’re investing in both storied and cutting-edge works of art that will last a lifetime and maybe more. In their current state of expansion, Nobil says establishing a storefront in Salt Lake City was a must. “We want to make sure we’re bringing access to the best in modern design to parts of the country where there’s a cultural interest in design and the arts,” he says. “And we see Salt Lake City as emblematic of that.”
DWR’s spring collection launches this month. You can shop online at dwr.com or visit the store at 51 S Main St., #162.
Read more about local business giving SLC the fashionable edge:
Natural Law Apothecary: Old Medicine for a New Age
Quotidian Ragazine Offers A Wrinkle in Time With Enduring Fashion
