Design Within Reach is expanding its North Carolina footprint with a new store in Raleigh’s North Hills development.
The modern furniture, lighting and décor retailer will open Friday, Aug. 21, at 4351 The Circle at North Hills Ave., Suite 103. The Raleigh showroom will be Design Within Reach’s second location in the state, following the opening of its Charlotte store in South End in June 2019.
The 4,790-square-foot store will feature furniture and accessories from internationally recognized design brands including Herman Miller, Knoll, Louis Poulsen, Fritz Hansen, Flos, Gubi, and Carl Hansen & Søn.
Visitors will be able to experience notable pieces such as the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, the Womb Chair, the Artichoke Pendant, and the Wishbone Chair, along with newer designs intended to reflect the evolving ways people live and use their homes.
“Our decision to expand into Raleigh was driven by the region’s remarkable connection to design,” says Debbie Propst, president of global retail for MillerKnoll. “Few places have contributed more to the story of American modernism and furniture-making than North Carolina.”
The Raleigh location was designed around values shared by both Design Within Reach and North Carolina’s design community, including craftsmanship, material honesty, education and discovery.
Floor-to-ceiling windows bring natural light into the showroom, while reclaimed oak flooring, custom oak millwork and pale brick made from 100% recycled materials sourced in North Carolina help create a warm interior connected to the state’s history of furniture production and craftsmanship.
North Carolina has long been associated with furniture manufacturing, particularly through High Point’s role as a major center for the industry. The state also has a significant modernist architectural legacy, much of which developed around what is now the NC State College of Design.
Henry Kamphoefner became the school’s founding dean in 1948 and helped establish it as a nationally recognized center for modern design education. Architects and designers, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Charles Eames, and Eero Saarinen, later lectured, taught, or otherwise contributed to the region’s growing design culture.
Several of those designers created pieces that remain part of the Design Within Reach collection today.
“From its world-class design schools and architectural legacy to its culture of craftsmanship and innovation, Raleigh is a community that deeply values the kind of authentic, enduring design that DWR represents,” Propst says.
The company also cited Raleigh’s position within the RTP and the region’s continued growth in education, technology, and innovation as factors in its choice of the new location.
In addition to its retail collection, the Raleigh store will offer complimentary design services for projects of different sizes. The store’s design team can provide personalized assistance, material samples, space planning and 3D renderings.
Design Within Reach Raleigh will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
