Design Within Reach

I came in here to scope out furniture for my company’s office. They had several things I was interested in, so I tried not to be put off by the fact that my salesperson was sick as a dog. Could they not get someone else to work? Also, I guess the guy didn’t think I was serious about buying because he never got back to me with the room layout he said he would. Yes, I may be young, but I still work for a company that has a lot of money. We will be buying our furniture elsewhere.

I had heard a lot about Design Within Reach and finally made it into one of their stores.
I was expecting to be wowed a bit more.
They have nice items, but nothing really stood out as a must have.
Service was nice, everything is set up a bit lackluster.
Prices are higher than I would spend, but the products were well made with good materials.

My husband and I recently moved from the east coast to San Luis Obispo in CA. We have always been fans of DWR, and were thrilled to see there was one in Santa Barbara, about a 90 minute drive from SLO. Our new home was under construction, and as happens often our move in date was delayed. We had been looking at the Series Seven counter stools for our large island and were happy to find them on display in the SB store in the exact finish we wanted, the painted ash in white. We met Diana that first day and she was so helpful and patient with us as we finalized our purchase. She accommodated our need for them to be held which turned out to be months, and expedited their delivery as soon as we notified her that we had finally gained access to our home. The delivery went very smoothly and the delivery guys were very professional as well. We have consulted with Diana on other furnishings we will need and she has been very responsive to our emails and questions since we cannot just drop by the store whenever we want. We especially like that she listens, and understands our vision, and uses her design knowledge to help us achieve it. We have asked her advice on many other decorating challenges, and she has always been very responsive. We will definitely be visiting her again as we continue to furnish our home.

Contemporary furniture is scarce in Santa Barbara; driving to L.A. not so fun, and it is difficult to assess what pieces will really be like online, so I was happy too find DWR. I like the classic designs. Diana, the manager has be extremely helpful and accommodating, exceptional customer service.

Love love love my local DWR! Admittedly, this store can be a bit intimidating, but the folks in the Santa Barbara show room couldn’t be more friendly and accommodating! I recently fell head-​over-​heels for a lamp called the «Grasshopper» that was displayed in the window and couldn’t bear to wait the time it would take to order. Tiffany hooked me up, letting me purchase the floor sample and take it home that day! And, following another purchase (the «Toto» lamp – adorable!), Tiffany emailed me months later with a tip on using a different light bulb that she’d picked up from a designer who’d come into the store that day.
Great customer service and a lovely store!

This is a great store! The showroom is clean and simple, filled with beautiful pieces. Also, so convenient to pop into. Although looking online is easy, there’s nothing like actually seeing, sitting on, and touching the pieces.
I came in having a general idea of what I wanted and Tiffany helped me pick out the prefect table/​chair combination. She was so patient with me, going back-​and-​forth with me about what might work, until it was just right. She also followed my order until it was safely in my home – I definitely wouldn’t have had as great an experience if I’d used a simple online vendor. ASK FOR TIFFANY! There is no project too big or too small :)

I love dwr because I love oogling the contemporary and mid century modern pieces. Pieces that constantly grace the pages of dwell. I visit their website often and I was stoked they had one on State St. This location is not bad. Staff is friendly. This is like my Toys R Us. I want everything inside this damn store.
I dream of owning an Eames lounge chair and ottoman one day. Until then I’ll go to dwr to touch and caress the buttery leather of the Eames and to admire the plywood as if it was a piece of art. Hoping, praying and waiting for the wonderful day when I can take it home with me.

How does this place stay in business?
I love walking through Design Within Reach for interior ideas but the name does not accurately reflect the actual price. You can find most of that’s inside on line or at alternate vendors for 20−40% less.
The State Street location is void of customers so the service should be excellent. Not so. The staff is more concerned about the well being of their sun basking dog than of the potential customers who walk in.
Come in the look
Go elsewhere to buy