Design Within Reach

Specialties

The Chicago Studio occupies a newly renovated building at the southern edge of Lincoln Park, an area rich with specialty stores, shops, theaters and restaurants. At 17,000 square feet, the Studio is among our largest, allowing us to present furnishings in dramatic and innovative contexts. Items throughout the Studio are arranged into «houses» containing 35 room vignettes to help you envision how they might fit in your own home. Other eye-​catching features include the Light Cloud of pendant light fixtures billowing over the entrance, the Dining Test Lab with 50 classic dining chairs available for test drives — this is the only place in the world where you can see this many iconic dining chairs in one setting — the Design Library Swatch Wall of 300-​plus upholstery tiles and broad selections of outdoor, café and office solutions. Proprietor Ted Givan oversees the Studio with his friendly and knowledgeable sales associates.

Transportation: Parking is available in the Lincoln Park Center garage behind the Studio. The North Clybourn stop on the Red Line L train is one block away.

At Design Within Reach, we make authentic modern design accessible. «Within reach» means things not found elsewhere. It means in stock.

Whether you experience DWR by Studio, phone or online, you’ll receive knowledgeable assistance from people who come from design backgrounds. At DWR, we’re passionate about design.

Welcome to Design Within Reach.

History

Established in 1999.

Our business started when founder Rob Forbes tried to furnish his apartment with the clean, simple classics he’d come to appreciate while living in London. He discovered that the work of designers like Saarinen, Eames and Bertoia were «out of reach» of anyone who did not know the secret handshake or have the patience to wait months for delivery.

There had to be a better way, so in 1999 we bought 20 containers of product, mailed out a catalog and waited for the phone to ring. (It didn’t for 24 hours, until we realized the nighttime answering machine had been accidentally left on.) The rest, as they say, is history. By giving customers access to the best in modern design — including iconic works that have been in production since the mid-​20^th century as well as innovative items designed today — we made design within reach.

Authenticity is something we’re proud to offer; elitism however is not. Visit any of our Studios and you’ll never see a «do not touch» sign. We invite you to linger,