Luxury furniture retailer Design Within Reach arrived in Pittsburgh on Tuesday with the opening of its Strip District showroom.
The roughly 8,000-square-foot store is at 1600 Smallman St., a converted warehouse that also houses the headquarters of autonomous trucking company Aurora Innovation, Orr’s Jewelers and Argentine restaurant Balvanera.
Connecticut-based Design Within Reach and its Michigan-based partner retailer, Herman Miller, have nearly 80 stores across the country. None were within a reasonable drive for Pittsburgh residents until Tuesday.
Strong online sales in the city helped spark the decision to open the Strip District store, according to its general manager, Jennifer Moore. The neighborhood was chosen in part for its rising supply of high-priced rentals and condos that will need furnishing, Moore added.
Multiple developers have hundreds of housing units slated for construction in the Strip District. Just this month, Fourth River Development announced it acquired the historic Bittner Building at the corner of 26th and Smallman streets for a 39-unit condo and townhome project.
Design Within Reach prides itself on selling durable designer furniture, as described on its website. Some of its prices are firmly in the luxury category, with several sectionals, tables and other furnishings starting at more than $20,000.
“We do have price points for everyone, but we’re not the least expensive store in the world,” Moore said.
Customers can also access free interior design services.
Competitor RH — known as Restoration Hardware until 2017 — also recently made its Pittsburgh debut. The California-based outlet for upscale furniture opened along the Walnut Street shopping district in Shadyside earlier this month.
In the Strip District, Design Within Reach is just a few blocks away from several locally owned home furnishers, including Bass & Bennett Trading Co. and Hot Haute Hot. Weisshouse in Shadyside and PerLora on the South Side are two other longstanding local stores selling high-end furniture and design services.
