I'm curious: why link to the print version of an article about <i>design</i>? Deliberate irony?<p>Here's the design-included link: <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/141/a-modern-mess.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/141/a-modern-mess.html</a><p>If nothing else, I learned a new word today ('ethonomics'), by tracking back to the main page.
It's interesting how the copies are (inevitably) always deeply inferior to the originals. Except for the chair, which appears to be identical.<p>Copying an existing design and then changing it to try to make it look like you didn't might be pretty close to the worst design methodology you could come up with.
A friend had an absolutely piss poor experience with their fulfillment company ("White Glove" or something like that). They basically delivered a sofa laying on it's side (in other words, vertical) on his front lawn leaving him to fend for himself to get it the rest of the way into the house. I believe it was more than a few weeks later than estimated as well. When you pay that much for a sofa (the delivery wasn't free either) that sofa had better land exactly where you want it. It was enough to keep me from buying anything from them. Too bad about the knockoffs, that's just sad.
I went to a DWR store in Atlanta and they had horrible customer service. Pretty much didn't even acknowledge me even though the place was practically empty. That was the first and last time I visited them.
DWR's other problem is competition from online retailers like Hive Modern and highbrowfurniture.com. People see these great designs window-shopping in the city and buy online instead. On items this expensive, the tax savings can be pretty significant, even when you add shipping charges.<p>It's interesting that opening a storefront like this probably drives sales for modern furniture overall. I wonder if they get kickbacks or lower prices from suppliers.