Design Within Reach's new store on King Street East is bright, spacious, and a modern furniture lover's dream come true.

Located next door to Montauk Sofa in the King East Design District , the new location is over four thousand square feet bigger than their previous space on King West.

For those of you new to the American brand (this is their only location in Canada), the "within reach" part doesn't mean affordable as I had originally hoped, but rather, in stock. So yay - it's gorgeous and technically available, but some of us will have to keep dreaming.

The main foyer centres around a red lacquered elevator shaft and a white floating staircase leading to the upper and lower levels, two dozen Nelson pendant lamps hanging above. Whether you go up or down next, you're greeted by an impressive wall with hundreds of multi-coloured squares, one of DWR's signature design features: a fabric wall.

With exposed wooden beams, big white walls, and some exposed brick detailing, the space has a gallery-like feel, which is appropriate since so many of their pieces are works of art. DWR carries an incredible collection of authentic, licensed, and iconic pieces, like the Eames Lounge and Ottoman and the Noguchi Table.

Some items are clustered together - like a wall of lamps or a section of bar stools - but most of the store is arranged in a series of 'houses,' each presenting a curated look based on a specific theme. House Six, for example, is described as "Playful shapes and pleasing proportions" and includes a red Egg Chair, a Barcelona Table, and an Ekko Standing Circles Mobile.

Staff can often be found at the workstations scattered throughout, where they can look-up product details and provide design consultations. Both of the salespeople who greeted me offering a bottle of water - nice touch - were friendly and knowledgeable.

It's hard to resist the Eames for Herman Miller chairs, that come in so many fun colours and I really liked the look of six, white Onda Bar Stools at a white table next to the rainbow backdrop of the fabric wall.

If money were no object, the gorgeous Finn Juhl Credenza would definitely be on my wish list. On the more affordable side, there's the unique Sapien Bookcase that stacks and holds books horizontally and there are some great home accessories, like the brushed metal Almoco Flatware.

Design Within Reach is located at 214 King Street East (at Sherbourne) and is open Mondays - Fridays from 10am-7pm, Saturdays from 10am - 6pm, and Sundays from 12pm - 5pm.

Photos by Hector Vasquez