6 Must-Have Pieces from Colorado's First Herman Miller Retail Store

Boulder-based interior designer Emily Tucker had just returned from the East Coast—where she was working on the design of John Hickenlooper’s Senate office—when she met us in Cherry Creek to check out the new Herman Miller store. The lovely, compact retail location of the iconic American furniture brand opened over the summer, and the in-demand Tucker, principal of Emily Tucker Design, had found a lull in her schedule to peruse the store in person. Tucker’s inventive, layered design aesthetic borrows heavily from traditional and classic-modern forms, and, she says, Herman Miller pieces find their way into many of the homes she designs.

Herman Miller furniture, which is handcrafted in Zeeland, Michigan, is arguably the preeminent mid-century brand, and its timeless heritage pieces—think Noguchi coffee tables, Eames lounge and office chairs, Nelson clocks—are as relevant today as they were when they were designed more than 70 years ago. So, when you walk into the brand’s well-lit, Denver flagship store, there’s almost a museum-exhibition quality to the vignettes. But of course, unlike at a museum, the pieces here are for sampling. Tucker, dressed sharply in a black-and-white coat and faux-leather leggings with knee-high boots, looks right at home among the classic furniture.

She flops effortlessly into a leather-upholstered Eames lounge chair with an “ahhh” of satisfaction. “These really are the most comfortable chairs. And they still look good in every single house,” she says. The store’s knowledgeable general manager, Brian Bourquin, chimes in: “The lounge chairs are so popular that they actually increase in value over time. These are the kinds of pieces that people put in their wills to hand down to family members.” Over the next half hour, as we admire each of the furnishings—which Tucker can name without even looking at the tags—it’s clear that the designer is both a student and a fan of the Herman Miller catalog. Here, she fills us in on her top picks at the store.