Best Place To Buy Office Furniture in New York City

New York City is one of the known centers of the universe. Here, you can walk out of your office building in any direction, and eventually, you’ll stumble upon at least one place to purchase office furniture. But how do you know when you’ve found the best place to buy office furniture in New York City?

In this blog, we’ll spill the tea on some of the most impressive products and services at Benhar Office Interiors and give you insider information on some of our stiffest competition.

4 Places to Buy Office Furniture in NYC

The best method for choosing an office furniture dealer is to conduct thorough research and compare the strengths of your top picks. To make life easier, we’ve already done some of the legwork for you! The table below lists four of the best places to buy office furniture in NYC – in ranked order – and breaks down the need-to-know details for quick reference.

Since we didn’t find an equal number of customer reviews for each firm, we’ve added weight to the number of premium brands dealers offer and their relationships with reputable designers like Herman Miller. When furniture brands reward dealers with “certified status,” pay attention: if manufacturers like MillerKnoll sing a firm’s praises, then their clients probably do, too. Strong ties with premium suppliers and notable clients with household names and stunning portfolios will prevail over dealers with more online reviews any day of the week.

1. Benhar Office Interiors

Founded in 2002, Benhar Office Interiors is a NYC-based furniture dealer that exclusively serves commercial clients. The team is led by a hands-on president with over 30 years of experience and supported by several designers and project managers who are always eager to lend a hand or consult during the design process. With more than 300 product lines, Benhar offers clients a wide range of options to customize their choices to their needs and preferences.

Pros:

• Platinum-Certified MillerKnoll dealer carries hundreds of other product lines, including HAY, Geiger, and Enwork.
• Dozens of well-known projects with high-resolution photos available online.
• Additional services include project management, assembly, furniture donation, and more.
• Offers a division for paint, carpet, and more called Benhar Office Interiors

Cons:

• No private showroom or stock.
• Serves clients nationwide from a single physical office in NYC.

2. Office Furniture Heaven

Office Furniture Heaven (OFH), founded in 1990, is one of the first results you’ll encounter in mapping out office furniture destinations in NYC. Like Benhar, Office Furniture Heaven focuses exclusively on commercial redesign projects. The company isn’t shy about sharing the many impressive projects it’s completed for clients across nearly every industry imaginable, complete with case studies and other detailed insights about the design process. 

However, compared to Benhar, OFH is much more opaque about its product offerings and brand partnerships. For that reason, it can be difficult to assess the quality of its services and relationships. 

Pros:

• User-friendly website with lots of insights into past projects.
• Detailed explanations of each team member’s experience and specialty area.
• Has interior designers on staff for more comprehensive office redesigns.
  
  

Cons:

• Very limited recent reviews.
• Little information about products online.

3. D2 Office Furniture + Design

D2 Office Furniture’s atmosphere and culture allow potential customers to walk in right off the street to browse products or ask questions. Nearly every review applauds the company’s warm, welcoming, and knowledgeable staff, which isn’t surprising, given that it’s been run by the same family for four generations since 1920. 

While D2 is transparent about its brand partnerships, it doesn’t provide much information about them. Upon further review, many of the brands are limited to traditional office styles, which could make it difficult to achieve more modern, bespoke, or eclectic styles.

Pros:

• Browse many products on D2’s website.
• Lots of details about the company’s process and services.
• Family-owned and operated with access to several showrooms.

Cons:

• Fewer manufacturers than Benhar, limiting personalization.
• Doesn’t have an online portfolio of past projects.

4. EChairs

EChairs is open to residential and commercial customers, but it is solely focused on chairs. Due to its narrow focus, its employees are frequently praised for their rich knowledge and confidence in their products. On the flip side, they don’t do anything else, which makes it more challenging to furnish an office entirely if you need more than seating.

Founded in 2015, EChairs is an authorized Herman Miller dealer, so you know you’re getting the highest quality when you shop there. However, the Platinum-Certified MillerKnoll status that Benhar boasts is an exclusive honor awarded to a short list of less than 40 dealers nationwide. 

Pros:

• Has a beloved reputation in NYC.
• Offers competitive prices for highly sought-after pieces, like the Aeron Chair.
• Sells parts to repair products.

Cons:

• Only sells chairs.
• No photos of past projects.
• Focuses largely on refurbished products.

How To Find The Best Office Furniture Dealer

If you’re still stuck between a few of these options, you’ll need to dig a little deeper to find the best furniture dealer for your office’s specific needs. Keep the following sections in mind as benchmarks to help guide your decision.

Balance Cost and Quality

Just because something’s expensive doesn’t always mean it’s the best. A higher price tag may indicate higher quality, but you shouldn’t take anyone else’s word for it. At Benhar Office Interiors, we always advise our clients to zero in on their “good, better, and best” priorities to balance their budget while still concentrating on value. 

For example, if your business attracts luxury clientele, you may want to spend the bulk of your design budget on waiting areas and executive offices.

On the other hand, you may want a middle-of-the-road option for workstations, especially if your employees aren’t working full-time hours on-site. 

Customer Service

Office redesigns are far from a quick one-day process, so you’ll likely be working with your dealer for weeks. It doesn’t bode well for anyone if you have to play phone tag, struggle to get clear answers, or simply don’t click with your team.

You can assess a company’s customer service by reading reviews across multiple sites, but it’s always a good idea to get a feel for yourself. Schedule some consultation calls with dealers you’re interested in, ask them all your burning questions, and pose hypothetical situations to learn how each company navigates the furniture procurement process.

When a company takes the time to help you understand and doesn’t rush to get you out the door or sign a contract, that’s a good sign that they place great value on customer service.

Delivery Services

Furniture dealers provide more comprehensive services than traditional retailers. For large office furniture orders, white-glove services can take the pressure off your business and allow you to stay focused on mission-critical tasks until move-in day. However, not all delivery services are created equal. You don’t want someone who just drops off boxes of unassembled parts or leaves before confirming everything arrived in order.

The Benhar team will visit your space ahead of time, audit any electrical or minor construction improvements necessary for installation, and measure doorways and freight elevators to ensure everything fits without issue. Our trained installers also have relationships with manufacturers, allowing them to troubleshoot on the fly.

Clear Warranty Terms

Office furniture is an investment. Reputable manufacturers and furniture dealers will stand by their products, taking every avenue to ensure you’re satisfied with your purchase for years to come. Before you make any major decisions, ask for a thorough breakdown of your warranty recourse should any products malfunction. 

At Benhar Office Interiors, we’re proud to be a Platinum-Certified MillerKnoll dealer. The company stands by its products’ performance for 12 years, one of the longest warranties in the furniture business. That said, we work with more than 300 product lines and we’re happy to walk you through those warranties as well. 

When warranties alone aren’t enough or you’ve loved your products for years, you can count on our repair services to extend their lifespans. 

Showroom Access

Furniture in a catalog or on a screen is too abstract. Sometimes, you need to see items in person to see the full vision or decide between multiple choices. Well-connected furniture dealers in NYC have established relationships with manufacturers and will help you schedule in-person showroom tours. 

This is one of the most exciting parts of the process for Benhar experts. We have a wealth of connections across more than 300 product lines, allowing you to test-drive your selections before you make any commitments. 

Customization

Commercial furniture is often made-to-order, so furniture dealers have a lot of flexibility when completing order forms. Before signing a contract with any furniture dealer, get curious about your customization options. Ask about colorway options for each product you’re interested in, and if anything isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, find out if you have any room to change it. 

At Benhar Office Interiors, we stay abreast of all the fabric and finishing options for the products we work with. Our Design Resource Group can also work with you to create a mood board, complete with fabric samples and materials that directly complement your vision, so you can customize your selections to your heart’s content.

Local Reputation

In New York City, reputation is everything. When in doubt, ask your neighbors, colleagues, and friends about furniture dealers they’ve had previous experiences with. Negative reviews can be just as informative as positive ones, so ask about the good, the bad, and the ugly. 

The Benhar team has dedicated their lives to the furniture industry, and we’re well known for our commitment––just ask around.