Design within Reach, Inc. Appoints Ken La Honta Chief Financial Officer.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Design Within Reach, Inc. (NASDAQ:DWRI) today announced the appointment of Ken La Honta (49) as the company's Chief Financial Officer. Mr. La Honta brings 20 years of corporate finance, accounting, operations and retail sector experience to DWR, having served in a broad range of significant financial roles at Levi Strauss & Co., 800.com, Inc., Norm Thomson Outfitters, Inc. and Smith & Hawken Ltd.

Mr. La Honta will be responsible for Design Within Reach's finance operations, including accounting, external reporting, tax, treasury and investor relations, as well as fulfillment center operations, when he assumes the position on May 16, 2005.

"We are delighted to have Ken join the Design Within Reach management team," commented Wayne Badovinus, President and Chief Executive Officer. "His financial, strategic and operational strengths and enthusiasm will serve our shareholders well. In addition to excellent technical financial skills, Ken's direct marketing, retail and wholesale background includes extensive management experience within both large-scale and entrepreneurial environments. We look forward to his leadership in finance and corporate governance."

Mr. La Honta will join DWR from Levi Strauss, where he served as controller of Levi Strauss Americas and, most recently, led the financial aspect of the company's exploration of the possible sale of its worldwide Dockers(R) business. In this capacity, he was also responsible for ensuring that Dockers(R) was Sarbanes-Oxley compliant. In addition, Mr. La Honta served as chief financial officer of Levi Strauss North America. In that capacity, he was responsible for establishing the Levi Strauss' North Americas Controller's Organization, including control, planning, analytical and reporting requirements. Previously, Mr. La Honta was the vice president of finance at 800.com; the chief financial officer of Norm Thomson Outfitters, where he had overall responsibility for corporate finance and accounting, information technology, human resources and corporate administration; and the vice president of finance and corporate controller at Smith & Hawken Ltd. He began his career at KPMG, LLP in San Francisco as a senior auditor and is a Certified Public Accountant in California. Mr. La Honta holds a B.S. degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Mr. La Honta replaces David Barnard, who resigned in February 2005 to become the Chief Financial Officer at the privately held Cinder Block, Inc.

About Design Within Reach, Inc.

Design Within Reach, Inc., founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Francisco, is an integrated multi-channel provider of distinctive modern design furnishings and accessories. The Company markets and sells its products to both residential and commercial customers nationwide through the DWR catalog, studios, website and direct sales force, and a single common "in stock and ready to ship" inventory.

"Design Within Reach" is a registered trademark of Design Within Reach, Inc.