No, not everyone can afford it the real thing. But I can see how purists get up in arms over the issue of knock offs. That's how I feel about knock off purses.

How about finding pieces that are inspired by or are non designer midcentury rather than a literal, blatent knockoff of a well known piece? You can get a similar feel and asthetic that you love.

Then instead of immediately telling everyone you've bought a knockoff, you can tell them the wonderful story about how you found this piece in a vintage store or other source.

Pamela L: The money made from knockoff handbags and other counterfeit goods goes to fund terrorism and organized crime. Yeah, purists can be annoying but sometimes they have a very good point.

Regardless of what they tell you, even the 'designers' in the trade will use knock offs or make their own mock-ups.

Didn't someone say 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'?

In my place I have a lot of 'second hand' furniture because when I moved in I was short on cash. Yet, I have had people ask how I could afford a couple of the items.

I just tell them, I got a really good deal. They don't need to know where you got it or how much you paid. It is all in the appeal to the eye.

This was made ever so clear this past week, when a lady that helps me clean from time to time, started to water one of the plants in my bedroom.

She didn't realize the plant was fake and that I got it from the dollar store. And I didn't tell her. :)

We have the same knockoff Eames lounger. Most people I know don't notice that it's a fake, and to me it's hamfistedness is a source of never-ending amusement. It's a win-win for me. Plus it's very comfortable and I do not have to worry about what kids/pets/drunken friends do to it. Win-win-win-win.

i hate that we live in a culture where "name brand" is the end all be all. having worked in the fashion industry i can tell you most of those "name brand" purses are very overpriced for there poor construction and being manufactured in china. to the point if you like it buy it. style in one thing designer is another and the two need not go hand-in-hand!

@residentgeek... I'm an avid hater of fake plants, although i can hardly keep the real thing alive... but that is CLASSIC!!! :)

There is a huge difference between knock-offs and counterfeits. I say keep knocking off!

how is anything a knockoff or fake? it's an original and real to the person who created / made it. Classic style over name brand any day.

Why be ashamed of something you love? Buy as many knock offs as you like-and don't feel as if you have to explain any of them. It's your home and it makes you happy.

Do not be ashamed.

Maybe if the design industry didn't make it so original designs were so financially unattainable, this wouldn't be an issue. But, it is what it is. So, my vote is no guilt. . .and I am an artist and designer.

Never! be proud woman!

I find paying for a brand pretty silly, but also find the idea of an exact knock off a little funny. I guess if it is your absolute dream chair and you can't afford it, then fine. But it seems to me like there is A LOT of amazing furniture in the world, most of it at very reasonable prices, and finding incredible furniture for cheap has never been a problem for me. I have never seen a designer chair and thought "THAT IS THE ONLY CHAIR FOR ME," and every time I've had that kind of reaction to something I end up falling equally in love with something different soon enough.

But maybe it is just me. I also find a lot of classics end up looking trite to me, no matter how well designed they are. (Am I the only person on Earth who thinks Eames chairs are done to death [and uncomfortable, and unattractive] ? I wish they would just go away already.)

I will take the cheap cute furniture at Goodwill over a designed-to-death ripoff every time.

Once any object enters your life and your space, your application and use of it become uniquely yours - no matter who sold it to you. That's style. You apply your Herman Miller lounge knockoff in front of a flat screen TV, over lovely hardwoods, cover it with a lambswool fleece and probably sit in it 20 times a week while chatting on your mobile and using your laptop. That's style, and it's beautiful, and it's yours.

So, dontworryaboutit. Sure it would be nice to own a piece of history - an original piece, but it's not always possible.

I say you like what you like, and if you like the look of a knockoff, go for it. I know people that can tell right off the bat (or claim to) so it woudln't work for them. But if it looks good to you, what's the shame in that?

P.S. where did you get that awesome map?

@ELFay- Do you really believe that if fake handbags support terrorism - a hyperbolic and dubious argument in itself - that that must also true of all knockoff designer goods? Should we be reporting Plycraft and White on White to Homeland Security?

There is nothing wrong knockoffs or reproductions. There was only so much furniture made in any period or style. I have a fondness for Chippendale and Ming style furniture. Originals are far beyond my budget. I have been purchasing reproductions and modern adaptations of classic designs for years. If it appeals to your eye and your pocket book buy it and be proud of your sense of style and your taste.

Don't be ashamed of not having as much money as those 'purists'...

Also, I don't think the claim "The money made from knockoff handbags and other counterfeit goods goes to fund terrorism and organized crime." is always true, and besides, I really don't think the 'knockoff' furniture items in question here fall into the same category. Most that I've seen online or in shops will clearly state that they are a 'copy' or a 'reproduction' of some original item.....

"When you stop and try to analyze how he approached the problem, it sounds very easy and obvious. Whatever good modern furniture we have had in this country has always been expensive. Eames wanted to produce a good set of designs and "take them out of the carriage trade" by designing them so that they could be manufactured economically in quantity and sold cheaply. This meant that he must be able to use the best ways of doing things that the 20th Century could offer" Eliot Noyes article in the September 1946 issue of ARTS & ARCHITECTURE magazine

Chairs designed to be affordable...now being sold at 300$ a piece, maybe the Eameses would celebrate the knockoff. The thought and philosophy behind the design is unfortunately being left behind for profit.

ELFay is right about counterfeit bags (passing off as and labeling as the real thing). But knock offs are a whole different thing. Promise.

I think knock-offs are fine. To one degree or another, you do get what you pay for, but sometimes a knock-off gets you 80% or 90% there, and that's all you need.

Ditto on the map, it is excellent, and I wish I had one.

agree with those who said that there is a difference between a knock-off and a counterfeit piece... a knock-off acknowledges the original, but admits its shortcomings, a counterfeit item pretends it IS the original, and hopes to pull the wool over your eyes.

Wear/display your knock-offs with pride, and make sure they're from reputable sources who aren't skimping TOO much on quality or supporting sub-standard labour practices ;)

Even for current pieces, what happens time after time is that a manufacturer in Singapore or China will copy an innovative concept and sell it for half the price. What's the right thing to do? I think a balance needs to be struck somewhere - furniture design is not generally patentable, but I think the creator deserves to benefit from their design at least for a number of years.

You should be proud that even with an extremely limited disposable income you use your creative shopping know-how, maybe mixed with some DIY skills, to make a home that's big on style and design. It shows you have good taste even if you don't have big money. You're probably more clever with design than most of the people with a home full of Herman Miller, etc. because you didn't have a professional designer pull it all together for you!

AND purchasing something second hand is a "green" practice, as you are reusing it rather than it being sent to the dump. NEVER be ashamed of that!

Matt: I think you misread me. I was talking only about those counterfeit goods you buy from sketchy street vendors, like "real" Rolexes. Not cheap versions of designer brands sold in places like H&M and Target.

hasn't this been covered enough?

what hasn't been covered is AT's stance on the issue. as a "tastemaker" folks look to you for wisdom, guidance, etc... what's your take?

I don't have as much of a problem with the vintage Eames-Inspired Plycraft chairs as I do with the current Eames-Knockoffs:

The Plycraft chairs were made in the USA, were not line-for-line copies of the Herman Miller originals, are no longer in production, and used different materials such as vinyl rather than leather - and they never used the name "Eames" in their advertising. So it's inspired by, but will never fool anyone into thinking, it's the real thing - and were not intended to take business away from Herman Miller.

The current knockoffs are line-for-line copies from China. They're advertised as being as good as the real thing, they include the name "Eames" prominently within their ads - so they're clearly intended to take business away from Herman Miller by selling to folks who don't know better and/or are looking for a "deal".

But hey - if you think that buying a knockoff/copy is OK because you can't afford/don't want to pay for the real thing, then I'm sure you won't get upset when your BF proposes to you with a CZ ring rather than a Diamond or your employer comes to you and informs you that your job can be done just as well by someone overseas: It's the exact same thing.

"Should I Be Ashamed of My Furniture Knockoffs?"

I guess it depends on who your friends are.

rexrayfan, good answer.

Most people may not know but the people you're trying to impress will know and laugh about it (and don't pretend you're not out to impress anyone since if you weren't, you'd choose from any number of reasonably priced, attractive pieces that aren't designer).

Sorry, but I believe in intellectual property. If Eames/Mies/etc. designed a chair and licensed the design to Herman Miller or Knoll or whomever, then I want the "real" thing versus a knock-off that's no doubt inferior in quality.

I'd rather have a used version than a knock-off. Why don't more people go that route versus the cheap easy solution? I'd kind of expect better from an AT editor.

Oops, it looks like I misread Pamela myself. She was anti-knockoff purse. Sorry about that.

Counterfeit bags are not harmless, its big business for some highly organized crime rings and factories engaging in labor exploitation. If anyone really thinks its no big deal, you are misinformed. Regarding markup, production costs aren't the only costs a company has. Once you roll in all the costs to run a company, open/maintain stores and continue to design new products, that margin goes down. If you can't afford an LV, there are many other lines out there that you can get a good quality and beautiful bag, you can support a emerging designer rather than organized crime. People who are walking around with counterfeit bags either don't know better, have no sense of their own personal style or are trying to impress people for the wrong reasons.

Sorry, off on a tangent from the furniture discussion, the argument that counterfeit bags aren't hurting anyone just ticks me off.

Now, inspired by bags for junior lines etc are not the same as counterfeit.

Knock off shmock off. I usually search and search until I can find the cheapest of the real deal. It's not the end of the world to have fakes, It's just something rich people like to complain about.

Agree with ArchDarling - I'd just rather have the real thing, but understand it's not possible for everyone. There are some pretty good knock-offs out there too!

After saving our money for some time, we actually just bought the Eames lounge chair + ottoman. Some people might think it's silly to spend some much on a chair (when you can have a knock-off and most people wouldn't even know the difference), but the way we see it - it's art, an investment, a piece we will always love. Plus, the chair is oh sooo amazingly comfortable. :)

AT has posted on this question repeatedly, and it's more complicated and subtle than it first seems, e.g., patent and trademark laws are involved. It seems an ethical conflict mostly for those in the design fields. Few non-designers could recognize and distinguish knock-off, counterfeit, and designer furniture, and fewer would be willing to pay the high prices.

As a non-designer, I'd think that unless furniture was intended to fool people by means of false logos, labels, and so forth, then it's probably not some kind of theft. Not buying dubious logo-dripping or literally stolen property satisfies my conscience. Beyond that, a "wrong" furniture purchase would be made in ignorance, so I wouldn't know to feel guilty or ashamed.

If you love the design and the quality suits your standard, then why not? It's the pretentious and insecure who look down their noses at those who don't buy pedigree pieces.

Outside of the Herman Miller Eames chair I won in an online sweepstakes at HighbrowFurniture, my home is a mix of vintage "name" items and "no-name" items that I could AFFORD....the mix works for me!

Well even the knockoff versions aren't cheap for much of the MCM furniture and I don't think an used official Eames chair is affordable either. Often the knock-offs or "inspired-by" furniture come from major stores. You aren't buying it in a back alleyway off Chinatown.

It's like an original Chanel quilted purse is $3-4K (minimum) and the Miu Miu or Marc Jacob "Chanel-inspired" quilted purses go for $1.5K to $2K. Is it wrong to get a Miu Miu handbag? It is a luxury brand too. You aren't supporting terrorism or organized crime unless you think LVMH and Prada (parent companies of Marc Jacobs and Miu Miu respectively) should be illegal. But then, Chanel should be illegal too...

Plus there is a reason stuff like handbags or furniture does not qualify for copyright or patent. A chair is still a chair and a bag is still a bag. Can you imagine if a Parson's table had a copyright? Or a Prada nylon backpack held a copyright? Your child's plain nylon sack would include a fee to Prada.

You do what you can to make a good and pleasant life for yourself; one that you can AFFORD. And be responsible. THAT is being smart, reasonable, realistic, etc.

I can't deal with reading the comments on this subject, but you don't need to feel guilty about being responsible and having an eye. Its Your life and you owe it to yourself to live the best one possible in the healthiest manner possible, with an eye towards your future well-being - and that includes Financial Health - as well as the psychological & pysiological health that our surroundings can give us when we are in the 'right' place with the 'right' things, in a clean and organized/orderly fashion.

There's so much beautiful original furniture out there, the images of homes filled with "Classic Designs" (Eames, Eames and Eames) is unsettling. It's great that non-designers care about design, at it's not their fault when magazines like Dwell and sites such as AT features homes with the same Eames chairs, over and over again. This is their inspiration.

As for reproductions, I think they're ok. Quality isn't the same and psychologically, knowing it's a knock off brings on guilt and a loss of confidence.

I had a problem with knockoffs-until I ordered a genuine Knoll Saarinen table-and it arrived with a Made in China sticker on it. If Knoll outsources to China, and Saarinen is dead and does not profit from the design, it is hard to argue with buying a knockoff.

I guess that all depends on who your friends are, and whether you are more interested in furniture as an investment rather than an aesthetic.

When someone compliments MY home, the last thing I would do is apologize for the furniture not being "real", but it matters less to me if something is original, only that it fits well within its surroundings. However, I LOVE to brag about getting a great deal, or show off a restored piece that someone else considered "hopeless". ;-)

Will your guests really care if your furniture is original? Mine wouldn't know who Herman Miller was. If you are worried about what your readers think, I think I could safely assume that most of them, like me, are on a budget, and are more interested in achieving a certain look, and not in investment value.

As far as the "supporting terrorism" comment? PFFT.

ps - Labels are Not necessarily an indication of style, taste, etc. There are many people who chose a Label (designer) because they are 'told' too, they are followers, not because _they_ have good taste, a sense of design, care about authenticty, or whatever. (I am not saying that choosing a particular designer or label is "bad", or lacks value, just that it doesn't necessarily 'prove' anything worthwhile in the end to feel you have to follow a trend & 'keep up with the Joneses' per se).

Counterfeits are illegal copies made to be passed off as the Real Thing and sold either for the price of the Real Thing or else as an "amazing discount" from the price of the Real Thing. (And in many cases, since the goods are illegal, the profits are used for illegal enterprises.)

Knock-offs aren't counterfeit. They are copies. People who buy them know it. You can get all hysterical about ethics, but if you aren't claiming the stuff came from the name-brand manufacturer, what anyone assumes is on them. (Frankly, none of the people who would come to my home would even have a clue as to the history of the design, let alone if it were Real or knockoff -- I get what *I* like and can afford, and I definitely cannot afford $4000 chairs!)

Love your furnishings! If it's Real, insure it!! If it's knockoff, just enjoy it! And dono't let other people bully you into guilt! If you didn't steal it or pass it off as something it's not, it's nobody's concern but yours.

It's your money and your home so you can do whatever the heck you want.

I have one knock-off, of a Noguchi table, that I found for $200, and I have no qualms about that whatsoever. It's a single piece of glass and two pieces of wood, yet DWR and Room & Board sell it for $1400. Unfathomable! (And Mr. Noguchi has been dead for well over 20 years, so I don't feel bad for him missing out on getting his well-earned due.) It's a living room coffee table so it gets plenty of love and hard use every day (drinks spilled, feet up on it, vacuum cleaners running into it) and none of that worries me a bit. I actually wouldn't want the real thing; I'd be awfully grim if I found the tiniest scratch in the $1400 version.

"I had a problem with knockoffs-until I ordered a genuine Knoll Saarinen table-and it arrived with a Made in China sticker on it."

Then it wasn't a Knoll table - You bought a knockoff.

Knoll furniture is manufacured at 4 factories in Pennsylvania, Toronto and Michigan.

Where did you get the knockoff? The Eames lounger is by far the most comfortable lounger I've ever sat in, and if your knock-off is even near as comfy, please do share where you got it!

Hilarious: knock-off handbags fund TERRORISM and ORGANIZED CRIME! o,m,g.

Does anyone know how much is the herman miller Eames lounger & ottoman is? Just checked their site and theres no price. I'd love to own one someday

For those of you who think counterfeit bags and other goods are not linked to serious crime (I am completely side-stepping the issue of knock-offs of this post) you are wrong. It is not some ridiculous statement made for hyperbole. Here is one link, but a simple google search may open your eyes - there are even documentaries on the problem. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/business/worldbusiness/12iht-fake.4569452.html

The world of design is a creative and inventive one! To fret over minor details of authenticity takes the joy out of living!

I love that on gossip girl one of the sets has a an Eames lounge with Missoni fabric. Eames never intended this or collaborated with it but yet, no one seems to be bothered because well.. its Eames AND Missoni. There's also great potential that its never questioned either because of the fact. On the same set there is also a piece of knockoff artwork that is a knockoff of Prada. Best!

As an interior architect myself, you have to learn to not give a damn what any of those other pretentious lovelies out there think because well.. they're irrelevant to your happiness.

Here in Chicago there are elegant MVDR buildings AAAAAND there are a lot of "knock off" MVDR buildings... the people who can afford to live in the "authentic" ones vs "knockoffs"... i'm sure their quality of living is.. the same.

Enjoy your Eames, where ever it came from, and if you have extra cash to burn, buy a second!

bepsf, knoll produces the bases for their saarinen tables in china. however, the tops are made in italy (marble) and the states (wood).

Yes, you should be totally ashamed of your furniture knockoffs! How dare you not have true designer furniture? I suppose you also wear non-designer clothing and drive something other than a Lamborghini? Please tell us you at least live in the Hamptons?

Get over it. Buy what you like within your means. Who cares if you're not living up to someone else's idea of materialistic perfectionism? Remember, "those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind".

"Hilarious: knock-off handbags fund TERRORISM and ORGANIZED CRIME! o,m,g."

Profits from counterfeit products do often fund international crime groups, drug cartels, terrorism, and can be linked to child labor and prostitution.

Organized crime groups want to move large amounts of cash without a paper trail so they've resorted to fake businesses (sometimes using counterfeit products) as a means to launder the money. I'm in the financial industry (specifically anti-money laundering) and we work hand in hand with the FBI, ICE, etc who have made it very clear how problematic counterfeit products really are.

I hate to bring this point up again, but a counterfeit can be so much more than just a bargain product.

While I don't doubt that the profits from knock-off/counterfeit/whatever you want to call them handbags and watches can be used for terrible things, I don't believe that a handbag and a MCM coffee table are quite the same thing. Many more people would recognize a luxury handbag or watch (and would actually care about it) than would even know what "MCM" means. I'm sure that crime lords realize this and would not waste their time poring over MCM furniture designs, as it is such a niche market. As long as it's not sold out of the back of a van by a sketchy guy in a hoodie, I'm pretty sure your knock-offs are a-okay.

And of course, there is the argument that stuff made in China (i.e., knock-offs) is inherently evil stuff to own. That's also true, but raise your hand if you're totally innocent...yeah, that's what I thought.

I believe "knockoffs" in this context is referring to furniture sold through big name stores like Ikea, Urban Outfitters, etc.

@CeeM - The Eames lounge chair and ottoman are $4,499.00 at Room and Board. Herman Miller has a sale twice a year where you can save 15%. They just had it in June. Or you can save more by finding used, of course.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19250&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuCategory=&menuSubcategory=259660

I recently bought a vintage Herman Miller soft pad chair (and saved over $2200 compared to buying new). It's much more comfortable than the new one I sat on at the store, thanks to the IBM employees who broke it in for me.

I will have to agree with the other folks who say there is no shame in buying something if you love the look but cannot afford the price tag. Honestly, I don't know how so many people pay thousands of dollars for this stuff. My money goes towards rent, tuition, retirement, charity, and all of the other things that mean more than a name tag.

Hilarious: knock-off handbags fund TERRORISM and ORGANIZED CRIME! o,m,g.

Don't know why some people are having such issues with this. Counterfeit goods are illegal. Who do you think is going to manufacture, distribute, and sell illegal goods? Common sense, people.

Twelveindustries is exactly right about Knoll production on the Saarinen table. Many of the licensed dealers don't even know that part of the production is in China. Funny that they don't list that factory on their website...

I would not be ashamed about owning a knockoff, unless I lied about it being real.

The fact that counterfeit bags have aided in the funding of terrorist organizations, including those responsible for the attacks on 9-11 is well-known. Dana Thomas, author of "Deluxe: How luxury lost its lustre" delves into the topic at length in her highly regarded book. Those that think it's "hilarious" only show your ignorance on the topic. If you don't think you're hurting anyone, think again. It's not just slave labour anymore (as if that wasn't bad enough).

My personal feeling is that knock-offs are a theft of intellectual property, whether the designer is alive or not.

That said, I would purchase a knock-off. (My bf is adamantly against it and we conflict about this from time to time.) I love beautiful pieces but I don't always have the money to afford them. When I do buy a knockoff, I'll feel like I'm doing something badly.

Although seeing all of these comments may help assuage my guilt!

People buy what they love and can afford. Prices on designer pieces are (not always but often enough) so outrageous that OF COURSE folk turn to knock offs. I don't own anything designer or even anything designer knock off. It never even occurred to me to feel guilty about it!

And I think that folks are talking past each other on the counterfeit vs. knock off issue.

Enjoy your home..who cares about other's comments. Are any of those Georgia O'Keefe or Van Gogh Prints the REAL thing? NO! As for your money funding evil causes.....do we KNOW the political views and actions of ALL designers? NO. There are worse things in life...have a happy home!

"My personal feeling is that knock-offs are a theft of intellectual property, whether the designer is alive or not.

That said, I would purchase a knock-off."

Seriously...?

"As for your money funding evil causes.....do we KNOW the political views and actions of ALL designers? NO. There are worse things in life."

Is that how you justify throwing money at criminals who exploit children? For you, ignorance is bliss. Thankfully, there are others who actually consider where their money is going and direct it accordingly.

"No matter how great a design, it doesn't mean anything if people can't afford it". - IKEA

No way- style is style!
Who cares if it's got a stamp/ label or how much it costs if you appreciate it.

I commend you for being brave and honest in admitting that it is a knock-off. I think knockoffs are acceptable given the economic situation, counterfeits are not.

The real thing vs Knockoffs vs illegal copies
I agree that bigger efforts should be taken to protect intellectual property, but I have some reflexions for you:
If the "knockoff" is not a copy, but it is a "inspired by" product, is it bad?
I really think that if you make an exact copy and brand it as if it its original, then you are doing wrong, wherever you brake the law or not.
But lets think about this:
Is not the original 1006 Emeco an almost exact replica of a wood chair?. IIRC, the inventor was not good at designing furniture, but he was very good at making things, mostly metallic. Was he "stealing" the design? Is almost everyone partially copying others when designing most, not all, furniture? (because all have to be designed by standards, and most of them have 4 legs, same seat heights, and other equivalent features just to be functional)
Also, another important point; the Emeco discussion gained importance with the current Chinese versions, basically because of its price, easily 5 times or more less.... but, what did Emeco said when at is first glory time, in the 50-60's, when other American companies presented their obviously copied versions, like Goodform, Ohio Chair and Art Metal... Just because they are American then it is different? or maybe the difference in their price was not that great?
Quality is another thing. Its known that Emeco chairs will last a life time while the Chinese versions don't, its known that Emeco finishes are better, etc... but while one has not been deceived and is aware that is buying a lower quality product to benefit from lower prices, then, should it be okay?