When decorating a house, it’s easy to get sucked in by knockoffs. After all, they’re rampant in the marketplace—even at big-name stores you wouldn’t expect—and tend to cost hundreds and even thousands less than the originals. Besides losing out on integrity and in most cases, quality, buying fakes compromises the design industry in general—and Be Original Americas, an association of design businesses, institutions, and organizations is actively working now to protect the original work of the design community. In fact, companies like Herman Miller, Flos, Vitra, and more have joined the ranks in the hopes of educating consumers on the perils of copycat design. Below we ask Sam Grawe, President of Be Original Americas and Global Brand Director for Herman Miller, and Caroline Baumann, director of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, about what makes good design, why it can be so expensive, and what Be Original Americas is doing to foster creativity in the future. Plus, we’ve put together a panel of design heavyweights on the pieces they deem worthy of investing in—or at least dreaming of.