Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Change in Contract Assets and Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 30, 2019 USD ($)
Contract assets increase (decrease)
Reclassification of contract assets to contra revenue	$ (82)
Net change	(82)
Contract liabilities (increase) decrease
Contract liabilities recognized and recorded to contra revenue as a result of performance obligations satisfied	(28,567)
Contract liabilities paid	41,368
Cash received in advance and not recognized as revenue	(24,185)
Reclassification of cash received in advance to revenue as a result of performance obligations satisfied	25,113
Net change	$ 13,729

Contract With Customer, Asset, Net Increase (Decrease)

No definition available.

Name:	hni_ContractWithCustomerAssetNetIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contract With Customer, Asset, Reclassified To Contra Revenue

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_ContractWithCustomerAssetReclassifiedToContraRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contract With Customer, Liability, Cash Received In Advance, Not Recorded As Revenue

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityCashReceivedInAdvanceNotRecordedAsRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contract With Customer, Liability, Contract Liabilities Paid

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityContractLiabilitiesPaid
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contract With Customer, Liability, Net Increase (Decrease)

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityNetIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contract With Customer, Liability, Performance Obligation Contra Revenue

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hni_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityPerformanceObligationContraRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	hni_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ChangeInContractWithCustomerAssetAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ChangeInContractWithCustomerLiabilityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized arising from contract liability from change in timeframe for performance obligation to be satisfied.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 10
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130551-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityChangeInTimeframePerformanceObligationSatisfiedRevenueRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration