Furniture Designer

By TACP Staff on February 12, 2022

From the earliest cave dwellers to those enjoying gloriously gilded mansions and castles; however crude or sophisticated; man has needed furniture. Furniture designers have the pleasure of creating products that are both functional and useful, with an aesthetically pleasing style that satisfies consumers with different tastes.

What Is Furniture Design?

Furniture design is a specialized field where function and fashion collide. Many interior designers believe that furniture is one of the most important aspects of interior space. Pieces of furniture not only add function and practicality to space, but they also add style and personality. Furniture has evolved and changed with the times, and some styles have remained somewhat constant throughout the years, while others have drastically changed or become obsolete. Today, creating new furniture styles is often seen as a type of industrial art form.

Typical Work Environment

A furniture designer is a professional that designs and creates different types of furniture. Each piece of furniture that a furniture designer creates must serve a few different purposes. First of all, it must be functional. It must also be practical, comfortable, and attractive.

Every new furniture design starts with a basic concept, or idea. A furniture designer then creates a drawing of this idea using traditional and modern methods. They will often sketch their designs on paper first, for instance. Computer software can then be used to create a more intricate and detailed design.

The computer created design will often include all different aspects of a furniture design, including how the piece is put together and what materials are used to make it. Most furniture is made from a combination of wood and metal. Some furniture, such as couches and chairs, will also usually be covered with material, which should be soft and comfortable as well as attractive.

Once a furniture designer finishes a design, he will then usually create an original prototype of the piece. Some furniture designers simply create furniture designs that are meant to be mass produced by large furniture manufacturers. Other furniture designers will work closely with individuals to create custom pieces of furniture.

Furniture Designer Education Requirements

To get started with a career in furniture design, most individuals will need to earn a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in furniture design. These degrees may be offered at art and design schools as well as some traditional colleges and universities.

In order to earn a degree in furniture design, students will usually need to take drawing and CAD classes, along with woodworking and model making classes. Students will also usually need to take classes about the history of furniture, furniture trends, interior decorating, and the different materials used to make furniture. In order to earn their degrees, students will also usually be required to design and create some original pieces of furniture. Attend a furniture design school today.

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Furniture Designer Salary & Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not offer any data specifically regarding furniture designers. The field of furniture design, however, is a specialized area of product or industrial design. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, commercial and industrial design professionals make an average yearly salary of around $65,970 in 2017.

Professionals with furniture design degrees can often secure employment in furniture design firms. These types of furniture design careers usually involve creating traditional furniture designs for mass production. Some interior designers or design firms will also confer with furniture designers in order to develop custom pieces of furniture to enhance the function and aesthetic qualities of interior space. Furniture designers might also prefer to work in a freelance capacity. These designers usually have more creative freedom when designing furniture. Many of these types of furniture designers will work closely with clients in order to create custom one of a kind piece of furniture for personal or commercial use.

Learn More: How to Become a Furniture Designer

Furniture Designer FAQ 

Furniture designers need to have a collection of skills from creating the design and schematic drawings for their projects to quality control, packaging and delivery of the final piece of furniture. If you’re considering joining the growing ranks of furniture designers, then you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree in Furniture or Product Design. Then you can go out and start building your portfolio and find employment with a design or furniture manufacturer.

There are many different styles of furniture designs to choose from which include traditional, modern, contemporary and mid-century modern. modern.  There is a style of furniture for every time of home, taste, and lifestyle. The challenge for most is understanding where one style starts and another ends.

Furniture designers make $62,050 per year or $29.93 per hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2020. Some furniture designers earn upwards of $118,000. This is largely based on whether or you work for a household furniture company or specialize on commercial use such as offices.

Drawing and creating the design then using CAD software. The furniture designer will need to have a knack for good design and be good at communicating with clients. They also need to understand trends in the market and deal with changes in technology. Creativity and tenacity to create new designs that appeal to the customer is essential.

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