ISFD

ISFD Adds New Finishings Category for the 28th Annual Pinnacle Awards®

Calling all Furniture & Textile Designers, enter the ISFD 2024 Pinnacle Awards now- July 26th
High Point, N.C. May 8, 2024 — The International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) Pinnacle Awards are the “Academy Awards” for professional and student designers in the furnishings and textile industries. New to the 2024 Pinnacle Awards is a Finishings category recognizing another level in the professional design process. The 28th annual Pinnacle Awards are open to all furniture and textile designers, and manufacturers who are directly involved in designing home furnishings, décor, or textile products available for retail sale in the last year. Students who are currently enrolled in or graduated in the last year from an accredited furniture or industrial design program may enter the Student Pinnacle Awards. Winners will be announced at the annual Pinnacle Awards Gala held on Monday, October 28, 2024, during the fall High Point Market. Deadline to enter is July 26, 2024.
“We are excited to announce that we have added a new Finishings category to our Pinnacle Awards line up,” stated David Blair, ISFD executive director. “For designers, the finish of a product is one of the most important elements of design. Because of the exigencies of the manufacturing process and differences in woods of the same species from different lots, getting even a simple-looking finish to look great can be a tricky process. And, at the higher end of the market, the people who apply the finishes are real artists, sometimes taking many days and multiple layers of coatings and distressing to achieve the desired effect. In short, it’s important, it’s complicated, it’s an essential part of the creative design process and we want to acknowledge the talented professional designers who do it well.”

The Pinnacle Awards are intended to applaud designs that are produced mostly in larger numbers for sale to consumers. The recipients of the highly coveted Pinnacle Awards are the designers or design teams who were directly involved in the “design craft” of the product(s). The award is meant to honor the designer, the person who puts pen to paper to bring the idea to life. The items or collections entered must be in current production and must have been shown and sold at one of the major home furnishings or fabric markets worldwide.
“Another change to this year’s Pinnacle Awards is in the price points for Broad Appeal and Luxury Bedroom, Dining, Leather Upholstery and Stationary Upholstery,” Blair added. “We updated those to reflect current pricing levels.”
The 27 Pinnacle Awards categories for 2024 are:
Accessories – Any floor standing decorative accessory like sculpture, large planters or vases, screens, pedestals, carts, etc. Entry may be by piece or group.

Bedroom Broad Appeal – Headboards, mirrors, nightstands, chests, dressers, and other storage units intended primarily for bedroom use. Entry can be bedroom piece or group. Suggested retail for a four-piece group must be below $5500.

Bedroom Luxury – Headboards, mirrors, nightstands, chests, dressers, and other storage units intended primarily for bedroom use. Entry can be bedroom piece or group. Suggested retail for a four-piece group must be $5500 or more.

Dining Broad Appeal – Entry must be a group of at least one table and one model of chair. Suggested retail for a five-piece group of one table and four chairs must be less than $3750.

Dining Luxury – Entry must be a group of at least one table and one model of chair. Suggested retail for a five-piece group of one table and four chairs must be $3750 for more.

Entertainment Furniture – Entries in this category include individual or multiple units (groupings) that accommodate audio/video components.

Finishings – Includes any home furnishings item to which a finish is applied, with the exception of textiles. Products entered in other categories may also be entered in Finishings. Judges will consider only the finish.

Floor Coverings – Rugs

Home Office – Includes desks, seating, and storage intended for home office by combining office functionality with style and sizing suitable for home use. Entry can be a piece or a group.

Home Textiles – Print – Textiles designed for home furnishings, primarily upholstered furniture. Entry may be screen or digital prints introduced within the last year. Entries are limited to one per designer and one colorway per entry.

Home Textiles – Woven – Textiles designed for home furnishings, primarily upholstered furniture. Entry may be jacquards or dobby wovens introduced within the last year. Entries are limited to one per designer and one colorway per entry.

Leather Upholstery – Broad Appeal – Includes furniture, either motion or stationary, predominantly covered in leather. Suggested retail price must be below $2500 per seat.

Leather Upholstery – Luxury – Includes furniture, either motion or stationary, predominantly covered in leather. Suggested retail price must be above $2500 per seat

Lighting – Includes incandescent or LED fixed lighting intended for indoor home use, including table lamps, floor lamps, pendants, and chandeliers. Entry can be a piece or a group.

Major Collections – Entry must be a whole home collection of at least 18 unique pieces. Upholstery, lighting, or accessories can be included only as part of the collection.

Maker/Designer – This category is for builders/makers creating one-of-a-kind pieces for sale in galleries, stores and or client-specific products. Makers should have an independent business providing design and build services for custom furniture and accessories in their local market. This includes wood and mixed material case goods, occasional pieces, seating, upholstery, and accessories for both indoor and outdoor use.

Motion Upholstery – Includes pieces that move to adjust the posture and comfort of the person seated. Entry can be made by piece or group.

Occasional Storage – Occasional furniture intended for home use whose primary function is storage, not including entertainment or home theater furniture. Entry can be by piece or group.

Occasional Tables – Broad Appeal – An open piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs or supports providing a level surface on which objects may be placed. Suggested retail price must be below $500.

Occasional Tables – Luxury – An open piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs or supports providing a level surface on which objects may be placed. Suggested retail price must be above $500.

Outdoor – Tables, chairs and other furniture designed primarily for outdoor or leisure-time settings such as sunrooms, porches, patios, or atriums.

Stationary Upholstery – Broad Appeal – Includes upholstered pieces with moving trays, shelves, etc., as long as the movement does not affect the posture of the person seated. Entry can be individual pieces or group. Suggested retail price must be below $2,000 per seat.

Stationary Upholstery – Luxury – Can include upholstered pieces with moving trays, shelves, etc., if the movement does not affect the posture of the person seated. Entry can be individual pieces or group. Suggested retail price must be at least $2,000 per seat.

Wall Décor – Home furnishings that attach to or hang on the wall including but not limited to wall mirrors, wall décor, clocks. Does not include wall art, paintings, or prints. Entry may be by piece or group.

Youth – Infant and juvenile bedroom furniture including beds, children’s room accessories, and storage. Entry can be an individual piece or a group.
The Green Leaf Award Subcategory – Products that meet the most discerning design standards while also meeting a legitimately eco-friendly profile. See application for more details.
Student Pinnacle Award – Any bedroom, dining, occasional, home office, textiles, seating, or entertainment category piece selected from the student’s body of work. Visit student guidelines for entry form and more information.
ISFD would like to thank the 2024 Pinnacle Awards sponsors: Platinum level: ANDMORE, Silver level: High Point Market Authority, Bronze level: Continental Hardware, Furniture Design Studios, Lockdowel, and Sherwin-Williams along with Corporate Partner/Industry supplier: Canadian Wood; and Industry partners: Designers Today, Elements Studios, Furniture Today, and IFDA . Also, thanks to International Textile Alliance (ITA) for their continued support.

Submission details can be found at 2024 Pinnacle Awards and 2024 Student Pinnacle Awards. To see last year’s winners please visit 2023 ISFD Pinnacle Award Winners. Entry deadline is July 26, 2024.
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About ISFD
The International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) is an association of professional and student furniture designers in residential and contract furnishings and accessories. Its mission is to promote and advance outstanding design and to elevate and support the furniture designer through networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities. Its Pinnacle Awards® recognize the very best in furniture design each year, and its INNOVATION + DESIGN awards promote the outstanding work of designer–makers. Visit ISFD.org for more information about the organization and its programs, or follow its activities on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and X.

ISFD recognizes 18 finalists for 5th Annual INNOVATION+DESIGN™ Awards

ISFD recognizes 18 finalists for 5th Annual INNOVATION+DESIGN™ Awards

ISFD Accepting 2024 Innovation + Design Maker/Designer Juried Competition and Exhibition Entries 

High Point, NC, Nov. 3, 2023 — Attention all professional designer/makers and serious woodworking students. Do you have a project that is exceptional, one that you are extremely proud of? Enter it in the International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) 2024 INNOVATION + DESIGN juried competition. Deadline is Dec. 20, 2023. The exhibit showcasing the finalists’ entries will be open at the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, 311 S. Hamilton, High Point from April 4-17, in conjunction with Spring High Point Market. The winners will be announced at the Meet the Designers reception on April 14.

“INNOVATION + DESIGN gives professional furniture artisans and woodworking students an excellent opportunity to showcase their work at the High Point Market, the world’s largest and most important home furnishings event,” said David Blair, executive director of ISFD. “Past participants shared that the connections they made at Market—both with other designer-makers and High Point Market attendees—have been invaluable. This year, our exhibit will be held in the Home Furnishings Hall of Fame, a beautiful new facility located right in the heart of the Market district, a convenient location that will get a lot of traffic.”

This highly competitive furniture industry sponsored event is intended for professional makers/designers who create their own product and the next generation of serious woodworking students who are anticipating a career in the custom wood and related home furnishings industries. It is designed to showcase the products and designs of the top independent and student makers in the accessories, dining room furniture, lighting, occasional storage, occasional tables, and seating categories.

Professional and student finalists will receive a certificate of merit and will be entered into the Maker/Designer or student category of the 2024 ISFD Pinnacle Awards. Category winners will receive $250, and the Best of Show winner will receive $1000. All winners will receive free manufacturing time in the Congdon Yards Generator to work on any project of their choice. The entry fee is $50 each, entrants can submit multiple entries in multiple categories.

For the judging, a panel of ISFD board members and trade experts representing various sectors of the industry will review the entries and select the finalists. Once selected, the finalists’ projects will be shipped to High Point for a final round of in-person judging to select winners in each category.

For complete entry details please visit 2024 INNOVATION + DESIGN.

ISFD names 78 finalists in 21 Categories for the 2023 Pinnacle Awards®

ISFD names 78 finalists in 21 Categories for the 2023 Pinnacle Awards®

ISFD Announces Kaitlin Petersen as keynote speaker for the 2023 Pinnacle Awards® “Untamed Minds” Gala

Limited seating, reserve tickets now for Oct. 16th in the Loft at Congdon Yards in High Point
High Point, N.C. Sept. 5, 2023— As the suspense builds, everyone wants to know who will be the next International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) Pinnacle Awards winners. This is the industry’s greatest honor bestowed on exceptional professional and student home furnishings and textile designers. Experience “Untamed Minds,” a remarkable evening saluting this year’s top designers with Kaitlin Petersen, editor in chief of Business of Home (BOH), as the keynote speaker and Bill McLoughlin, editor in chief of Furniture Today, as the master of ceremonies. The Gala will take place on Monday, October 16, 5:30-9:45pm in the Loft at Condon Yards, 410 W English Rd, High Point. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the ISFD Foundation Scholarship Fund which supports gifted student designers from schools across the country. Seating is limited, tickets are available at isfd.org.

ISFD extends 2023 Pinnacle Awards® deadline to August 3

Are you planning on entering the 2023 Pinnacle Awards? The International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) announced they have extended the 2023 Pinnacle Awards entry deadline to August 3. To be considered for the industry’s highest design honor, product designers, manufacturers or students must enter the 2023 Pinnacle Awards on the ISFD website. Winners will be announced during the High Point Market, the industry’s highest profile show, at the Pinnacle Awards Gala on Monday, October 16 in the Loft at Condon Yards. Tickets will go on sale August 1.

ISFD Announces expert panel of judges  for the prestigious 2023 Pinnacle Awards

The International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) is an association of professional and student furniture designers in residential and contract furnishings and accessories. Its mission is to promote and advance outstanding design and to elevate and support the furniture designer through networking, mentorship, and professional development opportunities. Its Pinnacle Awards® recognize the very best in furniture design each year, and its INNOVATION + DESIGN awards promote the outstanding work of designer–makers. Visit ISFD.org for more information about the organization and its programs, or follow its activities on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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