Furniture plays an integral role in people’s daily lives, providing comfort when sitting, working or storing items. Therefore, furniture design is an integral profession.
Utilizing free programs such as SketchUp and Blender can be an excellent way to enter the world of furniture design, as they teach you new materials and tools.
History
Furniture designers must possess both creative and critical thinking abilities in order to design pieces that are both beautiful and functional. Furthermore, they should possess knowledge about furniture styles from history and how these have developed over time.
After world wars decimated entire populations, designers sought to break with tradition and embrace modernist designs – most famously Marcel Breuer’s Wassily chair which combined smooth metal lines and leather straps.
Contemporary furniture design is affected by changes in technology, sustainability trends and social and political issues. A furniture designer must keep abreast with these shifts while communicating clearly with those responsible for building the pieces they design – such as those who specialize in shaping metal or bending wood into specific forms or upholstering for specific styles.
Materials
Furniture can be composed of various materials, depending on its style and design. Wood is one of the more commonly used materials; however, modern designers are exploring other materials for unique pieces – some more durable and flexible than traditional wooden pieces and suitable for multiple styles.
Wood, metal and plastic are among the most widely used furniture materials. Wood offers versatility in terms of staining or painting it to match any decor; metal is lightweight and easily transportable; plastic provides water resistance as well as heat damage resistance – great qualities in outdoor furniture.
Some furniture pieces are constructed using multiple varieties of solid woods in order to save both money and time during production. When this happens, designers need to find ways to combine all these woods together harmoniously in order to achieve an appealing aesthetic look.
Function
Furniture design is a creative discipline that combines art and technique, turning everyday items into welcoming pieces that meet human physiological, cultural and aesthetic needs.
Establishing a rough design concept is the starting point in furniture designing. Designers may draw their inspiration from nature, culture or creative industries like film, music and fashion in order to generate innovative concepts.
Furniture designers utilize various tools, such as computer software and 3D modeling software, in their design process. Familiarity with these programs is necessary in order to produce accurate sketches and prototypes; additionally they must possess skills at analyzing materials’ physical properties while applying mathematical/physics principles. Furniture designers frequently consult production, design, and sales staff in order to secure customer orders.
Style
Style is key when it comes to furniture design: timeless designs make an impactful statement and we take immense pleasure when someone appreciates our pieces in person.
Aspiring designers must study the history of styles to understand how they came about so that they can craft their own distinctive look and approach. Furthermore, staying abreast of trends within your field is also key.
Modern furniture is constantly in flux and responds to emerging fashion and technology. It can drastically transform over time – so as a designer it’s crucial that you find your own voice and stand out from the competition for long-term success.
Budget
Good news is, even clients without enough budget for professional interior designers have plenty of alternatives available to them. Retail stores now make better looking low-quality furniture at very reasonable prices while online marketplaces provide wide-ranging styles at fractions of what a designer would charge you in fees for negotiating vendors on your behalf.
However, these numbers don’t account for painting and contractor bids; therefore a full design plan should always be developed in your budget prior to beginning work in order to avoid unmet expectations or miscommunication between yourself and your designer. They also don’t account for design fees which may come in either the form of a flat rate up-front charge or hourly billable rates that require an estimated retainer deposit.