HIGH POINT, N.C. — The International Society of Furniture Designers has named the 110 finalists from 26 categories for the Pinnacle Awards.
In the outdoor furniture category, Bernhardt Furniture’s Andros outdoor collection and its Madura outdoor sofa are finalists, with the Madura also ranking in the biophilic design in wood category. Designer John Caldwell also landed two designs among the outdoor finalists, including the Cantata collection and the Concourse sling lounger.
“Every year, I am amazed at the level of creativity and expertise that is shown in the entries, but I think that this year surpasses them all,” said David Blair, executive director of ISFD. “The professional designers, designer-makers and students really outdid themselves in offering the judges an outstanding array of exceptional designs to review. Even the new Biophilic Design in Wood category excelled in bringing nature to interior spaces. A magnanimous thanks goes out to the judges who tackled the challenging task of reviewing and selecting the finalists and ultimately the winners.”
The 2025 finalists, all professional product, furniture and textile designers, designer-makers, and graduate and undergraduate design students, envision and create the products that become some of the most sought-after home furnishings items around the world. Their designs are produced and marketed by companies, large and small, but with a common denominator — to proudly illustrate that artistry, craft and innovation are essential and salable to the consumer marketplace. In some cases, being nominated and/or winning a Pinnacle Award has helped launch design careers and elevated manufacturers to new levels of industry recognition.
“As part of our mission to inspire, educate and connect our future professional furniture designers, ISFD charges no entry fee for the Student Pinnacle Awards, and we give every student ISFD member one free ticket to the gala,” Blair said. “We are looking for additional sponsors for this year’s student competition and gala so we can continue to introduce these future designers to our industry.”
The Pinnacle Awards will be presented at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 in the IHFC 11th floor ballroom in High Point, with a student meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. and a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. Natalie Papier, designer and star of Magnolia Network’s Artfully Designed, will be the keynote speaker at the event. Tickets are available on the Pinnacle Awards Gala website, and a portion of ticket sales will benefit the ISFD Foundation Scholarship Fund.
