I have 6 years of contract furniture experience previously. I am now in my third year of residential, specifically RTA. It’s been a huge learning curve, but it’s also been fun.
What is your market?
I did a 5 year stint in residential, mostly outdoor “causal” with some indoor upholstery and case goods thrown in for “fun.” As far as outdoor went, we did everything (literally) from teak to cast aluminum to natural wicker and rattan, and everything in between - even outdoor kitchens and grills at one point. The outdoor side was enjoyable, since you could ‘get away’ with pushing the boundaries pretty hard most of the time; the interior side always seemed to be constrained by tradition to some degree (sometimes a lot) which could be stifling…
i did a little outdoor at my last job (a consultantcy). aluminum cast furniture. it was fun and simple.
I have done a lot of contract office; seating, desking, upholstery, casegoods, systems, meeting/conference. mostly for the US, some for the asian and european market.
i have also done some contract residential, mainly upholstery, some dining.
now i am mainly residential and SOHO on the mid-level RTA market. Occasionallty some BTS, which can be fun if you get in and get out quick enough. I’ve been focused on a lot of entertainment in casegoods and RTA recently, too.
Hi. I’m new here.
My market is high end residential and also have a specialty in bath furniture and fixtures. Working on a line of residential to pitch to manufacturers early next year and may self-manufacture a line as well.
I’m curious to hear from anyone who’s experienced at approaching furniture manufacturers with designs.
that’s pretty nice.
i’ve been specializing in designing tooless , easy assembly furniture. i designed a desk that can be built in the same time as that sofa, maybe a little quicker. also developed a fastener for flat pack furniture. the int’l design patent was issued on it. no tools needed, passed ANSI/SOHO testing, same cube size as bolts and cams.
unfortunately, i am finding the market doesn’t support these ideas and would rather pay more for features and finish materials. partially assembled components are viewed as more acceptable despite a larger shipping cube.
i’m still proud of it. it’s a nice change of pace. kind of like a big puzzle made simpler.
I’ve worked in residential furniture with a transitional/life style look, contract, and health care. Thanks to the crappy economy I got downsized out of my most recent job and I’m looking again. I’m pounding the pavement at Neocon this week as we speak. I’d like to get into office furniture if possible so I can feel like I’ve “covered all the bases.” My ultimate goal is to become a contract furniture designer once I feel like I have enough experience to do that in a variety of markets. I may take a stab at it soon though if some opportunities arise though. I don’t feel fully prepared for it yet, but there’s no time like the present when Uncle Sam is sending me a steady pay check while I look for work.
healthcare furniture is still hot and will get hotter.
RTA is still doing well. it’s all about pricepoint, but that lends a big challenge to design with, not around.
i am very fortunate to have weathered the storm very well.