ISFD Opens Entries for the 27th Year of the Pinnacle Awards

April 5, 2023  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry   

Considered the industry’s highest design honor, the Pinnacle Awards are open to all furniture and textile designers, manufacturers and students who are directly involved in designing home furnishings, décor, or textile products available for retail sale in the last year.

Twenty-six product categories, covering both luxury and broad appeal products, are included this year. Winners will be announced at the annual Pinnacle Awards Gala held on Monday, October 16, 2023, during the fall High Point Market.

“Our annual Pinnacle Awards celebrate the ultimate in great home furnishings and textile design and honor the very talented people who created them,” stated David Blair, executive director of ISFD. “Each year we look forward to seeing the new ideas in form, function, style, and materials that will set the future direction of our home furnishing trends.”

The Pinnacle Awards are intended to applaud designs that are produced mostly in larger numbers for sale to consumers. The recipient of the highly coveted Pinnacle Award is the designer or designers who were directly involved in the "design craft" of the product(s).

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.

The 26 Pinnacle Awards categories for 2023:

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.

Floor Coverings - Rugs

Accessories - Any floor standing decorative accessory like sculpture, large planters or vases, screens, pedestals, carts, etc. Entry may be by piece or group.

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 above $3000.

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 $3000.

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 of above $3000.

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 of below $3000.

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

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

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.

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.

Leather Upholstery - Luxury - Includes furniture, either motion or stationery, predominantly covered in leather. Suggested retail price must be above $5,000. 

Leather Upholstery - Broad Appeal- Includes furniture, either motion or stationery, predominantly covered in leather. Suggested retail price must be below $5,000. 

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. 

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. 

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 - 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.

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.

Stationary Upholstery – Luxury – Can include 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 at least $2,000. 

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. 

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

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 2023 Pinnacle Awards sponsors: Platinum Sponsor: International Market Centers, Silver Sponsor: High Point Market Authority, Bronze Sponsors: Continental Hardware, Furniture Design Studios, Leggett & Platt and Sherwin-Williams along with partners Elements Studios, and Furniture Today. Also, thanks to High Point University and the International Textile Alliance (ITA) for their continued support.

Submission details can be found at2023 Pinnacle Awards. To see last year’s winners please visit 2022 ISFD Pinnacle Award Winners.  Entry deadline is July 27, 2023.