IFDA Carolinas Chapter Announces Luminary Award Winner

October 15, 2024  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

The Luminary Award acknowledges a home furnishings industry icon or entity known to promote and enrich others within the home and design professional community. This year’s

recognition goes to the singular design library for its leadership role attracting and developing the next generations’ talent in the fields of interior design, furniture and product design.

In 2021, the Bienenstock Furniture Library launched its Bienenstock Future Designers Summit (BFDS), an immersive, three-day educational and networking experience. A resounding success, the now annual event hosts up to 40 design students from universities and colleges across the country, and orchestrates keynote speakers, factory tours, showroom visits and more in the “furniture capital” of High Point.

Hope Purcell, an interior design student at Indiana University in 2022, said her experience at the summit “opened my eyes to the possibilities into the world of design. Things I could never have seen in the classroom have now been exposed to me.”

The library and its board of directors secure industry sponsorships and donations to fund the costs associated with travel, accommodations and meals for each attendee; expenses for the program’s development and marketing; and a robust scholarship program awarding three outstanding student-participants.

Reflecting a passion for home furnishings, Sandy and Bernice Bienenstock started the library’s book collection in 1922 and grew it to become the industry’s preeminent resource for information, illustration and inspiration. They established the Furniture Library Association in 1970.

Their grandson, Russell Bienenstock—a standing library board member and editorial director and CEO of trade publication Furniture World —will accept the award along with current BFL board president Dudley Moore, co-owner of Otto and Moore, Inc. Furniture Design.

The Night of Luminaries and Rising Stars, which additionally recognizes emerging design talent, is open to members of the design community and industry. The reception begins at 5pm and awards will be presented at 6:15pm.

Tickets to the 2024 Night of Luminaries and Rising Stars are available online through Nov 7. Proceeds benefit the Carolinas Chapter’s educational endeavors.

Luminary Award sponsors are Andmore, Century Furniture, Davis Furniture, Gefen Productions, Hooker Furnishings, IFDA Educational Foundation, Libby Langdon Interiors, Nancy High and Thayer Coggin.