ISFD Celebrates 29th Pinnacle Awards Expanding in New Categories

May 5, 2025  by Karen Parrish in Business Strategy, Industry   

“The home furnishings arena is constantly changing and evolving,” stated David Blair, ISFD executive director. “To stay on top of the trends, we continually evaluate what transpires in the marketplace and the added value of winning a Pinnacle Award. This year, we expanded the Designer-Maker section of the Pinnacle Awards to include new subcategories to support the artisan makers who create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. We also added the Biophilic Design in Wood category, recognizing pieces that create a visible and physical connection to nature by providing a feeling of refuge, possessing a sense of mystery, and inspiring awe. And last year, we added the Finishing Category, another important design element. These additions are just some of the many ways that ISFD recognizes the brilliant designers in our industry and their extraordinary talents.”

Known as the “Academy Awards” for professional and student designers in the furnishings and textile industries, the Pinnacle Awards are open to all professional furniture and textile designers, manufacturers, and artisan designer-makers who are directly involved in designing home furnishings, décor, or textile products available for retail sale in the last year. Students enrolled in or graduating in May 2025 from an accredited furniture or industrial design program may enter the John Conrad Student Pinnacle Awards.

The Pinnacle Awards professional categories are intended to applaud designs produced in larger numbers for sale to consumers. The recipients of the highly coveted Pinnacle Awards are the designers or design teams who were directly involved in the "design craft" of the product(s). The items or collections entered must be in current production and must be shown and sold at one of the major home furnishings or fabric markets worldwide. The Designer-Maker subcategory is for artisans who design and build pieces for custom orders or small production runs. The Student Pinnacle Awards are designed to showcase the students’ work. The highly sought-after awards honor the designer who puts pen to paper to bring the idea to life.

The Pinnacle Awards categories for 2025 are:

Accessories—Any floor-standing decorative accessories, such as sculpture, large planters or vases, screens, pedestals, carts, etc. Entry may be by piece or group.

Bedroom Broad Appeal—Headboards, mirrors, nightstands, chests, dressers, and other storage units intended primarily for bedroom use. Entry can be a bedroom piece or a group. The suggested retail price for a four-piece group must be below $5500.

Bedroom Luxury—Headboards, mirrors, nightstands, chests, dressers, and other storage units intended primarily for bedroom use. Entry can be a bedroom piece or a group. The suggested retail price for a four-piece group must be $5500 or more.

Dining Broad Appeal—Entry must consist of at least one table and one chair model. The suggested retail price for a five-piece group of one table and four chairs must be less than $3750.

Dining Luxury — Entry must be a group of at least one table and one chair model. Suggested retail price for a five-piece group of one table and four chairs must be $3750 for more.

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

Finishings — Includes any home furnishings item to which a finish is applied, except for textiles. Products entered in other categories may also be entered in Finishings. Judges will consider only the finish.

Floor Coverings — Rugs

Home Office—This category includes desks, seating, and storage for home offices. It combines office functionality with a style and size suitable for home use. Entry can be a piece or a group.

Home Textiles Print — Screen or digital prints of textiles designed for home furnishings, primarily upholstered furniture. Entries may have been introduced within the last year. Entries are limited to one per designer and one colorway per entry.

Home Textiles Woven — Jacquards or dobby woven textiles designed for home furnishings, primarily upholstered furniture. Entry may have been introduced within the last year. Entries are limited to one per designer and one colorway per entry.

Leather Upholstery Broad Appeal —This category includes motion or stationary furniture predominantly covered in leather. The suggested retail price must be below $2500 per seat.

Leather Upholstery Luxury—This category includes motion or stationary furniture predominantly covered in leather. The suggested retail price must be above $2500 per seat.

Lighting—This category includes incandescent or LED fixed lighting for indoor home use, including table lamps, floor lamps, pendants, and chandeliers. Entry can be a piece or a group.

Major Collections —The entry must consist of a whole home collection of at least 18 unique pieces. Upholstery, lighting, or accessories can be included only in 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 — Furnishings intended for home use, for which the primary function is storage, such as wall units, étagères, curio cabinets, or movable storage, and not including furniture designed to accommodate audio and/or video equipment. Entry can be by piece or group.

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. The suggested retail price must be below $500.

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.

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

Stationary Upholstery Broad Appeal — Upholstered pieces that do not move to affect the posture of the person seated. Moveable trays, shelves, and other features that do not affect the seating posture are allowed. Entry may be by piece or group. The suggested retail price must be below $2,000 per seat.

Stationary Upholstery Luxury—This category can include upholstered pieces with moving trays, shelves, etc., if the movement does not affect the posture of the person seated. Entry can be individual pieces or groups. The suggested retail price must be at least $2,000 per seat.

Wall Décor — Home furnishings that attach to or hang on the wall, including but not limited to wall mirrors, decorative objects, and clocks. Does not include paintings or prints. Entry may be by piece or group.

Youth — Furniture for nurseries and juvenile bedrooms, including beds, children's room accessories, and storage. Entry may be by piece or group.

Designer-Maker Sub-Categories— This category is for artisan makers who create 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.

The expanded Designer-Maker subcategories include Accessories, Bedroom, Dining, Entertainment Furniture, Finishings, Floor Coverings, Home Office, Home Textiles Print and Woven, Lighting, Occasional Storage, Occasional Tables, Outdoor, Upholstered Seating, Wall Décor, and Youth categories.

The Green Leaf Award Subcategory — Products that meet the most discerning design standards while also meeting a legitimately eco-friendly profile. See the online application for more details.

The Biophilic Design in Wood Award — Products that incorporate wood into the design, meet the most discerning design standards, and express the patterns of biophilic design.

John Conrad Student Pinnacle Award — Any bedroom, dining, occasional, home office, textiles, seating, or entertainment category selected from the student’s body of work. Visit the student guidelines for the entry form and more information.

ISFD would like to thank the 2025 Pinnacle Awards sponsors: Presenting sponsor: ANDMORE; Bronze level: Continental Hardware,  Furniture Design Studios,  High Point Market Authority, and Lockdowel; Designer-Maker category sponsor: Appalachian Hardwood; Biophilic Design in Wood sponsor: Real American Hardwood;  Student Competition sponsor: Richard Frinier Design Studio; along with Corporate Partner: Canadian Wood; and Industry partners: Designers Today, Elements Studios, Furniture Today, and IFDA. Also, thanks to the International Textile Alliance (ITA) for their continued support.

Submission details are at the 2025 Pinnacle Awards and the 2025 John Conrad Student Pinnacle Awards. To see last year’s winners, please visit the 2024 ISFD Pinnacle Award Winners.  The entry deadline is July 31, 2025.