International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) Issues Call for Competition Entry

Furniture World News Desk on 5/3/2019

The International Society of Furniture Designers (ISFD) is calling for entries for the 2019 Pinnacle Awards®, the premiere home furnishings industry event dedicated to promoting design quality and encouraging increased recognition of product designers.

Manufacturers and designers are urged to visit http://bit.ly/2019OfficialPinnacleEntry to begin the submissions process.  Deadline for submission is July 31, 2019.
“Innovative and creative home furnishings have never been more important to the evolving consumer. The industry leaders of the ISFD Board of Directors seek to promote excellence in all levels of retail sales, and the Pinnacle Awards exist to celebrate those achievements,” says Tim O’Hare, newly installed board president.

Expanded Opportunities to Enter
In an effort to ensure the competition reflects the entire home furnishings industry, categories for entry have once again been expanded. Last year, Maker/Designer was added for the first time in the history of the awards. This year, the  competition will offer opportunity in the Occasional Table, Dining, Bedroom, Leather and Stationary Upholstery categories to enter at multiple price point levels. “Each of these categories will have a Luxury and Broad Appeal sub-category based on price point,” explains John Conrad, executive director, ISFD. “This is designed to open these categories to more competitors and create a more inclusive and even playing field.”

The price points dividing the new sub-categories are as follows:  

Bedroom Retail Price Range Categories (for: Queen bed, dresser, mirror and night stand)
Luxury, above $3,000
Broad Appeal, below $3,000

Dining Room Retail Price Range (5 piece, table + 4) Categories
Luxury, above $3,000
Broad Appeal, below $3,000

Leather Upholstery Retail Price Range (Sofa) Categories
Luxury, above $5,000
Broad Appeal, below $5,000

Stationary Upholstery Retail Price Range (Sofa) Categories
Luxury, above $2,000
Broad Appeal, below $2,000

Occasional Tables Retail Price Range (cocktail table) Categories
Luxury, above $500
Broad Appeal, below $500

“As the emphasis on great design intensifies across all home furnishings channels and the lines between channels continues to blur, the ISFD board of directors is continually working to ensure that the Pinnacle Awards celebrate the most comprehensive vision of home furnishings product design in the industry,” relates Tim O’Hare, newly installed president of ISFD. “Some 23 years after the first Pinnacle was awarded, we are determined to make the Pinnacle competition more relevant to the industry than ever before, and to rightfully honor and showcase the work of the designers who make it tick.”

Twenty-Fourth Annual Pinnacle Awards Gala
The Twenty-Fourth Annual Pinnacle Awards Gala is set for October 21, 2019, will again take place on the campus of High Point University, in the Congdon School of Health Sciences building. The revamped event format will feature a cocktail hour immediately followed by the Award program featuring a high-profile keynote speaker from a world-class, international design studio.

Awards will be now be presented in 24 home furnishings categories, with finalists and winning designs promoted to retailers in the U.S. and around the world. Winning products will also have the right to feature the 2019 Pinnacle Award logo on all related media, collateral and packaging. The 2019 Awards are sponsored by the High Point Market Authority, Leggett & Platt, International Market Centers, Designers Today, Continental Hardware, Furniture Today, Furniture Design Studios and Sherwin-Williams and Royal Brass Company. For more information, visit isfd.org.