Header: “Chelsea Collection by Karim Rashid”, Courtesy of Karim Rashid Inc.
Furniture design is an industry where creativity has found its true home, giving way to unique designs that embody their designers’ personalities and philosophies like no other industry. While magical, finding the most influential studios in the midst of so much innovation can be challenging. However, this problem heightens when one remembers that furniture also plays a key role in interior design, making multidisciplinary studios that handle both aspects part of the equation.
This list highlights 15 furniture design studios that have offered their unique perspectives to the industry for years, having earned several international awards and been featured in design magazines for how they carry on their work. Some emphasize artisanal techniques, while others explore material innovation and functional adaptability. From avant-garde residential pieces to large-scale urban installations, these studios have been awarded one of the most prestigious industry awards, SIT Furniture Design Award. Without any further ado, I have the top 15 furniture design studios to discover for you.
1. CENTRSVET
CENTERSVET is a Russian lighting company founded in 2005 that designs and manufactures lighting systems, additionally providing consultation, selection, and servicing for projects. With loads of products stocked in its warehouse, CENTERSVET supplies major projects, allowing designers to choose from their wide range of lighting fixtures.
Infinity Air (2020)
Infinity Air is a combined lighting and air distribution system that integrates CENTERSVET’s Infinity track lighting, complemented with slot diffusers. The system is especially designed for interior spaces, and the result is a continuous line without any visible trims, which can be installed on ceilings or walls.
The slot diffusers allow for parallel air distribution along the ceiling surface, supporting both ventilation and air conditioning. Furthermore, adjustable elements allow control over the width, direction, and intensity of airflow, while the system’s low resistance makes it quite a quiet operation.
2. Messana O’Rorke
Messana O’Rorke is a New York-based architecture firm founded in 1996 by Brian Messana and Toby O’Rorke that focuses on residential and commercial projects across various environments. Whether in urban, rural, coastal, or mountainous settings, their approach is consistent: to use a restrained material palette and geometric forms to define space rather than decoration.
The firm often works with natural materials like stone, wood, and glass, integrating traditional building methods with current, modern detailing, which makes for the perfect minimalist aesthetic with a twist.
Junegrass House (2021)
Junegrass House is a 5,000-square-foot residence in Wyoming designed with respect towards the region’s architectural guidelines while still incorporating some of the modern elements the clients were looking for. The vernacular structures of nearby Mormon Row, a historic Wyoming settlement, served as inspiration, so the designers tried to incorporate as many traditional materials, such as stone and wood, as possible.
The house is divided into four parts, each clad in either stained cedar or stone. These areas are connected by glass bridges, a modern element indeed, but pitched roofs and the materials help integrate the house into its natural surroundings.
3. Street and Garden
Street + Garden is a Brisbane-based design studio that specialises in designing products for urban spaces, such as seating, tables, and any other type of public furniture. Collaborating with architects, landscape designers, and urban planners to ensure their products meet the needs of each site and community, the firm’s main focus is to create durable and functional products.
Honeysuckle Park (2022)
As part of the Newcastle Waterfront redevelopment, Street + Garden collaborated with Terras Landscape Architects to design custom seating and picnic settings for Honeysuckle Park. The team designed backed platform benches complemented with embedded lighting fixtures, hob-mounted backless benches, and even picnic settings.
The furniture is decorated with a laser-cut White Honeysuckle Coastal Banksia pattern, which draws from the site’s coastal environment, and all pieces were built using durable materials suited to the waterfront’s weather conditions. As mentioned above, each piece comes with its own lighting fixtures, which provide illumination in the early morning and evening.
4. Karim Rashid
Karim Rashid is a well-known industrial designer whose work spans product design, furniture, interiors, branding, and packaging. His portfolio includes collaborations with brands such as Christofle, Veuve Clicquot, Alessi, Umbra, Samsung, and Asus, covering everything from luxury goods to consumer electronics. His designs often take on fluid, organic forms, with Rashid enjoying to experiment with new materials and production techniques.
His work is currently featured in twenty permanent museum collections worldwide and has been recognised by several design awards for their innovations. In addition to his design practice, Rashid lectures at universities and conferences globally and has even published several books on design, such as monographs on his work, a collection of sketches, and a guide to personal design philosophy.
Chelsea Collection (2020)
The Chelsea Collection includes a sofa, a chair, a coffee table, a pendant lamp, and a floor lamp, all designed for compact spaces and in Rashad’s classic fluid and organic forms. The sofa and chair are built with cold-cure foam over a steel frame and high-quality springs, but there’s a twist: a concealed black wooden plinth gives the furniture a floating appearance.
Rashid took inspiration from the time he lived in Chelsea, New York, to design this collection, attempting to reflect his personal philosophy of “Sensual Minimalism” throughout. In this philosophy, forms are shaped to support relaxation and social interaction, which aligns with the designer’s goal of creating comfortable and inviting living spaces no matter the socioeconomic status of the resident.
5. Ali Robinson
Ali Robinson is a London-based designer and artist with a background in Fine Art from The Ruskin, Oxford University. Robinson initially worked in painting before expanding into performance, installation, and video, and co-founded Robinson van Noort, an architectural and interior design practice, in 2001. His furniture collections came to be as a natural extension of this work, first as one-off commissions and later produced in collaboration with a team of London-based makers and artisans.
Made to Measure Ruler (2018)
Made to Measure Ruler is a freestanding measuring ruler designed to record children’s growth over time. Unlike traditional height markings on door frames, which are often left behind when moving homes, this object was designed to be a lasting keepsake that can be carried from one house to another and shared between generations.
Though originally intended for children, the piece has taken on an additional role as a visitor’s record: adults engage with the rule, using it to mark their own heights and thus preserving memories in a physical form beyond photographs or video.
6. Wow atelier
WOW Atelier is an architecture, interior design, and fabrication firm founded in 2013 that works on high-end, full-scale projects deeply inspired by the American West. From design to fabrication, the firm’s portfolio includes architectural and interior design projects, as well as installations and activations.
WOW Atelier enjoys engaging with the local design community through competitions, collaborations, and public events, also participating in city planning discussions, working with non-profit organisations, and doing open studio days. The studio believes that they have a responsibility to culturally contribute to the community, so transparency and involvement have been at the core of the practice since its creation.
Geometric Bed (2022)
The Geometric Bed was designed as part of a custom furniture collection for a private residence, drawing inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s film “The Shining”. The design geometric motifs were created as a reference to the film’s interior elements, with the wood used throughout having been chosen for the same purpose.
The bed frame is made from solid mahogany, with brass inlays forming a hexagonal pattern on the CNC-machined headboard—inspired by the carpet design seen in the film. The brass detailing continues in the bed’s hardware, referencing Room 237, and functionally, the headboard incorporates a bookshelf, a built-in bench, and a pair of integrated nightstands.
7. Twins Studio
Twins Studio is a Romanian interior design and architecture firm founded by architect Alice Mihai and later continued by designer Mihai Popescu that focuses on public and private spaces, including restaurants, bars, clubs, hotels, and residences. In addition to interior design, the firm has worked on scenography for television, theatre, and events, as well as international exhibitions.
The studio even operates its own workshop, where the designers produce custom furniture and decorative elements, allowing them to create jobs in their community and control the entire design and manufacturing process.
Tuya Mykonos (2022)
Tuya Mykonos is a restaurant designed around an existing bougainvillaea plant that has grown on the site for over 30 years. The main goal of the designers was to support and highlight the plant through materials and decoration, so a metal arbour replaced the original rustic structure, providing extra support for the vines.
All furniture was designed and manufactured in Twins Studio’s Bucharest workshop, using Meranti wood for its durability. For the flooring, the designers chose terrazzo as a reference to the irregular paving of the surrounding alleys. Furthermore, green marble was added in many shades, inspired by the local architecture of the surrounding Mykonos environment.
8. Studio Paolo Ferrari
Studio Paolo Ferrari is a Toronto-based design studio that works in hospitality, retail, and residences, collaborating with global luxury brands from all over the world to bring their visions to life. The studio’s work is defined by a focus on materiality, spatial flow, and craftsmanship, which leads them to often integrate raw and refined elements within a single space.
Muskoka Cottage (2022)
Muskoka Cottage is a private retreat on Lake Rosseau that was designed to reflect the rugged landscape of Ontario’s Georgian Bay region. The architecture and interiors show precisely this, as the designers made it a point to play around with contrast in every setting of this house: light and dark, rough and smooth, solid and open. Granite blocks, raw at the edges, form the bathroom sinks and the kitchen island, with Douglas-fir millwork surrounding them—a clear reference to the region’s rock formations and lush evergreen forests.
Large windows frame the beautiful views of the lake and escarpments, while narrow, dimly lit hallways guide residents through bright and open rooms. By integrating natural materials and sightlines, the designers effectively brought the outside indoors, as the layout reminds one of walking between rocks while looking for a sunny way out.
9. Landscape Forms
Landscape Forms is an American manufacturer of outdoor furniture, lighting, and site structures that was founded over 50 years ago by landscape architect John Chipman Sr. Today, Landscape Forms works with landscape architects, urban planners, and designers to develop durable, high-design products that support outdoor environments.
The company owns three brands that fall under the same umbrella: Loll Designs, Summit Furniture, and Kornegay Design. Its products range from modular seating and shelters to advanced LED lighting, with sustainability and innovation playing an important role in the sister companies’ processes.
Typology Ribbon Bench (2022)
The Typology Ribbon Bench is a modular seating system that allows for several configurations due to its curved parts, making it perfect for urban sites. The bench is constructed from aluminium and concrete, having also a gap where mounting points such as backrests, armrests, and extended surfaces can be placed. Lighting fixtures were added underneath the bench, creating an interesting visual effect: the structure appears to float above the surface.
10. Churina Design
Katerina Churina founded her interior design studio in 2009, having since then focused mainly on residential and commercial interiors. The studio has worked on projects of various scales, many of them receiving international awards and recognition from design magazines and other online platforms.
In addition to normal design services, the studio offers SMART projects, an online-based format where designing interiors becomes easier than ever since clients get to receive design concepts and consultations remotely.
Ukrainian L’Oreal Academy (2022)
The Ukrainian L’Oreal Academy was designed by the studio as a training facility for beauty industry professionals, allowing for master classes, seminars, and workshops. The interior sees a lot of curved elements, light and varied colour tones, and a combination of open and enclosed spaces. The designers also included a mini photo studio, a meeting room for video conferences, three lecture halls, workstations, a color bar, and a lounge area.
The layout was developed to clearly separate each area without seclusion, and the materials played a big role in this. By keeping the many elements of the design cohesive and light, the studio was able to create a functional flow where professional and educational activities can coexist and even intertwine when needed.
11. KOMA
KOMA is a furniture workshop founded by Shigeki Matsuoka in 2003 based in the suburbs of Tokyo, consisting of the founder and a team of 20 craftsmen. The studio is known for producing handmade furniture using traditional Japanese woodworking techniques, owning its own retail spaces in Ogikubo (Suginami-ku) and Aoyama (Minato-ku), where the pieces are sold directly to customers.
Each piece is shaped by hand using traditional Japanese techniques, which help enhance the natural qualities of the wood. Traditional Japanese hand tools, such as planes and knives, are used throughout the process, leading to smooth textures and refined forms.
Tie Chair (2020)
The Tie Chair was developed as part of the studio’s ongoing exploration of seating design, which focuses on both form and function. The chair is shaped from a solid block of wood, avoiding the use of bent wood, cushions, or springs—although time-consuming, this method allows for precision and comfort.
The entire design process of the chair lasted seven years, having received multiple refinements since the first model was introduced in 2013. Each chair is shaped using traditional Japanese tools, as per the studio’s design philosophy, and the final result offers the very best qualities of wood in chair form.
12. Furniture Smith
Cameron Smith is a designer with a background in product development who works on everything from furniture and lighting to product design. His practice focuses on the interaction between people and the objects they use, constantly exploring ways to refine functionality and form. In addition to running a product development firm, Smith has started to develop furniture where materials, structural efficiency, and adaptability take center stage, with aesthetics seeming to become a consequence of great craftsmanship.
Decker Folding Yacht Chair (2021)
The Decker Folding Yacht Chair was designed for yachts, using, therefore, materials suited to marine environments, such as stainless steel, brass, and teak. For maximum functionality, the chair was designed to fold into a compact form that measures four inches thick and features a handle for portability.
The seat and backrest are made from teak slats secured to tensioned straps, and all in the name of comfort: the chair’s over-center folding mechanism creates tension on the straps, keeping the seat and backrest stable while allowing slight movement for comfort.
13. WITHIN
WITHIN is a multidisciplinary design studio founded by Sonal Tuli and Bobbi Tuli that specialises in interior architecture, furniture, and decorative objects that integrate contemporary design with traditional Indian craftsmanship. Clients can then expect the full treatment when working with the team of designers: interior architecture projects include structural planning, ceiling and flooring design, lighting solutions, and material selection, and the soft interiors division covers furniture, textiles, decorative lighting, and home accessories. The studio also owns their very own retail store where they showcase and sell their furniture collections, decorative objects, and home accessories.
Sanctum Collection (2019)
The Sanctum Collection is a series of handcrafted furniture pieces that incorporate stone inlay techniques, including a coffee table, side table, and table lamp, each designed with a geometric pattern formed by contrasting stones. The design references the dualities found in nature, with semi-precious stones set against black marble to create a contrast in colour and texture.
Each piece in the collection is produced using the traditional inlay craft known as Pacchikari, a technique introduced to India during the Mughal era. The process involves individually cutting and inlaying 22,600 stone pieces per table, which requires approximately 3,840 hours of work, making this a special collection where historical craftsmanship is combined with modern aesthetics.
14. Robin Delaere
Robin Delaere is a product and furniture designer with a background in product development from the Antwerp Institute of Architecture and Design in Belgium. Over the years, the designer has worked on the consumer products and furniture industries for international companies, holding several patents for his designs. He is also the co-founder and art director of the furniture brand Pebl. His work focuses on ergonomics, material innovation, and functional design, often integrating multi-purpose features into everyday objects.
Beachbuddy (2021)
Beachbuddy is a portable seating and lounging piece designed to be used at the beach or park. The frame can be flipped over to switch between a reclining seat and a sunbed, also including back straps for easy carrying and an integrated bag where one can pack sunscreen, sunglasses, or magazines. An elastic strap also offers additional storage space, making for the perfect spot to carry a towel or sports equipment.
To achieve the final design, Delaere spent a great deal of time studying the ergonomics of both seating and reclining positions, hoping to create the perfect form where comfort and functionality meet. The materials used were chosen for their durability and weight, as a lighter piece would, of course, make transportation easier.
15. Studio GAIA
Founded in 1998, Studio GAIA is an interior design firm that specialises in hospitality projects, owning an impressive portfolio of restaurants, bars, and hotels. Over the years, the firm has expanded internationally, designing interiors for major hotel brands such as Ritz-Carlton, MGM, and multiple W Hotels.
Each project taken on by the studio follows a site-specific approach, with the curated spatial planning, material selection, and lighting helping create unique interiors. The firm’s design process, however, has some consistencies: geometric forms, contrasts between light and dark, and structured layouts.
W Washington D.C. Hotel (2019)
The W Washington D.C. is located near the White House and the National Mall, actually sitting in one of the city’s oldest hotel buildings. The interior design is interesting as it seems to follow the capital’s own character: contemporary elements are balanced by the city’s historical and political landscape.
The design incorporates the contrasting elements that the studio loves to work on, which also act as a reference to the different perspectives and dialogues present in the capital. Furthermore, the designers added visual references to political cartoons that perfectly complement the formal layout and furnishings.
