Introducing the SIT Furniture Design Award 2024 Catalogue, a collection of winning designs in furniture and interior design. This catalogue celebrates the winners of the fourth edition of the SIT Award, both established professionals and emerging talents showcasing their innovative creations and pushing the boundaries of form and function. Additionally, the catalogue features exclusive interviews with the “Designers of the Year”, offering unique insights into their creative processes and inspirations.
The catalogue is available to purchase on Amazon and can be downloaded on the SIT Furniture Design Award website.
Explore the future of design through the visionaries shaping it today!
The SIT Furniture Design Award has become a platform for recognizing top-notch talent in the world of furniture and interior design. Check out the winners of the competition’s fourth edition, and discover how they achieved the perfect balance between form and function.
Switzerland – From cutting-edge designs to bold innovations, the SIT Furniture Design Award has once again showcased the most exceptional talent in furniture and interior design. With over 400 entries from professional and emerging designers from around the world, the competition was fierce, but only a few stood out as the best of the best.
The grand winners of the SIT Furniture Design Award 2024 are:
Furniture Design of the Year: Poty Armchair by Stdio Lucas Caramés
The Poty Armchair draws inspiration from the exuberant Craft Culture of the Delta Parnaíba, merging contemporary comfort with traditional local elements. Crafted with a solid wooden structure, its notable feature is the carnauba straw weave enveloping the chair, a nod to the region’s artisanal tradition. This blend of modern design with cultural heritage creates a visually stunning and culturally rich piece, providing both physical and sensory comfort.
Interior Design of the Year: Daphne by Studio Paolo Ferrari
Daphne, located in Toronto, reimagines the quintessential American bistro with a contemporary and eclectic touch. Custom-designed furniture and lighting enhance the space, which balances the unexpected with the warmth of New England prep. Inspired by art, architecture, and cinema, Daphne embodies a cinematic duality, inviting guests to explore and experience the joy of discovery.
Emerging Furniture Designer of the Year: Otto Lounge Chair by Jenna Jang, Art Center College of Design
In response to the evolving workspace dynamics post-pandemic, the Otto Lounge Chair is designed to adapt to both home and office environments. With refined cushions and oak wood, it brings comfort to any space. Its versatile design allows it to function as both a lounge chair and a workspace accessory, reflecting the changing needs of modern life.
Other winners in Furniture Design include JG Neukomm Architecture for The Suffolk Gallery Bench, Noriko Hashida Design winning with Enots Floor Chair, La Firme with Sarto Series and Street + Garden being recognized for Honeysuckle Park Newcastle Australia. In Interior Design categories, the recipients include Messana O’Rorke teams design of the West 53rd Street Apartment, Wow Atelier for the Best Friends: Roadhouse & Mercantile, A-01 (A Company / A Foundation) winning with the Black House (Casa Negra) and No Footprint House (NFH) and HDC Design with Meet the Bund (Xintiandi). Each winner in their respective category reflects the perfect combination of form, function, and aesthetic appeal that sets them apart from the rest.
Among the distinguished jury members were Alain Gilles, Founder and Lead Designer at Alain Gilles The Studio from Belgium; Bo Zhang, Artist & Chief Designer at Desz Office from New York; Niko Kapa, Design Director at Studio Niko Kapa from the United Kingdom; Christina Chen-Chiao Kuo, Creative Director & Founder of Kuuo Living Limited from Canada; and Nataly Bolshakova, Founder and Lead Designer at Bolshakova Interiors, representing Ukraine. These individuals, representing just a portion of the esteemed panel, contributed their expertise to recognize outstanding design talent on a global scale.
Astrid Hebert, the co-founder of the SIT Furniture Design Award, emphasized the global significance of the event, highlighting the diverse geographic origins of the participating designers and the international composition of the judging panel. “Recognizing both emerging and established designers from around the world underscores our commitment to inspiring innovation in furniture and interior design. This year’s winners exemplify the global impact of design creativity and the collaborative spirit that drives our industry forward.”
All the winners can be viewed in the winner’s gallery on the SIT Furniture Design Award website (sitaward.com).
The annual catalog features the winners of the SIT Furniture Design Awards 2023 in Interior Design and Furniture Design is now available.
Read the exclusive interviews of Eugene Alletto, the visionary leader of BEDGEAR’s acclaimed M3 Performance® Mattress and Innovation of the Year 2023 winner, the Furniture Design of the Year 2023 team behind the Typology Ribbon Bench, and emerging designers.
The catalog is available to purchase on Amazon and can be downloaded on the SIT Furniture Design Award website.
Zurich, Switzerland – From cutting-edge designs to bold innovations, the SIT Furniture Design Award has once again showcased the most exceptional talent in furniture and interior design. With over 400 entries from professional and emerging designers from around the world, the competition was fierce, but only a few stood out as the best of the best.
The SIT Furniture Design Award has become a platform for recognizing top-notch talent in the world of furniture and interior design. Check out the winners of the competition’s third edition, and discover how they achieved the perfect balance between form and function.
The grand winners of the SIT Furniture Design Award 2023 are:
Interior Design of the Year: Muskoka Cottage by Studio Paolo Ferrari
Furniture Design of the Year: Typology Ribbon Bench by Landscape Forms
Innovation of the Year: M3 Performance® Mattress by BEDGEAR®
Emerging Furniture Designer of the Year: Daejo by Tom Man
Emerging Interior Designer of the Year: Soul Cave – Patagonia by Tony Wu
These winners were selected through a multi-round voting process by a panel of distinguished judges from around the world, including Lilian González-González, Industrial Design Academic Coordinator at the Anáhuac University of México and Board Member at World Design Organization, Barend Slabbert, Programme Leader Interior Design at the University of Derby, Nataly Bolshakova, Founder and Lead Designer at Bolshakova Interiors, Radhika Seth, Vice President of Sales of Yanko Design, Jakob Kjaer Nielsen, Global Design Director at Global Design Director and more industry leaders. The winning designs truly exemplify the importance of recognizing outstanding talent in furniture and interior design, showcasing how creativity, innovation, and sustainability can work hand in hand to produce outstanding pieces that elevate the very concept of design.
Astrid Hebert, the founder of SIT Furniture Design Award, is delighted by this year’s winners and highlighted the importance of recognizing both emerging and established designers. “Design is an ever-evolving field, and we must give space to new talents and established designers alike to showcase their work and push the boundaries of creativity.” adding that “Our mission at the SIT Furniture Design Award is to inspire innovation in furniture and interior design, and this year’s winners have done just that. We congratulate them on their impressive creations and look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future.”
Other winners in Furniture Design include Karim Rashid for the “Ego Chair”, Jan Flook Lighting with the “Cloud 9”, the German company Maytoni with the “Reflex” winner in Pendant Lighting, García Requejo with the “Arum Lily Collection”, Flexispot for the “V6 Intelligence Fitness Chair” and Studioforma for the lounge chair called “CLODETTE”. In Interior Design categories, the recipients include TABOORET teams design of the “Ukrainian L’Oreal Academy”, Wow Atelier for the “X-Mission” office, Twins Studio winning with the “Tuya Mykonos” in Greece, Johannes Torpe Studios Denmark Aps for the restaurant “Levi” and the Japanese Interior design firm Kamitopen with “Goodman Amenity Space”. Each winner in their respective category reflects the perfect combination of form, function, and aesthetic appeal that sets them apart from the rest.
All the winners can be viewed in the winner’s gallery on the SIT Furniture Design Award website (sitaward.com).
Photo: From left to right ED407 Lido Sofa by Studio Paolo Ferrari, photo credit: Dion Yu Yan Lin, Punto by Sofia von Hauske, Kaef armchair by Arseniy Brodach
Each year, the SIT Award “Innovation Center” focuses on a different topic, looking at highlighting inventions, closely examining today’s challenges, and finding ways to overcome them.
This year, the innovation center focuses on “Furniture with Innovative Materials”, the process of incorporating or using a material that improves resistance, sustainability, or functionality requires talent. BEDGEAR® is receiving this grand prize with their latest mattress innovation called M3 Performance® Mattress.
The M3 Performance® Mattress is the world’s first dual-sided modular design that allows the sleeper to choose from four highly breathable firmness levels on the right or left so they never have to compromise on comfort.
Congratulations to BEDGEAR®, read all about their new product here.
The annual catalog features the winners of the SIT Design Awards 2021 in Interior Design and Furniture Design.
Read the exclusive interviews of Brazilian Designer and Furniture Design of the Year 2021 Jader Almeida; Nidhi Nimodia, student of the MIT Institute of Design in Pune, India and Emerging Interior Designer of the Year, Narges Shah Ahmad Ghasemi.
The catalog is available to purchase on Amazon and can be downloaded on the SIT Furniture Design Award website.
The 2022 SIT Furniture Design Award is now accepting entries into its two major categories, Furniture Design and Interior Design. It welcomes submissions from professional, emerging designers and students until the 28th of February 2023, the program promises to attract entries from some of the most forward creative furniture firms, manufacturers, distributors and independent designers from all around the world!
The SIT Furniture Design Award ™ was created as a way to celebrate and share the remarkable work of furniture designers and those who use furniture in their projects. Creativity, innovative vision, and accessibility in the furniture design community deserve to be applauded and shared widely, across the world.
Looking at challenges and seeking ways to overcome them are central to furniture design. For this reason, the SIT Furniture Design Award has created an Innovation Center, the winner of which will receive a cash prize of CHF 3’000 to create a prototype or to start production. Each year, a different topic will be chosen, focusing on projects which highlight invention, closely examine today’s challenges, and find ways to overcome them.
In 2021, the awards received over 350 submissions from 47 countries, the range of work was as astounding as always, with honorees Jader Almeida, receiving the “Furniture Design of the year” grand title for “May’, Studio GAIA with the design of “W Washington D.C. Hotel”, RotoBed® designed by Hans Sandgren Jakobsen; based in England Knightsbridge Furniture Productions was awarded for the “Tron Furniture Range”, the program also recognized Messana O’Rorke with the “Junegrass House”and
Karim Rashid for the “Keen Sun Chaise”. … just to name a few.
The 2022 jury, composed of 21 experienced designers and decorators’ experts, academics and media representatives will select the winners in each category in February 2023. Jurors include Juan Mellen, president of the Design Institute of Spain, Radhika Seth, Vice President of Sales for the well-known media Yanko Design, Stella Hernandez, Assistant Professor, Environmental Design Department at the ArtCenter College of Design in California and Fabio Colturri, Professor at the Istituto Marangoni Milano Design.
The “Furniture Design of the year” and “Interior Design of the Year” professionals and students will receive the coveted SIT Design Award Trophy; their winning projects will be showcased to the global audience and be featured in the Annual SIT Award catalog. Winning the SIT Design Awards is an opportunity to step into the global spotlight, elevate the company profile or boost a starting career.
Registration for the SIT Design Award is now open and will close on February 28th, 2023. Those who register before August 15th; will receive an early bird discount of 15%.
A graduate in architecture, with award-winning pieces in major national and international design competitions, Jader Almeida has gained increasing prominence and continues to improve his work with his participation in exhibitions, technical visits, and courses in several countries. Winner of the “Furniture Design of the Year”, we sat down with Jader Almeida to hear more about his passion for design and creative process when working on “MAY”.
Could you tell us a little about your professional journey?
Since I was 15 years old, I have been ‘in’ the industrial “process.“ As is necessary, it started with some technical courses – electricity, operation of mechanical machines, etc. – all of which shaped my perception of how things are done and how everything works within the production chain.
Obviously, over time I understood and became involved with the “world” of research, projects, and prototypes, and at the time of choosing an undergraduate degree, I opted for architecture, since an architect can work on projects of different scales, and all of this fascinated me.
I think time means experience and maturity, and these ingredients were and are determinants for my choices: a thoughtful balance between past things, this moment, and future prospects.
How did you discover your passion for design and furniture design in particular?
Design has always been my perspective; more precisely, since I was a child, I have always had an interest in areas associated with creation or forms of expression through drawings, schemes, and correlates.
Naturally, things converged into this. As mentioned in the previous answer, my journey has always been somehow linked to areas that can be described as associated with design (as a discipline), industrialization, and production processes, so it all made sense.
For me, architecture, design, and art are like pillars of world perception; the design is the solution to everyday “problems,” whether concrete or abstract, and all of this fascinates me.
What was your creative and design process when working on “MAY”?
MAY can be seen as an antithesis of its own description; that is, observing the structure that composes the arms and the base, you can see pronounced minimalism. The thickness, twist, and segment are precise, rational, and delicate. The body, seat, and backrest are all a good size, have beads, and feel soft and inviting.
Therefore, with these descriptions, we can have a retrospective of the style adopted for this piece. The search for a balance between materials, use, and proportions is inspired by biomorphic aspects. From there, an expressive exercise in drawings and mockups to get the perfect curve, fit, stability, and proportion.
What’s in the pipeline for you?
My work is very prolix, something almost circumstantial to the environment I am in (Brazil). My activities range from industrial advice to product design, architecture, and retail. Something quite complex to describe in a nutshell. However, it is all possible thanks to a cohesive team committed to excellence at all levels. And all that puts a lot of things in the pipeline, from a new collection of objects, and architectural projects in new stores and homes to retail-focused technology projects.
What is your secret to creativity?
Yes, it comes from all these everyday impacts, as something that feeds back into the same system.
You have received hundreds of awards, distinctions, and recognitions in the last 15 years… What can we wish for the future?
I hope that curiosity and the will to always improve will continue to be my guides.
Lastly, what would be your best advice for young designers?
I have always found it very difficult to give advice, since things are not the same in different realities, especially today, with the fast changes. But at the right moment, I say that rendering does not mean product. A successful design must be aligned with the entire chain, from resources to daily use.
Photo credit: SOLLOS.
The love for furniture design was a starting point in the beautiful world of design for Nidhi Nimodia. Student of the MIT Institute of Design in Pune, India; Nidhi is sharing with us the original idea and inspirations for FIKA, the winning “Furniture of the Year”.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?
I was born in 2000 in Nagpur, India. I see design as an extension of myself. I largely believe in designing without boundaries, bias, or preconceived notions.
How did you discover your passion for furniture design and decide to study at the MIT Institute of Design in Pune, India?
As an art student in high school, I always loved getting messy with different materials and would spend endless hours exploring newer mediums and understanding them. I was never scared to experiment with materials and processes. Later, I was evoked by the constant interaction we humans have with furniture subconsciously. Some happy, some sad! The love for furniture design was indeed a starting point in the beautiful world of design. The MIT Institute of Design in Pune, India, offered a unique course on learning space and furniture design, making it the apt choice.
Can you please share your creative journey behind “FIKA”? Where does your inspiration come from?
Fika [Swedish: Slow down and appreciate the good in life] is an outdoor chair. It has evolved from my personal journey during the pandemic. Locked inside our homes, we all craved privacy and space for ourselves. The idea originated from carving a space for oneself using furniture rather than space itself. Materiality was a very important factor in executing this idea. Dyed cotton threads and bent metal pipe form a winged form that feels light and airy. Weaving the seating ensures the user connects with nature through pockets of air and light. The colors aim to blend with the soil and nature.
Can you please share with us, what becoming the winner of the “Emerging Furniture Designer of the Year” means to you?
Winning this prestigious award has been very gratifying for me. The confidence from this recognition has only propelled me to strive for higher and greater boundaries. I am glad that the vacuum of my work has gained a platform where it can reach out to a wider community.
What can we wish for in the future?
I have been very fascinated with working across various scales and mediums. I see myself designing everything that makes me interested or makes me curious. Every day is an opportunity to find myself and my niche a little more. The goal is to keep learning, exploring, and executing, and most importantly, to enjoy the journey.
A student at Iran’s Pars University of Art and Architecture in Tehran, Narges is a passionate artist and designer. Becoming the SIT Design Award “Emerging Interior Designer of the Year” gave her the motivation and strength to work harder and be more courageous in implementing her ideas.
Could you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from?
I was born in 1995 in Tehran, Iran. I am a graduate student in the field of interior architecture, and I am interested in deconstructive designs. Color is the main element in my designs. I am interested in painting, fashion, and furniture design. And I also paint in my spare time.
How did you discover your passion for design and interior design in particular?
My bachelor’s degree was in information technology, and my interest in interior architecture was discovered through a computer graphics course. While reading that course, I realized that creating new environments gave me a different and deeper feeling that led me to enter this field.
What was your design process when working on the “Café Pars”? Which elements of your design are inspired by the local culture and history?
The reason for choosing this design for this project was the location and time of Café Pars, which made me start my research about the time of its construction. This place was built in the Qajar dynasty. At that time, special colors, elements, plastering, and murals of portraits of kings were used in the architecture of palaces, and I tried to combine the past and the future in this design and give a different feeling to the audience.
What does it mean to you, to become the Emerging Interior Designer of the Year?
There is an indescribable feeling that at the beginning of my career, my design has been seen and won, and this situation gave me the motivation and strength to work harder than in the past and have more courage in implementing my ideas.
When will you graduate from Pars University of Art and Architecture?
I am currently completing my dissertation and will be graduating soon.
What are you working on now? Can you share a glimpse of your design project?
I am currently working with a design team on the interior design of a clinic and pharmacy center in a shopping center on Kish Island. We tried to do a different design using a parametric design.
Last, what should we wish you for 2022?
I would like to work on special, different, and international projects in the interior design field and also run a brand in the fashion and accessories field.