IWF 2024 Design Emphasis Award Winners Announced

Today at IWF 2024 in the Design Emphasis Gallery (Booth C922), IWF announced six winners of the 2024 Design Emphasis Student Furniture competition.

IWF Design Emphasis is widely acclaimed as a foremost furniture design competition for U.S. college students. Sponsored by IWF and its owner, WIA, the competition affords students a platform to demonstrate design skills and talent in an independent adjudication conducted by members of the manufacturing industry, academia, and the design media community.

The 2024 competition winners were selected from a field of 41 finalist projects in 5 categories. Together with certificate of merit and honorable mention certificate recipients, the winners are:

Accent Furniture / Accent Tables

Winner – Michael Aehle (Kansas State University) – Sonia Coffee Table

Merit – Toryn Black (Haywood Community College) – Janus

Honorable Mention – Haley Grimbeek (Appalachian State University) – Vega

Case Goods

Winner – Jen Schmidt (Haywood Community College) – Barrel Manilow

Merit – Meredith Metz (Haywood Community College) – Ash and Sapele Credenza

Honorable Mention – Allen Kromer (Haywood Community College)– Flicker Cabinet

Commercial / Office / Hospitality Furniture

Winner – Grayson Hall (Purdue University) – Poppi

Merit – Vic Stocker (Appalachian State University) – Eyry

Honorable Mention – Kyle Haggerty (Georgia Institute of Technology)– Resonance

Design Creativity

Winner – Orko Sen (Appalachian State University) – Luma

Merit – Katherine Semler (Auburn University) – Serpentine Cellar

Honorable Mention – Genevieve Smith (SUNY Buffalo State University) – Prismatic

Seating

Winner – Katie Sturm (Appalachian State University) – Lou

Merit – Vic Stocker (Appalachian State University) – Luna

Honorable Mention – Jen Schmidt (Haywood Community College) – Barrel White

Best in Show

Winner – Orko Sen (Appalachian State University) – DLW Station

The winning projects were selected by a panel of judges chaired by Jackie Hirschhaut, VP of Public Relations & Marketing for American Home Furnishings Alliance. More than $10,000 in prize money was awarded to the winners, certificate of merit recipients and honorable mention certificate recipients. All winning and finalist projects are on display in the Design Emphasis Gallery (Booth C922).