2026 Furniture Design Competition -App State University
Student Furniture Designs Amaze at Appalachian State 
BOONE, NC (May 5, 2026) – American hardwood species from Appalachia were designed and manufactured into 35 beautiful entries for the 2026 Student Furniture Design Competition at Appalachian State University (ASU).
Students from the Furniture Design program utilized White Oak, Hard Maple, Walnut, Cherry, Black Locust and Red Oak in the year-long design and build contest. The entries included chairs, cabinets, clocks, storage units, media centers and benches for the Broyhill Walking Park in Lenoir, NC.
The competition was a joint effort by Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc. (AHMI), a High Point, NC-based trade association of lumber producers and distributors, and the Real American Hardwood Coalition (RAHC), a national organization of hardwood lumber trade groups. AHMI President Tom Inman served as contest director and said the designs ranged from traditional to contemporary.
“It was amazing to see what these students conceptualized, modeled and eventually built into beautiful pieces,” he said. “These were all from solid American hardwood lumber and hardwood plywood, much of it donated, so they could understand the design features and beauty of solid hardwoods.”
David Blair, executive director of the International Society of Furniture Designers, served as a judge and praised the work.
“It was extremely difficult to select a winner because these were amazing designs,” he said. “The attention to detail and function was apparent in every design.”
The range of products included tables, wall units with audio cassette and record album storage, a writer’s storage cabinet, an elegant cherry clock and a large lounge chair made of ash. The entries included commissioned works from the city of Lenoir, NC, for outdoor seating on its Broyhill Walking Trail.
“It was inspiring to see how App State students highlighted the natural beauty and versatility of Appalachian hardwoods through such inventive and well-resolved designs,” said Sheryl Oring, Chair of the Department of Applied Design at Appalachian State University. “As a juror, I was especially excited by the ways students used hardwood not simply as a material, but as an integral part of the conceptual and aesthetic language of the work itself.”
The contest winner was Walker Hailey of Atlanta for a tall white oak floor lamp titled “Nyleth.” She drew inspiration from waterfalls and the piece flowed from the lighted top to the extended base. Second place was a writer’s cabinet in hard maple designed by Ian Demus of Matthews, NC. He said the piece was designed to solve a problem with uninterrupted surfaces and dowels. Honorable mention went to Tim Rushin of Deep Gap, NC, for a walnut rocking chair.
The winners are encouraged to enter the Student Furniture Design competition at the IWF in Atlanta in August and the ISFD Pinnacle Awards in High Point in October. The top two received a cash prize.
“This competition proved that young designers continue to draw and make fine furniture from solid Appalachian hardwoods,” Inman said. “One aspect of the competition was manufacturing ability and we hope furniture companies will seriously consider these works.”
ASU first place award – Sebastian Church, Church & Church Lumber, Wilkesboro, NC; Tom Inman, AHMI, High Point, NC; Walker Hailey, ASU student and winner, Boone, NC; David Blair, ISFD, High Point, NC; Richard Prisco, ASU, Boone, NC
ASU second place award – Tom Inman, AHMI, High Point, NC; David Blair, ISFD, High Point, NC; Ian Demus, ASU student, Boone, NC; Sebastian Church, Church & Church Lumber, Wilkesboro, NC
ASU first place lamp – Walker Hailey, furniture design student at Appalachian State University, stands with winning lamp design titled Nyleth
 ASU honorable mention – A walnut rocking chair design by Tim Rushin of Deep Gap, NC, received honorable mention |
 Solid Appalachian hard maple and oak in this unique chair |
 Lounge chair made from Appalachian ash |
 Ash and metal combine to craft a one-of-kind chair by ASU student |