BOONE, N.C. — American hardwood species from Appalachia were designed and manufactured into 35 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, N.C.

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.”

“It was extremely difficult to select a winner because these were amazing designs,” said David Blair, executive director of the International Society of Furniture Designers and judge of the art pieces. “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 fourth judge and contributor of lumber was Sebastian Church of Church and Church Lumber in Wilkesboro, NC.

Additional stand-out pieces:

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 manufacture ability and we hope furniture companies will seriously consider these works.”

For more information, visit appalachianhardwood.org/design-asu