Building furniture requires a specific set of skills.
Furniture designers and builders must possess the knowledge of furniture construction, proficiency with using hand tools and machinery, as well as the understanding of the logic behind certain building procedures. For a person interested in a career as a professional furniture maker, there are several schools offering a comprehensive furniture-making education.
College of the Redwoods
College of the Redwoods, located in Fort Bragg, California, views its primary objective as securing the success of each student. This institution offers a nine-month Cabinetry and Furniture Making program, along with summer workshops and classes. The programs focus on the relationship between fine wood and the worker. Students study fine wood in depth to develop sensitivity for joinery, surfaces, richness and variety. Woodworking with machinery is included in the topics of study, but the main focus of this program is on the workbench, hand and eye.
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship
Located in Rockport, Maine, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship is committed to its mission of providing the best education in the design and building of functional, expressive and beautiful wood furniture. This furniture-building school offers five different hands-on programs for novice to advanced woodworkers. One to two-week workshops allow students to learn and understand woodworking. The twelve-week intensive program is specifically for aspiring professional furniture makers. The Nine-month Intensive program offers additional in-depth training for aspiring professional furniture makers. The Studio Fellowship allows for the exploration of new work for already established furniture makers. Community Classes occur during the evenings and weekends for students with time constraints.
The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts
The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts, located in Beverly, Massachusetts, is dedicated to educating students in the art of excellent classical woodworking techniques. The institute offers a 20-month full-time program as well as part-time classes that prepare students for a professional furniture-making career. Students attending a furniture-making program will learn a foundation of classical furniture study and the knowledge and necessary for professional woodworking success. Students develop their portfolios by completing two assigned projects, a tool chest and a table.
North Bennet Street School
North Bennet Street School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, uses hands-on training to teach the skill of fine craftsmanship in Cabinet and Furniture Making, and to challenge students to learn new skills and techniques when working on a project. The Cabinet and Furniture Making program is a traditional two-year program in which students learn woodworking techniques and complete projects and exercises such as drafting assignments, basic machine operations, benchwork and the proper hand skills for planes, turning and chisels.
Tags: furniture makers, Furniture Making, professional furniture, students learn, aspiring professional, aspiring professional furniture