Industry Poll: Why these materials inspire product designers

Tibetan wool, first and foremost, for its beauty and resilience. Anything that has served humanity for THOUSANDS of years has to be pretty good, no?
Ned Baker
Marketing Director and Client Liaison
Tamarian Rugs

Brass has been on the upswing for some time, but I have been fascinated with finishes that emulate aged and patinated brass: whether it is naturally aged or finished to look aged, I just adore the results from verdigris to copper-toned. We’ve really worked intently to introduce some new and interesting finishes over the past few markets.
Pam Bailey
VP of Product Development & Design
Currey & Company

Natural stone combined with wood. It allows for such versatility with each piece having a slightly different look with the natural wood grains varying and each piece of stone having its unique properties and veining.
Brian Berk
President
Howard Elliott

At the moment, it is performance fabric. I’m designing my own line of performance fabrics as part of a top-secret collaboration in the works for 2027.
Jessica Duce
Founder
JDuce Design

Curly maple. The natural curl in the wood allows us to create an incredible marbled effect when finished correctly. We use a combination of dyes and glazes to accentuate the grain and bring out a depth and vibrancy that is really unique to curly maple.
LaVern Hershberger
President & Creative Director
Abner Henry

Wood has always been one of my favorite materials to work with. It is an incredibly noble and versatile material that offers endless possibilities in furniture design. Its grain, texture, tone, and finish can completely define the character of a piece and help us express the style we want to achieve. I also love the warmth and authenticity it brings to a space, and the connection it creates between design, nature, and craftsmanship.
Adriana Hoyos
Head Designer
Adriana Hoyos Furnishings

Concrete composite has become a favorite material because of the versatility it brings to product design. It can replicate the high-end look of natural marble or travertine while offering a lighter weight and greater durability in transit. It also works across indoor and covered outdoor applications, giving retailers a stylish, practical alternative to natural stone that is easier to ship, handle and install.
Mitch Hodges
Vice President of Sales
Meridian Furniture

Real stones, real materials in natural wovens, leathers and hides and ALWAYS ceramics. We design using natural material and love to mix different finishes, materials and textures together to create handmade unique elevated product. We want to give our customers something special that they feel incredible having in their clients’ homes. Jamie Young Co is all about different materials so I couldn’t possible pick just one.
Jamie Young Jeter
Founder
Jamie Young Co.

Bamboo continues to be my favorite material to work with. It is incredibly strong, rapidly renewable and offers a natural beauty that allows us to create furniture with both modern design and lasting durability. Having worked with bamboo for many years, I continue to be inspired by its versatility and the opportunities it provides to innovate while maintaining a commitment to sustainability.
Yang Lin
Owner
Greenington Furniture

Right now, I’m most drawn to the full range of ceramic materials. I appreciate the precision that porcelain offers — its fine, dense body takes glaze and detail with a crispness that makes intricate pattern work and refined silhouettes really sing. At the same time, I’m embracing the warmth and durability of stoneware and earthenware, whose earthier quality lends itself to more organic, textural expression — forgiving enough to sculpt, carve, and hand-build, which opens the door to embellishment work you simply can’t achieve with other materials. What excites me across all forms of clay is the sheer range of expression available: color through glaze chemistry, pattern through various decorating methods, and dimension through sculpted relief. Few materials offer that much creative latitude from a single starting point.
Rebecca Mattie
Vice President Design
Napa Home & Garden

Our Smart Top products effortlessly combine elegance with exceptional durability. Designed to replicate the rich aesthetics of high-end wood or marble, they offer superior protection against everyday wear and tear. We use Smart Tops on dining tables, storage cabinets, occasional tables and desks.
Crystal Nguyen
Vice President of Merchandise and Strategic Product Planning
Coaster Furniture

Wood. As a designer, wood offers a canvas of versatility that is difficult to match. It’s structural for building all types of furniture and lamps, but it’s also sculptural for decor and accessories. I also love that you don’t have to invest a lot to work with wood. You can cut it, lathe it or hand work it with basic shop tools. Then there’s the finishing. Between the variety of species and the amount of stains and sealants available, you can create almost any look, from very refined and elegant to rustic and raw. It’s also a great material for sustainability. If you’re buying FSC-certified wood and using biodegradable sealants, you can feel confident your work is making the lightest footprint possible.
David Patton
Director of Design
Quorum International

I’m especially drawn to natural stone, from honed travertine to boldly veined marble. These materials bring warmth, texture and authenticity to a space while adding timeless style and lasting value to the overall design.
Whitney Ridgeway
VP of product development and merchandising, furniture
Bassett Mirror Company

Colored glass. I’m drawn to the way color, light, and transparency interact — it’s almost a science. The same piece of glass can shift throughout the day as light passes through it, creating depth, reflection, and unexpected tones. From a design perspective, that makes colored glass incredibly expressive; it allows us to create lighting that doesn’t just illuminate a space, but changes how you experience it.
Nancy Lonoff
Principal, Designer
Crystorama

My favorite material has always been fabric. This year is especially meaningful for us as we celebrate Skyline’s 80th anniversary and Cloth & Company’s 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, this season’s collections honor our heritage while looking ahead to what comes next. That evolution comes to life through an embrace of print, pattern and color. Familiar motifs are reimagined with a fresh point of view, creating collections that feel layered, collected and designed for rooms with personality.
Meganne Wecker
CEO
Skyline Furniture

Liquid Metal. The ability to apply metal to almost any surface, regardless of form, at an affordable price is intriguing.

Dwayne Bergmann

CEO and Co-Founder

Barrett Bergmann Home

Currently, I would choose cork. It’s interesting because it sits at the intersection of materiality, sustainability, and tactile design. Cork has a warm, organic texture, subtle visual variation, and acoustic properties that make it useful beyond just a decorative surface. I especially like it as wall paneling, cabinetry accents, furniture surfaces, or even larger architectural elements. What makes it exciting is that it doesn’t need to look “eco”. Depending on the finish and how it’s detailed, cork can feel contemporary, refined, earthy, or quite luxurious. If I were designing a space today, I’d probably pair cork with aged metal, natural stone, and darker woods and grasscloths for contrast.

Kyle Barrett

President and Co-Founder

Barrett Bergmann Home