5 Best Furniture Design Courses & Certifications Online To Take In 2023

Discover the top online furniture design courses and certifications in 2023 that can elevate your skills and career in the constantly evolving world of furniture design.

Tonya Sutton

(Updated May 3, 2023)

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Are you looking to upskill in furniture design and kick-start your career in the industry? With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine the most suitable course for your needs. We've got you covered. After analyzing 15 popular furniture design courses from various providers, taking into account 96,789 enrolled students who shared their insights through 552 ratings and reviews, we have narrowed down the top 5 options for you.

To ensure that you have access to the most reliable and beneficial courses, we have considered critical factors such as ratings, reviews, enrolments, learners' opinions, valuable and engaging content, comprehensive curriculum, release date, and affordability. Furthermore, we have combined this data with our own extensive experience and expertise to deliver the most suitable recommendations for your furniture design journey.

Best Furniture Design Courses & Certifications

1. Rhino: Furniture Design

Best for mastering Rhino 3D furniture design

In this comprehensive course, you will gain an in-depth understanding of furniture design using Rhino 3D, a powerful modeling and prototyping tool. The teaching approach adopted in the course is process-based, enabling you to develop complex surfaces and maintain precise geometrical accuracy throughout your design journey. From the start, you will be exposed to general concepts in the furniture design field. By engaging with case studies that involve iconic designs, such as the Thonet café chair and Eames DCM chair, you will actively gain insights into the mastery of historical design processes.

The course delves into every aspect of creating a new furniture design by guiding you through research, schematic design, design development, and documentation stages. You will also learn how to translate your designs to different platforms by exporting assets for various purposes such as 3D printing, rendering, and game development. Filled with valuable tips and time-saving techniques, this course not only helps you become a better furniture designer but also accelerates your design proficiency. Embrace the world of furniture design and enhance your skills with this versatile course using Rhino 3D.

Best for:

This course is perfect for those who want to develop advanced furniture design skills using Rhino 3D software, helping participants create complex surface models and apply new knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Course overview:
Level Intermediate
Students 61,858
Rating (4.54)
Duration 2h 25m
Platform LinkedIn Learning
Institution LinkedIn
Price 1 month free trial
Subscription: $19.99/m annually, $39.99/m monthly

2. Revit 2019: Custom Furniture Modeling

Best for mastering custom furniture modeling

Delve into the world of furniture design with this expert course that teaches tools and techniques for creating custom furniture pieces tailored to your Revit projects. Guided by an experienced instructor, Chante' Bright, you will learn how to create a range of furniture styles, focusing on some of the most popular items within the interior design field. Discover how to craft complex furniture units, as well as building small, intricate detail items such as ornamental pieces, broadening your skillset and further enhancing your projects.

Throughout the course, you'll gain valuable insights into creating custom materials, bringing a unique and personalized touch to your designs. Additionally, learn how to create custom entourage pieces that will complete any interior space you may have for your project. Not only will this course equip you with the practical know-how to create stunning furniture designs, but it will also help you elevate your Revit projects to new heights of creativity and sophistication.

Best for:

This course is ideal for those looking to learn and improve furniture design skills while focusing on creating custom furniture pieces tailored to their Revit projects. It covers a range of furniture styles, techniques, and software programs and emphasizes practical application and finding inspiration for design projects.

Course overview:
Level Intermediate
Students 10,737
Rating (4.75)
Duration 2h 6m
Platform LinkedIn Learning
Institution LinkedIn
Price 1 month free trial
Subscription: $19.99/m annually, $39.99/m monthly

3. Revit: Parametric Furniture Modeling

Best for custom parametric furniture models

In the Revit: Parametric Furniture Modeling course, participants can expect to gain a strong understanding and working knowledge of creating custom furniture for Building Information Modeling (BIM) utilizing parametric models, Revit families, and templates. The course is led by experienced instructor Chanté Bright, who will guide learners through the essential concepts and skills required for parametric modeling for furniture design in Revit. This includes working with host-based families and standalone families, selecting appropriate templates, adjusting parameters according to design needs, editing existing family files, and incorporating custom furniture into existing BIM models.

The course offers hands-on learning through exercise files containing practical examples such as cabinets, coat racks, and pendant lights. However, the techniques learned can be applied to create any unique furniture designs in a professional and realistic manner. By the end of the course, participants will have gained the ability to create engaging, custom furniture models that can be shared with clients and colleagues in a variety of BIM projects. This course not only enhances one's Revit modeling skills but directly contributes to better furniture design and overall project success.

Best for:

This course is ideal for individuals seeking to enhance their furniture design skills by creating custom parametric furniture models using Revit. The hands-on exercises and experienced instruction will help learners understand how to work with host-based families, adjust parameters, and incorporate custom furniture into existing BIM projects.

Course overview:
Level Intermediate
Students 2,878
Rating (4.65)
Duration 2h 12m
Platform LinkedIn Learning
Institution LinkedIn
Price 1 month free trial
Subscription: $19.99/m annually, $39.99/m monthly

4. Furniture visualization course for architects and designers

Best for realistic furniture design visualization

Are you an architect or designer looking to improve your furniture design visualization skills? If so, this course is just what you need. Designed for students with a basic understanding of 3D platforms, this course teaches you how to model, texture, paint, and render professional-grade 3D designs using tools like 3ds Max, Mudbox, Photoshop, and the Corona Renderer. By the end of this one-week course, you will have created a stunning, highly detailed model complete with hyper-realistic visualization. Course materials include reference photos, unprocessed textures, and CAD files.

Throughout the course, you will be taken through a step-by-step process that covers six key areas: modeling in 3ds Max, unwrapping in 3ds Max for Mudbox export, texture creation in Photoshop, 3D painting in Mudbox, studio setup in 3ds Max, and material creation and rendering with the Corona Renderer. Upon completion, you will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to harness the full potential of 3ds Max, Photoshop, Mudbox, and the Corona Renderer, empowering you to create stunning, realistic furniture designs that make an impact.

User review:

Very good so far but the blueprint of the chair should have been more explained. It is already on the 3ds max UI and we have no explanation about how to insert it properly. Besides that, very good course! [1] ... Read More

Best for:

This course is ideal for those who want to improve their furniture design visualization skills and create stunning, highly detailed models complete with hyper-realistic visualization using tools like 3ds Max, Mudbox, Photoshop, and the Corona Renderer.

Course overview:
Level Intermediate
Students 592
Rating (4.37)
Duration 3h 32m
Platform Udemy
Instructor(s) Gor Arakelyan
Price $14.99

5. Furniture Design by example I

Best for learning furniture design techniques

This course offers a comprehensive learning experience for those interested in furniture design, guiding participants through each step of the process, from modeling, mapping, and rendering. Catering to architects, designers, and animators, the course provides a thorough understanding of 3D Studio Max and V-Ray, essential tools in creating high-quality furniture models and presentations for a professional audience.

Participants will learn from hands-on examples, including recognizing and learning from mistakes, enhancing their ability both to create impressive models and to streamline their work processes. The course also covers material modification, object repurposing, and new object creation, helping learners to develop versatile skills in furniture design that will ultimately save them time and boost their revenue potential in the field.

User review:

Elia, not only impressed me with his concise method of executing 3d max suited for newbies but also his wide range of expressions and vocabulary. He is amazing, and I could tell that English its not his 1st language yet...others should take example... teaching is an art words are like notes phras es are melody and wide vocabulary is intelligence meanings that make the everything catchy. improvements????? well sometimes people should just learn to be satisfied and not pick on every little bit. [2] ... Read More

Best for:

This course is excellent for those looking to learn new techniques and software programs and understand how to create custom, parametric furniture models. It is designed for architects, designers, and animators, and provides a thorough understanding of 3D Studio Max and V-Ray, enhancing career opportunities in furniture design.

Course overview:
Level All Levels
Students 84
Rating (4.5)
Duration 2h 3m
Platform Udemy
Instructor(s) Elia Youssef
Price $14.99

Compare Furniture design Online Courses

Course Rating Cost
Rhino: Furniture Design
Best for mastering Rhino 3D furniture design
1 month free trial
Subscription: $19.99/m annually, $39.99/m monthly
Revit 2019: Custom Furniture Modeling
Best for mastering custom furniture modeling
1 month free trial
Subscription: $19.99/m annually, $39.99/m monthly
Revit: Parametric Furniture Modeling
Best for custom parametric furniture models
1 month free trial
Subscription: $19.99/m annually, $39.99/m monthly
Furniture visualization course for architects and designers
Best for realistic furniture design visualization
$14.99
Furniture Design by example I
Best for learning furniture design techniques
$14.99

How to choose best Furniture design online course

Choosing the best furniture design course can be a challenge, but it is essential to find one that aligns with your goals and interests. As a learner, you should focus on meeting specific intents, such as acquiring new design skills, improving existing ones, earning a certification, and enhancing your career opportunities in the field. Additionally, the course should allow you to explore various techniques and software programs in order to expand your knowledge of furniture visualization for architects and designers.

  • Seek courses that provide hands-on experience, practical application, and design examples to better understand the entire design process and gain inspiration for your projects.
  • Target programs teaching custom and parametric furniture modeling, equipping you with the tools to create intricate and personalized designs.
  • Finally, consider the reputation and reviews of the courses, as well as their alignment with your personal goals and learning objectives, to make the most informed decision for your furniture design education.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there's no doubt that investing your time and energy in any of these top-rated furniture design courses can provide a plethora of benefits. Whether you're aiming to learn new skills or looking to advance your existing ones, these courses are meticulously designed to cater to a wide range of learning goals in the realm of furniture design.

Embrace the opportunity to gain industry-recognized certifications, enhance your career prospects or even kickstart a new profession in furniture design. The knowledge and practical application learned from these courses will not only enable you to excel in various design techniques and software programs but also inspire you to undertake innovative and creative furniture design projects. So take that first step today towards mastering the art of furniture design, and watch as endless possibilities unfold before you.

How much does a furniture design course cost?

The cost of a furniture design course varies depending on the platform and the specific course you choose. Generally, prices can range from around $19.99 to $39.99 per month for a subscription-based service like LinkedIn Learning, or a one-time fee of $19.99 to $24.99 for individual courses on platforms such as Udemy.

How long do furniture design courses take?

The duration of furniture design courses can differ based on the content and platform. Typically, course durations can range from 2 to 4 hours. Some courses may be completed in a single session, while others may be spread over several sessions depending on your availability and learning pace.

Are there any prerequisites for taking a furniture design course?

Prerequisites for furniture design courses depend on the specific course and its level of difficulty. Some beginner courses might not require any prior knowledge or experience, while more advanced courses might expect you to have familiarity with design principles or specific software tools. Always check the course description and requirements before enrolling to ensure a suitable starting point for your skill level.

  1. Victor Craviee (October 21, 2016). "Furniture visualization course for architects and designers". Udemy. Retrieved May 3, 2023
  2. Agegnehu Girma Agegnehu (January 23, 2018). "Furniture Design by example I". Udemy. Retrieved May 3, 2023