Bienenstock Furniture and Interior Design Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Bienenstock Furniture Library

History of the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library

The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library began with Mr. Bienenstock’s personal collection of furniture-related books, initiated in 1922 and expanded by Sandy and Bernice Bienenstock through the founding of the Furniture Library Association in 1970. The collection evolved into a dedicated research library for the furniture industry and was renamed in memory of Bernice Bienenstock after her death in 1984. The original building space that once served as the founders’ apartment now provides meeting rooms and expanded library facilities. The library remains a preeminent resource for information, illustration, and design inspiration.

Description: A specialized research library and educational resource focused on furniture design, history, and industry reference materials.

History: Originating from a private collection begun in 1922, formalized as an association in 1970, and renamed in 1984 to honor Bernice Bienenstock.

• Founded from a private collection begun in 1922.
• Formally established as the Furniture Library Association in 1970.
• Renamed the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library in 1984.

2027 Interior Design Competition

The 2027 Interior Design Competition is a national contest for students enrolled in U.S. design schools at the junior, senior, or graduate level. Entrants complete a residential and commercial project to provided specifications; submissions must adhere to the stated format and anonymity requirements. Prizes include a $5,000 first-place scholarship, $1,500 second-place scholarship, and a $1,000 award to the first-place winner’s school, along with national publicity for winners and their programs. Each school may submit up to five entries and faculty involvement is required for participating students.

Eligibility: Open to junior, senior, and graduate students enrolled in U.S. design schools; a faculty supervisor must be assigned for each student entry.

Award Value: 1st place $5,000; 2nd place $1,500; 1st place winner’s school receives $1,000.

Application Timeline: Incorporate the competition into fall 2026 coursework; entry form and final project PDFs must be submitted together by the December deadline, with winners announced by March 1, 2027.

• Open to U.S. design students (junior, senior, graduate).
• Up to five entries per school; faculty supervision required.
• Significant cash awards and national publicity for winners.

Dudley Moore, Sr. Furniture Design Competition (sponsored by Otto & Moore, Inc.)

The Dudley Moore, Sr. Furniture Design Competition challenges students to design an original chair that is visually compelling, manufacturable, and marketable to residential and/or contract trade. The competition is part of the Bienenstock Furniture Library’s scholarship program to promote education in design and the furniture industry. Prizes mirror the interior design category: $5,000 for first place, $1,500 for second place, and $1,000 to the first-place winner’s school. Submissions must demonstrate originality and a documented creative process.

Description: A chair design competition requiring original, marketable concepts suitable for manufacturing and mass production.

Award Value: 1st place $5,000; 2nd place $1,500; 1st place winner’s school receives $1,000.

• Focus: original chair design for one person.
• Awards include cash scholarships and institutional support.
• Emphasis on manufacturability and market viability.

Entry Requirements and Submission Support

All competition entries require a completed entry form submitted as a separate PDF from the final project; both files must be emailed together to the competition contact. Final project entries must be a single PDF and must not include the student’s name or school on the submission file; entrants should include their name and school only in the body of the submission email. The Bienenstock Furniture Library offers professional support and encourages faculty to integrate the competition into fall coursework and to sponsor student entries.

Submission Instructions: Save the entry form as a separate PDF and include it in the same email as the final project PDF; email submissions to executive-director@furniturelibrary.com.

Format and Anonymity: Final entries must be a single PDF labeled appropriately; the student name and school must not appear on the project file but should be provided in the email body.

Support: Professional members from the interior design industry are available to answer competition questions and assist students in preparing submissions.

• Entry form and final project submitted as separate PDFs in the same email.
• Email submissions to executive-director@furniturelibrary.com.
• Do not include student name or school on the final project PDF.

Design Challenge — Chair

The design challenge specifies a seating form for one person composed of a seat supported on legs with a back rising from the rear edge. Entries must be original, aesthetically pleasing, and suitable for marketing to residential and/or contract markets; any material or combination of materials is acceptable. Submissions should include ideation thumbnails, scaled and mechanical drawings (preferably CAD or 3D models), final renderings, and a short design brief explaining the creative process. Physical construction is optional but, if undertaken, photographs of the building process should be included to document proof of concept.

Description: Design a visually compelling, manufacturable chair that demonstrates originality and a clear development process.

Requirements: Include ideation sketches, scaled drawings, final renderings, and a design brief; constructions are optional but well-documented process photos are encouraged. AI tools may be used to assist communication, but not to replace the designer’s creative judgment.

• Deliverables: thumbnails, scaled drawings, renderings, and a short design brief.
• Show a clear development trail from inspiration to final design.
• AI may assist but cannot substitute for original design thinking.

School Requirements and Judges

Schools that participate must assign a faculty member to supervise student entrants; implementing the competition within the fall semester is suggested but not mandatory. Each school is limited to five entries per competition. Winners for the 2027 competitions will be announced by March 1, 2027, and selected by panels of industry judges for each category.

School Requirements: Assign a faculty supervisor for each student entrant and adhere to the five-entry maximum per school.

Judges: Interior Design judges include Christi Spangle, Lisa Kahn, Holly Woodward, Bri Verstat, Elizabeth Scruggs, Jessica Alpert, Monika Nesbach, Stephanie Walker, and Lisa Woods. Furniture Design judges include Richard Frinier, Danny Davis, Dudley Moore, David Williams, Catina Roscoe, Taylor West, Thomas Verellen, and Scott Coley.

• Each school must provide a faculty supervisor for participating students.
• Maximum of five entries per school per competition.
• Winners announced by March 1, 2027, and selected by industry judges.