10 Online Furniture Design Courses for Beginners

Learn artisanal techniques to design and create furniture at home and renew your spaces

Furniture design, and the ability to build unique pieces is an attractive field for a lot of creatives. Although many different decorative styles exist, designer carpentry can help you move away from generic furniture and allow you to add style to your abode. For this, you will need to learn the appropriate techniques and make use of all your creativity.

Whether you want to restore or upholster chairs, design your own cement tiles, weave your own furniture with PVC cord, or create origami lamps, our expert teachers can direct you to the right courses to learn how to design, plan, and build furniture.

All ten courses listed below will help you achieve beautiful pieces and professional finishes.

Professional Woodworking for Beginners, a course by Patricio Ortega

Discover designer carpentry with Patricio Ortega, architect, carpenter, and co-founder of workshop Maderística. In his course, you will learn about the furniture making process, from start to finish, and learn to work wood like a professional. You will also learn to use a router, a coping saw, and a circular saw safely. After creating your first reinforced wooden stool, you’ll be hooked to the magic of this craft.

Furniture Design and Construction for Beginners, a course by Patricio Ortega

Would you try your hand at building a wardrobe with sliding doors? In this course, also taught by Maderistica workshop co-founder Patricio Ortega, you can easily complete this challenge. First, you’ll learn that the three essential aspects of a piece of furniture are its structural stability, functionality, and aesthetic quality. Later, you’ll learn the key elements and techniques to design, plan, and build wooden furniture in your own style. Get the ball rolling!

Introduction to PVC Cord Weaving, a course by Carolina Ortega

Woven PVC, with its versatility and recyclability, holds a lot of advantages. It is the material of choice for industrial and textile designer Carolina Ortega, who uses it to create unique and functional pieces. In her course, you will learn about PVC and how to weave your furniture and objects by hand. During the process, you will create both contemporary and traditional patterns using thread and weft techniques.

Chair Restoration and Upholstery, a course by Lucia Giraudo

Argentinian Lucía Giraudo’s mission is to recover discarded furniture. What for some may have nothing more to give, she considers an opportunity. Lucía transforms the look of a piece while keeping its essence and respecting its history. With this attitude in mind, you’ll learn to restore a chair you no longer use and will be able to give it a new life by upholstering it as you prefer. You will get the hang of measurements, styles, tools, and materials and differentiate between modern and traditional upholstery.

Cement Tile Design and Production for Beginners, a course by Juan Manuel Rossi

Personalizing floorings and walls is a great way to awaken your imagination, as you renovate spaces and make them unique. If you want to learn to design and create your own cement tiles, you can follow this course by carpenter and builder Juan Rossi. Using easy to source hand tools, you will learn the artisanal methods to work colored cement and achieve professional results.

Introduction to CNC Router Furniture Design, a course by Daniel Romero

Using software programs and CNC router cutting technology, anyone can create furniture. To prove it, follow this course by industrial designer and co-founder of Tuux studio Daniel Romero. In his course, you will get to know CNC machinery and what it can achieve. Through an introduction to digital manufacturing, you will explore all the advantages of this production system in practice and follow the process step-by-step, creating solid and workable designs.

Concrete Furniture Creation for Beginners, a course by En concreto

Concrete and cinder blocks are more and more popular in interior design. With the help of Carolina and Eduardo, associate co-founders of Mexican studio En concreto, you will produce your own pieces, from manufacturing concrete all the way to applying final touches. You will start by learning the basic techniques and the different uses of the material to create different objects and furniture. You will then be able to move on to new ideas and projects using concrete.

Design and Creation of Handmade Workspaces, a course by Gema Casado Olea

Did you know that some spaces exert a positive influence on the people who inhabit them? Gema Casado Olea, founder of El Tarro de Ideas, is inspired by this concept when teaching how to create a workspace with DIY techniques. You will start by learning to identify your needs and define the color and place of each element. Next, Gema will guide you in building a desk and a storage box. You will gain confidence and unleash your creativity while completing the project.

Decorative Furniture Painting, a course by Lucas Rise

A mundane piece of furniture can become an exceptional piece if you know how to transform it. Lucas Rise, an artist specializing in painting and design, will show you the necessary tools and materials to adapt a digital design to a selected piece and paint it by hand using calligraphy brushes. His creations are full of personality, and you, too, will be able to create, transfer and paint your designs on furniture. You’ll be amazed by the results.

Design and Conceptualization of a Chair, a course by Christian Vivanco

Have you ever asked yourself what a chair is all about? Mexican industrial designer Christian Vivanco will share the history of this furniture piece with you and show you all he has learned about design throughout his career. After learning the basics, you will apply all the steps needed to create your own chair: the sketch, the mockup, the 1:1 blueprint, and the prototype. You will be able to create an attractive, functional, and comfortable chair.

Creation of Origami Lamps with Paper, a course by Estela Moreno Orteso

You may think that paper is too delicate to be a workable material. Estela Moreno, who specializes in origami and set design, is attracted by this feature, however, and knows the infinite possibilities of working with paper. In her course, you will learn how two create modular and classical origami style lamps. You will learn each step of the process and apply basic folding techniques. You will play with textures and colors to achieve highly expressive pieces with incredible simplicity.

English version by @acesarato

You may also like:

- Basic Materials to Start in Woodworking
- L’Abu Studio: Where Carpentry And Embroidery Come Together
- What Is Furniture Restoration?