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08/18/2021

Steve Avakian, Furniture Designer for Jouffre USA


To achieve excellence and respond to the technical and aesthetic expectations of our clients, our workrooms have created a Design Studio, truly an innovation in the upholstery profession. The role of this Design Studio, made up of several designers in Lyon, New York and Rabat, is to precisely analyze each project to propose the best technical solutions which combine visual design and optimal comfort. Our collaborators draw, both by hand and in 3D using CAD, the most audacious creations while respecting the proportions, the quality of the finishes, and the comfort of the furniture. Today, we'd like to introduce you to Steve, Furniture Designer for Jouffre USA.

“Being able to work with other designers, be it interior designers or architects, is a really special thing. To play a part in the creation of those spaces, even from behind the scenes is just another fulfilling aspect of my job. Interacting with designers, designing and engineering pieces so specific to their needs is equal parts challenging and rewarding.”

"My name is Steve Avakian and I’m a Furniture Designer here in the Jouffre New York Office. There are a few different reasons that led me to pursue a career as a furniture designer. I think at the base of it all was a desire to be able to build something for myself. To take ideas and be able to see them through to fruition is a really fulfilling feeling. I think on a deeper level - and more importantly it was really about ‘feeling’ or the experience. Design to me is something emotional - not just a process that culminates in a physical object or physical experience. Objects can truly become a catalyst for experience on an emotional level and furniture is typically one of those objects that we so intimately and frequently interact with which really makes it the most suitable medium to utilize. The pursuit of emotional durability and aesthetic sustainability are the two truest reasons I’m a furniture designer.

From my undergraduate studies in Industrial Design to the years of professional experience gained fabricating in design builds and wood shops around Boston, to my thesis and graduate studies in Furniture Design - where I truly defined and nurtured my own design principles. It’s all been quite the journey.

The decision to join Jouffre was one of the most natural decisions I’ve ever been able to make. So much of my design ethos overlaps with that of Jouffre. It’s a rare thing to find a team working so closely to your own goals and beliefs on a personal level. Dedication to craft, the creation of furniture pieces with longevity and the nurturing of relationships that bridges gaps between designer, maker, object and space are just a few examples of what drew me to Jouffre.

Being a furniture designer at Jouffre isn’t as straightforward as it may sound. To me design is it’s most true and impactful when its holistic. Being able to work with other designers, be it interior designers or architects, is a really special thing. To play a part in the creation of those spaces, even from behind the scenes is just another fulfilling aspect of my job. Interacting with designers, designing and engineering pieces so specific to their needs is equal parts challenging and rewarding. The designers at Jouffre really are in it throughout the entire process.

From initial drawings and development to communication between client, project managers, artisans and vendors. Its the culmination of a community of designers working so closely toward a similar goal that really makes the magic happen.

I’ve learned so much in my time with Jouffre thus far. To continue to grow and learn in an environment that truly is an extension of my own beliefs and goals is really such a privilege. I think with my specific fabrication background, experience and knowledge of woodworking and design history I’ll really be able to add something of substance to what I do here at Jouffre - for myself, the team and Jouffre as a whole." - Steve Avakian

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