Furniture Designer (Bespoke Joinery & Upholstery)
Salary: up to £40,000 (depending on experience)
Location: SW London / Surrey area Full-time, permanent (In-house only – Not remote)
We’re recruiting on behalf of an established, high-end bespoke furniture manufacturer (family-run) with long-term, repeat clients and a strong pipeline of work. The business is growing year on year and is looking to add an experienced Furniture Designer / CAD Technician to support continued demand.
This is an in-house role working closely with the workshop and upholstery and joinery production teams. It will suit an experienced Furniture Designer who understands manufacturing and enjoys hands-on collaboration, not someone focused purely on design for visuals.
Furniture Designer role:
You’ll take client concepts through to manufacture, producing accurate 2D/3D CAD and detailed technical production packs for bespoke joinery and upholstery-led furniture.
Furniture Designer responsibilities:
* Design bespoke fitted and freestanding furniture (joinery and/or upholstery)
* Produce 2D/3D CAD models and technical manufacturing drawings (production packs for all departments)
* Collaborate daily with workshop/production teams to ensure designs are buildable and accurate
* Liaise with clients and internal teams throughout the project lifecycle
* Conduct site surveys and support projects through to installation
* Order materials, calculate take-offs, costs and support quotations
* Coordinate projects from enquiry through to installation, working to deadlines and resolving technical queries
Furniture Designer Essential experience and skills
* Proven experience as a Furniture Designer / CAD Technician within bespoke furniture (high-end/luxury ideally)
* Strong understanding of upholstery and/or fitted joinery manufacturing processes, materials and construction methods
* Confident producing accurate technical drawings for manufacture (not just concept design)
* CAD proficiency using SolidWorks and/or Rhinoceros (Rhino)
* Fluent written and spoken English
* Willing and able to work full time on-site with workshop teams (no remote working)
* Right to live and work in the UK
Ideal candidate profile
* Bespoke joinery and/or upholstery design experience
* Practical making/production exposure (you understand how it’s built)
* Strong workshop communication and teamwork mindset
Desirable
* Full UK driving license (site surveys)
How to apply:
To apply, send your CV and a brief portfolio (or examples of technical production drawings and 3D CAD work). If you can, include examples showing SolidWorks/Rhino capability and how you’ve worked with manufacturing/workshop teams to deliver build-ready designs.