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24 Essential Books for Beginner Furniture Designers & Drafters
24
items Getting started in furniture design or drafting? Whether you're learning how to sketch your first chair or understanding the structural logic of a cabinet, the right books can guide your journey. This curated list of 24 essential books is divided int...
Sections
4
✏️Drawing & Design Foundations
🛠Construction & Joinery Techniques
🪑Furniture History & Styles
💻Digital Tools & CAD for Beginners
✏️Drawing & Design Foundations
Learn the basics of sketching, visualization, proportion, and creative furniture design thinking.
Specs: 2nd edition, 192 pages Why It’s Great: Teaches visual communication through freehand drawing, diagrams, and furniture sketching techniques.
Drawing for Interior Design by Drew Plunkett
Specs: 256 pages, highly visual Why It’s Great: Ideal for beginners in furniture sketching; shows how to develop form and detail with pen and marker.
Sketching: Drawing Techniques for Designers
Specs: 240 pages, beginner level Why It’s Great: A holistic overview that connects design principles with production methods.
Furniture Design: Intro to Development & Materials
Specs: 320 pages, covers 2D and 3D design elements Why It’s Great: Teaches balance, rhythm, shape, and spatial organization — essential for good furniture form.
Design Basics by David A. Lauer & Stephen Pentak
Specs: 1,280 pages (intro chapters very helpful) Why It’s Great: Covers drafting principles with step-by-step guidance — great for aspiring drafters.
Architectural Drafting & Design by Jefferis & Madsen
Specs: Vintage but timeless, 160+ illustrations Why It’s Great: Teaches how to sketch furniture shapes, structures, and details clearly.
Furniture Drawing: Basic Lessons for Beginners by Donna Z. Meilach
🛠Construction & Joinery Techniques
Understand how furniture is actually made, from wood joinery to material behavior.
Specs: 320 pages, 1,800+ illustrations Why It’s Great: Comprehensive and visual guide to woodworking, tools, and joinery.
The Complete Manual of Woodworking by Albert Jackson, David Day & Simon Jennings
Specs: 320 pages, full-color photos Why It’s Great: Explains how furniture is built — covers joints, frames, panels, and furniture anatomy.
Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture & Cabinet Construction
Specs: 304 pages Why It’s Great: Covers traditional construction, furniture history, and restoration insights for beginners.
The Furniture Bible by Christophe Pourny
Specs: 384 pages Why It’s Great: A classic for learning basic tools, wood types, and building techniques for furniture.
The Woodworker’s Bible by Percy Blandford
Specs: 272 pages Why It’s Great: Easy-to-follow steps for DIY furniture projects with essential construction know-how.
Carpentry Complete: Expert Advice by Andy Engel
Specs: 192 pages Why It’s Great: Focuses on designing and building furniture without power tools — perfect for fundamentals.
Made by Hand: Furniture Projects by Tom Fidgen
🪑Furniture History & Styles
Gain inspiration and cultural context by learning how furniture evolved across eras and styles.
Specs: 500+ pages, thousands of entries Why It’s Great: Covers furniture from ancient to modern — a go-to reference for styles and terminology.
The Encyclopedia of Furniture by Joseph Aronson
Specs: 640 pages, Taschen publisher Why It’s Great: A visual timeline of chair design from Art Nouveau to contemporary — stunning and informative.
1000 Chairs by Charlotte & Peter Fiell
Specs: 336 pages Why It’s Great: Elegant overview of Western furniture design from Gothic to 20th-century minimalism.
A History of Furniture by John Morley
Specs: 224 pages, with project examples Why It’s Great: Blends form, function, and historic influence — a great step toward making original furniture.
Designing Furniture by Seth Stem
Specs: 576 pages Why It’s Great: Beautiful visual catalog of furniture styles across regions and centuries.
Furniture: World Styles Classical to Contemporary
Specs: 180 pages Why It’s Great: Teaches the elegance of simplicity in design, focusing on form and honesty in craftsmanship.
Shaker Furniture by Edward Deming Andrews
💻Digital Tools & CAD for Beginners
Learn how to draft, render, and design furniture using digital tools like AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Fusion 360.
Specs: Updated regularly, 400+ pages Why It’s Great: The most beginner-friendly book to learn AutoCAD basics for furniture plans and layouts.
AutoCAD for Dummies by Bill Fane & David Byrnes
Specs: 352 pages Why It’s Great: Step-by-step guide for visualizing furniture, space layout, and exporting 3D models.
SketchUp for Interior Design by Lydia Cline
Specs: PDF or print, 200+ pages Why It’s Great: Tailored specifically for furniture modeling in SketchUp — ideal for beginners.
Furniture Design Using SketchUp by Joe Zeh
Specs: 208 pages Why It’s Great: Teaches how to model joinery, parts, and components digitally, even if you're new to CAD.
Fusion 360 for Makers by Lydia Sloan Cline
Specs: 432 pages Why It’s Great: Focuses on manual and digital drafting techniques, from floor plans to detailed furniture drawings.
Drafting & Design Basics for Interior Design
Specs: 300+ pages, academic tone Why It’s Great: Explores how digital tools and CNC tech shape furniture today — perfect for forward-thinking learners.
Digital Wood Design by Fabio Bianconi