Female designers to know in sculptural furniture
When I designed my first lounge chair, I felt the absence of female voices.
Not in the rooms I worked in but in the references I was given. The history books. The museums. The panels. The awards. Most sculptural furniture that gets defined as iconic is made by men. Even today, female designers working in collectible, form-driven design still have to push twice as hard to be noticed for their structural intelligence rather than their styling skills.
And yet, some of the most intuitive, radical and memorable pieces I’ve seen in recent years have been created by women. Designers who challenge the norm not with noise, but with presence.
This blog is for interior professionals who intuitively seek objects with character. Whether you’re sourcing for a boutique hotel lobby or curating a gallery-worthy residential project, these are female designers to know in sculptural furniture. They are not part of a trend, they are shaping a language.
Sculptural design by women often begins with a sense of resistance. Take Faye Toogood, whose Roly Poly chair has become a contemporary icon. She strips the design down to its emotional form: soft curves, strong proportions, no apologies. Her work is sculptural, yes but it’s also spatial. It interacts with light and posture in ways that resonate.
Another voice from the past who still echoes today is Maria Pergay. In the 1960s, she created stainless steel furniture with sensual lines and a minimal vocabulary. Her work has since been rediscovered by a new generation of collectors. She didn’t ask permission. She worked directly with industrial materials and sculpted them into something human.
For clients who want impact without trendiness, few names carry the artistic weight of Zaha Hadid. While she is best known as an architect, her sculptural furniture pieces—like the Liquid Glacial table or the Z-Chair—are masterclasses in spatial tension. They’re almost impossible to ignore. And they challenge what furniture can be.
Among the new generation, there’s Sabine Marcelis, who works with transparency, light and saturated color in a way that turns minimalism into sensuality. Her sculptural pieces often use resin, but never feel synthetic. Instead, they feel distilled like the essence of a form, made physical.
Then there’s Léa Mestres, whose bold, playful chairs feel like physical gestures. Her pieces are expressive without being loud, intuitive yet graphic. This kind of visual language speaks well to clients who want sculptural presence but also warmth and energy.
One of the most relevant names in material-led sculptural furniture is Jay Sae Jung Oh, whose pieces are wrapped in natural fibers often rope creating textured, emotional works that balance between object and memory. Her work is sustainable not just in its material logic, but in its emotional endurance. You don’t forget these pieces.
And I have to mention Charlotte Kingsnorth, who merges found objects, traditional upholstery and surreal form language. Her sculptural lounge chairs often feel like personalities tactile, alive, strange in the best way.
These are not minor voices. They are leading a shift in how we think about sculptural furniture. From collectible chairs to functional art, their designs stay with you—not because of trend alignment, but because they are felt.
When I designed the Ida wool lounge chair, I didn’t try to follow in anyone’s footsteps. But I felt the lack of female design ancestors to lean on. That absence became part of my design process. I asked myself: how do I make something soft that still has structure? Something intuitive, but not informal? Something that feels inevitable, not decorative?
Wool became my medium, not just for sustainability reasons but because it supported a different kind of sculptural language. One that doesn’t rely on internal frames or rigid lines. Instead, it builds shape through layers, folds and resistance. Like many of the designers mentioned here, I found form through material.
I reflected more on this in why a wool lounge chair is a smart and lasting choice, where I explain why I chose wool not for trend or aesthetic, but for structural and sensory integrity. Similarly, in how resistance can improve comfort, I shared how a frameless concept results in firmness with softness without foam.
Interior professionals like Vivian Cole understand the value of this kind of work. It is not about femininity. It is about design that has presence without spectacle. Form that stays with you. Sculptural furniture that offers soul as well as structure.
These female designers are shaping that future one quiet, confident piece at a time.
What defines sculptural furniture?
Sculptural furniture prioritizes form and presence as much as function. It often crosses into art, creating furniture that defines a room’s tone and spatial rhythm.
Why focus on female designers in this field?
Because women have historically been underrepresented in structural, collectible and architectural furniture design. Highlighting their work restores balance and brings fresh vision.
How does sculptural furniture perform in functional spaces?
When well-designed, it works in both residential and hospitality settings. It adds emotional and spatial value without sacrificing usability.
What’s the benefit of frameless design in a lounge chair?
Frameless design, when executed with natural materials like wool, allows for adaptive comfort, flexibility, and sustainability over time.
Where can I find more female designers in this space?
Platforms like Design Miami, Dezeen and AD often highlight female talent shaping collectible design today.