In the realm of interiors and furniture, materials speak first. Before we sit, touch, or see, there is a designer making decisions about what that object feels like—how it catches light, ages over time, or invites interaction. At the heart of this is CMF: Colour, Material, and Finish. It defines the emotional identity of the product.
In this second instalment of our CMF MatterMinds series (following Automotive & Mobility), Tocco team explores the minds that are defining the look and feel of our living environments—from homes to studios, hospitality spaces to workplaces. Whether working inside iconic brands or running their own creative studios, these designers shape more than surfaces: they shape the way humans live everyday.
Here are 19 of the most forward-thinking CMF designers in interiors and furniture today.
1. Susan Scully – Product Manager CMF Europe, Herman Miller
With over three decades at Herman Miller, Susan is one of the leaders of European CMF. Her role at Herman Miller spans supplier collaboration, material development, and long-term colour strategy. She’s also a hands-on restorer, breathing new life into furniture and volunteering regularly at a food bank.
2. Salem van der Swaagh – Textile and Colour Designer, Knoll
Salem is a textile specialist infusing colour and pattern into Knoll’s iconic modernist identity. Whether through consultancy or direct design, her work uplifts the brand’s enduring architectural DNA. She creates customized rugs, selecting textures, colours, and materials to complement the design of living spaces.
3. Vicent Carbonell Valls – Head of Design, nanimarquina
Now Head of Design at nanimarquina, Vicent’s journey spans MENU, Zara Home, Jaime Hayon Studio, and Viccarbe. He builds entire collections room by room, combining industrial design rigour with an instinct for visual harmony.
4. Aakash Dewan – Global Senior Designer, IKEA
A design strategist and educator based in Bangalore, Aakash blends experience strategy, speculative thinking, and futures research into global projects at IKEA. He has worked across consumer electronics, healthcare, and advanced design (including HP Barcelona) - his work connects insight with imagination. Outside the office, he teaches interaction and speculative design at Strate School of Design.
5. Kin Fui Chong – Director for Design Development, OOB
From leading mobile projects for Sony Ericsson in Singapore to shaping global product lines at Creative Technology, Kin Fui’s work spans two decades of design and development across Asia. He later directed product development at AMQ in China, where he built and led multidisciplinary teams focused on workplace furniture. Now Co-Founder of OOB, a consultancy specialising in ergonomic seating and products, he bridges design strategy with deep manufacturing insight.
6. Sarah Templin – Sustainable Materials Specialist, Gensler
Leading Gensler’s Product Sustainability Standards, Sarah helps guide one of the world’s largest material specifiers toward circularity. With a background in industrial design and sustainable textiles, she brings rigour and creativity to product and material development. Her research, which centered on an examination of sustainable solutions in traditional craft techniques and scaling them for the constraints of contemporary manufacturing.
7. Rui Pereira – Head of Design, HAY
Rui directs product and visual identity at HAY whilst also heading his own Pereira Office in Copenhagen, drawing on past work with Patricia Urquiola and years of cross-cultural exploration. His work blends clarity, humour, and deeply considered materiality. His exploration for the potentialities of materials and manufacturing techniques, making use of a sharp language to ultimately deliver clear pertinent objects.
8. Hanna Cushing – CMF/Interior, Honda Aircraft Company
From Green Architecture, over contract office furniture, and automotive design to HondaJet Interiors- Hanna’s experience spans sectors—always through the lens of CMF. Her current focus is on Aircraft Interiors. Hanna's clear understanding of product development process from inception through production in creating world-class design solutions.
9. Mickael Chrost – CEO/ Creative Director, Karduus
At Karduus, Mickael designs luminous objects inspired by nature—crafted locally in Lille with a strong focus on sustainability and bespoke services for architects and designers. His approach to CMF is holistic, blending raw materials, colour, finishes, and end-of-life thinking into meaningful product ecosystems. He also brings 15+ years of CMF expertise to his role as Senior Product Designer at INESIS, designing golf gear and retail experiences.
10. Courtney DiPietro – Senior CMF Designer, SharkNinja
A blend of artistic vision and data-savvy CMF specialist, Courtney develops colour and material strategies that serve both user needs and SharkNinja's business goals. From wellness and beauty, to home products, her work links design trends to market impact.
11. Esther van Houdt – Founder, e s • s t u d i o
After years at Philips Design, in the Netherlands, leading colour and material direction of household products- Esther founded her own e s • s t u d i o, where she creates unique spaces for private clients and brands, thoughtfully blending sustainability, refined colors and distinctive materials.
12. Marius Kindler – Industrial Designer, Stokke
As Design Manager at Stokke, Marius leads product design for the “Home” category—balancing aesthetics, function, and hands-on development. With past roles in innovation and concept design across Europe, his work spans award-winning projects and strategic design leadership. Marius approaches design holistically—thinking beyond the product to include users, business, and long-term impact.
13. Johanna Kaartinen – CMF Design Consultant
Johanna creates material narratives that connect beauty and feasibility. After working as CMF Designer at Volvo, she moved to advertise brands on CMF strategy from early ideation to production. Her focus is on balancing sustainability with premium design, in order to create and inspire solutions that not only improve current design but also create lasting, positive impact across the entire system.
14. Connor Young – Colour Developer, YETI
Now at YETI leading soft goods colour development, Connor is based in Austin, Texas, and brings prior experience from Cotopaxi in lab dips, forecasting, and product storytelling.
Honourable Mentions
These designers are redefining CMF with striking approaches, clear philosophies, and rapidly rising trajectories.
15. Andrea Gregis
Andrea Gregis is Product Design Director at Flos, leading the development of innovative lighting solutions for decorative, outdoor, and bespoke collections. With over 16 years at Flos, he manages cross-functional teams and integrates new materials and technologies to drive sustainable, forward-thinking designs.
16. Brittni Pertijs
Brittni Pertijs is Design Manager CMF at Whirlpool Corporation, leading colour, material, and finish strategies for home and living spaces. Previously, as Lead CMF Designer for KitchenAid, she developed the Color of the Year 2023 and shaped product narratives through thoughtful design choices. Brittni’s expertise includes trend forecasting, colour theory, and crafting long-term design visions that elevate living environments.
17. Mark Spoelhof
Mark Spoelhof is Director of Industrial Design, Seating and CMF at Steelcase, where he leads the design of innovative seating solutions and CMF strategies for workspaces and living environments. Mark combines performance-driven materials with ergonomics to enhance productivity, comfort, and sustainability in diverse spaces.
18. Anna Sheriakova
Anna Sheriakova is a Junior CMF Designer and Surface Artist at JPA Design, where she applies her expertise in automotive colour, material, and finish to focus on the interiors of luxury resorts, premium aircraft cabins, and elite train lounges.
19. Arthur Pieto
Artnur Pieto is a Junior Industrial Designer at Mathieu Lehanneur, where he contributes to the development of innovative furniture designs that merge sustainable materials with contemporary aesthetics, drawing from past experience at STARCK, BIG-GAME, and Centech Mtl.
Stay tuned for the Top CMF MatterMinds - Electronics and Home Products – coming soon.
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Designing Tomorrow: One Surface at a Time
What’s influencing material choices behind closed doors? Beyond glossy showrooms and strategy slides, Tocco believes the real future is being shaped by those who work directly with materials—and those bold enough to reimagine them.
That’s why we launched UNBOX: the world’s first portable material library for these trailblazers. Part research tool, part design object, it’s a curated collection of next-gen materials from leading innovators—compact, tactile, and made for designers, educators, and forward-thinking creators.
Discover the UNBOX project here
If you’re reading this during Milan Design Week, don’t miss our limited-time offer.
