Mission

Furniture for the People was created by Cade Cahalan, a Bay Area designer & artist, with the intent of designing democratic furniture that anyone can build. What began as a design concept at UC Berkeley to make furniture easier to move and less disposable, FFTP has evolved into an open-source* handbook where high-quality & functional furniture can exist at an affordable price for everyone. 

Why is it important that quality & flexible furniture is accessible to all? The EPA reported in 2017 that over 12 million tons of furniture were sent to landfill in the U.S. alone. Cade believes this waste is a result of unstable housing and a poor understanding of user needs. Affording to live in one place forever is difficult, but moving your entire home poses an even bigger challenge. Moving really sucks and replacing all of your furniture is even worse, especially when you have to choose between cheap, short-lived furniture and expensive, quality furniture that you may have the same trouble moving a year later.

But what if instead of buying furniture, you invest in yourself? You become a self-sufficient maker. With access to the right resources and a helping hand, Cade believes everyone can inhabit a space they enjoy, regardless of budget or skill-level. Cade began his design journey with little-to-no formal education. He is a self-taught designer and maker, but he owes all his success to public resources (internet & libraries) as well as a handful of mentors who introduced him to life-changing skills and advice. It takes a lifetime to become a great designer, but everyone can create if they have the right attitude and access to sufficient resources.