# Ellen Branz

> Head Design Manager, Furniture - Pottery Barn

Location: Larkspur, California, United States
Profile: https://flows.cv/ellenbranz

www.ellenbranz.com

Furniture Designer with 12+ years of experience delivering innovative, functional, and market-ready products. Expert in AutoCAD, Rhino 3D modeling and rendering, and Adobe Creative Suite, with strong capabilities in concept development, sketching, AI-driven ideation, and end-to-end product development. Proven track record in managing projects from initial concept through production.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Furniture Design
Minor Interior Design
Ferris State University - Kendall College of Art and Design.

## Work Experience
### Head Design Manager - Furniture @ Pottery Barn
Jan 2026 – Present | San Francisco, CA

### Senior Furniture Designer @ Pottery Barn
Jan 2021 – Jan 2026 | San Francisco, California, United States
-Managed the Bed & Bath departments through all stages of product development, from concept ideation and inspiration to CAD modeling, rendering, vendor collaboration, cost engineering, product development reviews, and PIP accuracy.

-Delivered 80–100 innovative products per season, sourcing inspiration from diverse and unconventional design influences.

-Led a department that consistently ranked as the #1 Indoor Furniture category in sales, driving strong year-over-year growth through new product launches.

-Spearheaded development within the largest growth category in value apartment furniture, expanding assortment and increasing market share.

-Created multi-page presentations for new growth categories (Hardware, Faucets, Daybeds, Mini Vanities, Closets), collectively generating multiple yearly 8-figure revenue growth.

-Developed 40–50% of Top 10 collections annually, transforming them into long-term legacy collections.

- Leaned into support Indoor and Outdoor categories when needed (Occasional, Dining, Outdoor, Home Office) with initial CADs, renderings, and early-stage product concepts.

-Assisted VIP stylists with in-home floor plans during project management transitions.

-Mentored and trained Junior Designers in product development processes, design standards, and workflow optimization.

-Developed multiple legacy collections that influenced and elevated design direction across broader furniture categories.

### Furniture Designer @ Pottery Barn
Jan 2018 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco, CA

### Furniture Designer @ Top-Line Furniture Corp.
Jan 2012 – Jan 2018 | Itasca, IL
Furniture Design and Development:
Research, Sketch, Autocad and/or 3D model new developments
Collaborated with overseas factories on the sampling process, including travel for product reviews.
Streamlined product descriptions and packaging for easier shipment and minimized SKU counts, refining line item details and dimensions.

Photo/Video Studio Coordinating:
Created coordinating system for photo studio of a team that grew from 2 to 10.
Initiated style direction for in house and over seas photo studio, reviewed images for product accuracy.

Showroom Floor Plans and Marketing:
Coordinated 1 furniture show per year, arranging 700 SKUs across 13,000 sqft.
Developed marketing banners for customer purchasing guides.

### Interior Designer @ Havenly
Jan 2015 – Jan 2016 | Chicago, IL
- Design interiors for clients based on their style, taste, preferences, specifications
- Design across different types of styles (e.g. Traditional, Eclectic, Modern, etc.)
- Source products from a specified list of retail, to-the-trade and wholesale vendors
- Produce concept boards and room renderings/visualizations using Photoshop
- Space plan and produce floor plans for each client
- Communicate directly with clients via email and phone to learn clients personal style direction
- Work with a variety of room design budgets between $200 - $10,000

### Visual Display Intern @ Anthropologie
Jan 2012 – Jan 2012 | Highland Park, IL
- Hand built and crafted custom sales floor displays and window displays inspired by company’s brand book.
- Put on indepentant special projects to assist in store's visual direction.
- Planned scale of build projects and how they would work into the store's sales floor. 
- Used basic build tools (drills, chop saw, sewing machine, dye cutting machine) to execute projects.

### Home Department Coordinator, TJ Maxx @ The TJX Companies, Inc.
Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 | Skokie, Illinois
Promoted to Department Coordinator after relocating from the Grand Rapids, MI store to the Chicago area.
Trained new employees on department standards.
Planned inventory moves based on the arrival of 2,000+ SKUs each week.
Volunteered for overtime, starting as early as 5 a.m. to assist with markdowns.
Recognized and rewarded employees for exceptional customer service and project execution.

### Home Department Sales Associate, TJ Maxx @ The TJX Companies, Inc.
Jan 2010 – Jan 2011 | Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area


## Education
### BFA in Furniture Design and Interior Design Minor
Kendall College of Art and Design


## Contact & Social
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/ellen-branz
- Portfolio: https://www.ellenbranz.com/

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Source: https://flows.cv/ellenbranz
JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/ellenbranz/resume.json
Last updated: 2026-04-13