Hi! I am Dr. Lynn Brandon, the Coordinator of the Home Furnishings Merchandising Degree Program (HFMD) and the primary professor of its courses at the University of North Texas.  Surprisingly, it is the only one of its kind in the nation as a full undergraduate degree program!  The furnishings and decor industry is large and has a global impact with direct ties to the apparel, interior design, and other related industries and I want you to know about it and its components, processes and products and career options!  There are great opportunities in this industry.

In addition to UNT, I have experience in educating students in both interior design and home furnishings merchandising at the college level at several universities - University of Alabama, Virginia Tech, and Stephen F. Austin.  My industry experience in design firms in Tennessee has enhanced my teaching career.  I have been honored with nominations by both students and colleagues for several teaching awards at UNT. 

I earned my B.S. in HEC Education from Louisiana Tech, my M.S. in Interior Design from the University of Alabama, and my Ph.D. in Interior Design from Virginia Tech.  I have coursework in home furnishings from the University of Memphis and Delta State University.  I have completed additional courses in photography, French language (beginner!), social media marketing and graduate courses in learning technologies/instructional media & design and digital retailing. 

I like to travel, learn about different places, visit the world’s museums and gather images and information that I bring back into the classroom. I am lucky (or good planning) that places I visit have significant ties to the courses that I teach. I am an artist at heart but have too little time to fully explore my creativity.  I especially enjoy the patterns found in nature and architecture.  I have dabbled in creating artwork in several media including photography, stained glass, fused glass, batik, watercolor, acrylic, a tiny bit of wire-wrapped jewelry, and fabrication of textile window and soft home decor treatments.  However, there is not enough time to build a repertoire of my work! (maybe in retirement!)

More about our unique merchandising degree in home furnishings and decor....

Most people know about interior design, but where do interior designers get the products that they specify for clients?  " Designing the products interior designers choose and use" is the domain of the furnishings and decor industry and that is an area of focus in our HFMD degree.  This global industry sets the trends, determines finishes and materials, shapes and silhouettes, markets for products, partnerships with celebrities and fashion designers, creates visual merchandising schemes, stages home spaces, informs designers about trends, products, and processes for those furnishings and decor fashion products and all of their components and processes from product conception to consumer reception and beyond.  Our graduates have an array of career possibilities including positions with home builders, furniture retailers, company reps, showrooms, product design, decor and more.

Contact me to learn more about this unique degree.