When Gardner White opens its new GW HOME concept store in downtown Detroit on June 6, it won’t just mark the company’s return to the city where it all began — it will represent a fresh, community-driven vision for modern retail in Detroit.
Founded in 1912 on Fort Street, Gardner White has grown over four generations into Michigan’s leading furniture and mattress retailer, with 14 locations across the state. Headquartered in Warren, the company is known not only for its expansive showrooms and customer-first approach, but also for its deep local roots. As the presenting sponsor of America’s Thanksgiving Parade and a partner of the Detroit Lions, Gardner White’s presence in Detroit extends far beyond its storefronts.
The new downtown location — a 15,000-square-foot, three-level space in a Bedrock building — continues that legacy. It’s not just a place to browse furniture. It’s a destination infused with Detroit’s creative energy, showcasing local artists, makers, and designers, while also integrating cutting-edge sustainability practices across its operations.
Detroitisit sat down with CEO Rachel Stewart to talk about why the time was right to return downtown, how Gardner White is embedding itself in the community, and why sustainability isn’t just good ethics — it’s good business.
RACHEL STEWART
DII: What motivated Gardner White’s return to downtown Detroit after several decades — and why now?
Stewart: As native Detroiters, having a downtown store has always been part of our dream. We’ve wanted to do this for a long time, and now the city is in a place where it makes economic sense. People are living downtown again, and there’s enough density to support retail. That’s a big shift.
Of course, like every project, it came together through the right partnerships and timing. We’re in a Bedrock building, working with local collaborators to bring this space to life. Partnering with the College for Creative Studies has been one of the best experiences — they’re helping make this uniquely Detroit.
DII: The store feels very community-minded. How are you building that into the experience?
Stewart: Partnerships are at the core. This isn’t just a showroom — we want it to feel like a community space. We’re working with local artists, with makers, with innovators. One example is our collaboration with ArtClvb to curate a rotating collection of art — ceramics, paintings, photography — from Detroit-based artists. You’ll also see pieces from Floyd and high-performance textiles from Crypton. It’s a celebration of Detroit’s design excellence.
DII: Let’s talk sustainability. The furniture industry isn’t exactly known for having a small footprint — how is Gardner White thinking differently?
Stewart: We’ve been working on this for a long time. In 2014, we built a state-of-the-art recycling center — and now recycle more than 4.4 million pounds of cardboard, plastic, and Styrofoam every year. It’s a very manual process, but we’ve stuck with it. And it pays off. We’ve actually found that some of the recycling processes, like compacting Styrofoam, generate revenue. I love to remind people: sustainability can be good business.
GW HOME
That same year, we also transitioned all of our showrooms to LED lighting. My father cared deeply about how furniture looks in a space — lighting is everything. We partnered with Philips, and isntalled all the lighting in the summer. It cut our cooling costs dramatically. The payback came in under two months.
DII: What about the products themselves?
Stewart: We’re seeing more sustainable materials come into the industry, which is great. One of our best-selling products right now uses Repreve — a fully recycled material. We’re also excited about what’s happening in Detroit around textiles and design. We’ve started engaging with groups like ISAIC and plan to lean in even more. Detroit is a leader in textile innovation, and it makes so much sense for us to be part of that.
DII: How are you thinking about sustainability in a dense, downtown environment like this new location?
Stewart: It’s all about leveraging the innovation already happening here. We’re closely watching what’s coming out of Newlab and Michigan Central. There’s incredible early-stage tech and sustainability work going on, and we want to be part of that ecosystem. We’ve never shied away from innovation. If there’s new technology on the edge of commercialization, we’re open to piloting it.
GW HOME, DETROIT
And from a product philosophy, we’re focused on selling furniture that lasts — pieces people buy to keep, not dispose of. That’s another kind of sustainability.
DII: Do you see customers becoming more interested in sustainable products?
Stewart: Definitely. And we’re doing our part by telling those stories. Every product has a story, and when that story includes a positive environmental impact, we make sure to highlight it. People care — especially when it’s tied to quality and longevity.
DII: In terms of local artists and designers, what impact are you looking to make?
Stewart: There’s so much creative talent in Detroit, and often it’s under-recognized. If we can make good design and original art more accessible, that’s a win for everyone — artists, customers, and the city. It’s hard to make a living as an artist. The more we can integrate their work into everyday spaces, the better. I think of it as ‘demystifying’ the purchase of great, local art.
DII: Looking ahead, what’s Gardner White’s biggest opportunity to drive positive environmental impact while continuing to grow?
Stewart: To me, it’s about thinking holistically — creating operations that are both environmentally and economically sustainable. Those two things aren’t in conflict. As tech improves and financing for green solutions becomes more accessible, we’ll keep finding new ways to reduce our footprint while growing the business.
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