In Detroit, furniture design isn’t just about materials or aesthetics—it’s about identity. Rooted in a city known for reinvention, resilience, and raw creativity, a new generation of makers and brands are helping redefine what American furniture can be, while staying true to Detroit’s soul. They’re not simply building objects; they’re telling stories—of neighborhoods, histories, and futures in the making.
At the heart of this movement are companies like Floyd, Woodward Throwbacks, Ganas Manufacturing and Crypton Fabric—each representing a distinct approach to craft, but with a common philosophy – create with purpose, build to last, and never forget where you came from.
“Detroit has always been our biggest source of inspiration,” says Bozenka (Bo) Shephard, Co-Owner and Head of Design at Woodward Throwbacks, a company known for transforming reclaimed Detroit materials into modern, handcrafted furniture.
“The architecture, the culture, and the community are all baked into what we do,” she says. “We build furniture using materials pulled straight from the city’s past, and each piece carries a little bit of that history forward.”
That commitment to storytelling is part of their DNA.
CRYPTON FABRIC
“At Woodward Throwbacks, we’re not just building furniture, we’re preserving the past,” Shephard says. “Even if a customer doesn’t have a direct connection to Detroit, they’re still getting a piece of something real. Something that had a life before it came into their home.”
It’s a sentiment echoed across the city.
Kyle Hoff, Co-Founder of Floyd, a modular furniture company with roots in digital retail and a growing brick-and-mortar footprint, reflects on Detroit’s creative legacy.
“Detroit has a rich heritage of not just design, but innovation—Motown, techno, manufacturing,” Hoff says. “When we started Floyd 12 years ago, we leaned into that legacy. Our modular products reflect this—designing for scale, but also durability and adaptability.”
That spirit of ingenuity is embodied by Richard Ganas, founder of Ganas Manufacturing, a full-service design and fabrication studio that fuses traditional craftsmanship with advanced digital techniques. “The skilled workforce and deep history of craftsmanship in Detroit really support what we do,” he says. “The city’s engineering and architectural legacy—along with its schools—provide an incredible talent pool. It’s pretty raw and real here, and I think people respect that.”
At Crypton Fabric, headquartered in metro Detroit and known for high-performance textiles used by brands like CB2 and Arhaus, the city’s values are literally woven into the product.
“Detroit has long been a symbol of innovation, resilience, and world-class craftsmanship—and those values are deeply woven into the fabric of our work,” says Elise Gabrielson, VP of Marketing at Crypton. “We’re proud to be part of a region with such a rich design heritage. Detroit’s DNA—rooted in bold ideas, hands-on craftsmanship, and fearless innovation—continues to inspire everything we do.”
Crypton’s innovation goes beyond form – it’s also function. The company’s textiles are made to extend the life of furniture by 10 years or more. They incorporate post-consumer materials, avoid “forever chemicals,” and stand up to spills with ease.
GANAS MANUFACTURING
“Sustainability and durability have been at the heart of Crypton since day one—long before they became industry buzzwords,” Gabrielson says. “We like to say our fabrics are heirloom quality.”
For all four brands, the Detroit mindset is about more than geography – it’s a philosophy.
“There’s a hustle and a ‘figure it out and get it done’ energy that I don’t think exists anywhere else,” Shephard says. “Detroit gave our brand soul.”
For Ganas, Detroit’s legacy of manufacturing is more than history—it’s a living framework for creativity and problem-solving.
“Our roots are in manufacturing, and our work reflects that,” Ganas says. “There’s a heritage here of creative problem-solving and making high-end products at an obtainable price point. Our values reflect that balance between precision and accessibility.”
Hoff, who grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and later settled in Detroit, echoes that appreciation for the region’s industrial backbone. “There’s a deep heritage of manufacturing here—and the sensibilities that come with it. Starting a business in Detroit allowed us to lean on that know-how and produce with intention.”
That intent translates into design decisions. Floyd’s products are crafted with real wood and steel, and built to evolve with the user’s life. “We design things so people can keep them—not throw them away. Our bedframe, for example, can move from a kid’s room to a guest room, from king to queen. That’s how we think about sustainability.”
Ganas taps into both the old and the new when it comes to design. “We have an in-house engineering team, full digital capabilities and a team of craftsmen working side by side,” Ganas says. “We’re highly digital, but also very hands-on. That blend of modeling and traditional making is what makes Detroit special.”
At Woodward Throwbacks, it’s about keeping authenticity at the core. “We’ve never believed that sustainability means sacrificing style,” Shephard says. “For us, they go hand in hand.”
WOODWARD THROWBACKS MODERN LATH CREDENZA
Each of the four offers their perspective on Detroit’s potential as a national design capital.
Ganas feels the city’s design future is well underway. “I wouldn’t say Detroit needs to become a design capital—it already is,” he says. “We hosted an event recently that brought out over 500 people from every part of the creative community—fabricators, interior designers, photographers. It’s happening here. It just doesn’t always get the same recognition.”
The others agree.
“Honestly, I think Detroit’s already on its way,” Shephard says. “We’ve got organizations like Detroit Month of Design, Design Core, CCS, and so many creatives putting in the work. The culture, the art, the community—it’s already here. We just need more eyes on it.”
Gabrielson echoes this. “The foundation is already here: a rich legacy of innovation, a deep well of creative talent, a strong maker culture, and a community that understands the intersection of beauty and utility. We just need more platforms, more investment, and more storytelling that amplifies what’s already happening.”
For Hoff, the path forward involves scaling what’s already working. “Detroit has the history and infrastructure to be a design capital like Milan or Copenhagen. It’s got the talent and the institutions like Cranbrook. What we need now is critical mass.”
And perhaps what ties it all together—more than technique or trends—is the soul of the city itself. A place where resilience fuels creativity, where products are made to be lived with, and where design is deeply personal.
As Gabrielson puts it, “Detroit is where ideas are built to last.”
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