Pophouse

What Pophouse does

Pophouse is a Detroit-based, full-scope design studio founded in 2013 (rebranded from dPOP in 2019) that creates human-centric interior, experiential, brand, and specification/procurement solutions primarily for enterprise clients. The firm operates four integrated service lines: Interior Design (concept development, space planning, custom furniture and millwork design, project management, art styling), Specification + Procurement (vendor-agnostic furniture sourcing and installation oversight), Experiential Design (environmental graphics, wayfinding, signage, dimensional installations), and Brand Design (visioning workshops, logo/visual identity, naming, positioning, style guides). Its technical stack centers on 3D design visualization built on CAD and Revit, with photorealistic renderings and immersive VR used to present concepts to clients prior to physical execution.

The business model is project-based professional services: fees are generated per engagement, with pricing varying by scope, square footage, complexity, and service mix, and contracts typically spanning multi-year cycles. GTM motion is enterprise field sales — direct client engagement through strategic consultation, workshops, and visioning sessions, supplemented by RFP responses and relationship-based referrals within Detroit and nationally. The customer base is heavily concentrated in enterprise financial services (Rock Ventures, Rocket Mortgage, Quicken Loans), with additional footprint in automotive (General Motors), real estate/hospitality (Hudson's Detroit, Marriott Tribute, Birmingham Roast), and professional services (Roland Berger).

Pophouse has 26 team members as of 2023, is WBENC certified as a women-owned business, and operates from a 5,000 sq ft headquarters in the historic David Stott Building in Detroit's Capitol Park Historic District — the first American UNESCO City of Design. The firm has won Interior Design Magazine Best of Year awards (2022) and in 2023 entered a co-development partnership with Haworth (DesignLab) that produced the Phil the Lounge Chair, its first disclosed product line. No external institutional funding, M&A activity, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

Name

Pophouse

Legal name

Pophouse

Website

https://pophouse.design

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pophouse is a Detroit-based, full-scope design studio founded in 2013 that delivers interior, experiential, brand, and specification/procurement services to enterprise clients across financial services, automotive, hospitality, and real estate. The 26-person firm uses 3D visualization and VR to create human-centric, brand-aligned environments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interior Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Interior design services
• Commercial space design
• Experiential design
• Workplace design studio
• Furniture procurement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interior Design Services: Comprehensive interior design services including strategic consultation, full-scope design, concept development, custom furniture and millwork design, 3D visualization, project management, and art styling. Revenue generated through project-based professional service fees.
2. Specification and Procurement: Furniture specification and procurement services managing the entire lifecycle from vendor coordination to installation, including detailed documentation, pricing validation, and logistics management. Revenue derived from procurement management fees and markups on sourced products.
3. Brand Design Services: Brand design services including visioning workshops, art direction, brand strategy, messaging, logo and visual identity development, naming, positioning, and style guides. Project-based professional service fees.
4. Experiential Design Services: Environmental and experiential design services creating branded environments, wayfinding systems, exterior signage, and recognition displays. Revenue from design fees and oversight of local fabrication and installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pophouse is a Detroit-based full-scope interior design studio that creates strategic, human-centric spaces through four integrated service lines: Interior Design, Specification + Procurement, Experiential Design, and Brand Design. The firm serves enterprise clients with end-to-end design execution, from research-driven discovery and concept development through custom furniture, environmental graphics, wayfinding, and brand identity, using 3D visualization and VR tools to bring designs to life before physical execution.

Product overview

Pophouse is a Detroit-based interior design studio offering four core service lines: Interior Design, Specification + Procurement, Experiential Design, and Brand Design. The studio operates as a unified design practice where these services work collaboratively to create holistic environments. Interior Design serves as the foundation, informing all other services. Specification + Procurement extends the interior design through furniture and accessory sourcing. Experiential Design creates immersive branded environments with wayfinding and environmental graphics. Brand Design develops visual identity and messaging that integrates into physical spaces. Notable projects include Hudson's Detroit (a 7-story skyscraper atrium), Rocket Mortgage Marketing headquarters, General Motors campus, and the company's own Pophouse Studio headquarters in the historic David Stott Building. The studio rebranded from dPOP to Pophouse in 2019 and has been featured on the cover of Interior Design Magazine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interior Design
• Specification + Procurement
• Experiential Design
• Brand Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Named Best of Year Projects by Interior Design Magazine
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• HaworthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative design partnership with Haworth for DesignLab, celebrating Haworth's 75th anniversary. Pophouse's Design Director Chrissy Fehan collaborated with Studio Urquiola to develop Phil the Lounge Chair, designed for inclusivity and neurodiversity support. The chair debuted at NeoCon 2023 and has been featured in major design publications.
• Cranbrook Academy of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual fellowship program hosting students from Cranbrook Academy of Art's 3D Design program for approximately three months. Students immerse in the studio environment, create experimental furniture pieces, and receive mentorship. Partnership spans multiple years with MFA candidates including Breanne Johnson (2022) and Kim Swift (2023).
• Library Street CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Detroit gallery to curate local artists for designed spaces. Featured artists include Tyrrell Winston (sculptural work at Rock Ventures executive suite), Jason REVOK (work at Rock Ventures project), and Carole Harris (fiber art at Pophouse studio).
• Playground DetroitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Detroit gallery to source local artists for projects. Featured artist Frank Lepkowski's work is displayed in the parlor of Pophouse studio through this partnership.
• I.M. Weiss GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Detroit art gallery and appraisal firm to source local artists for interior design projects. Gallery owner Isabel Weiss participates in Detroit design community roundtables hosted by Pophouse.
• Humble DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Day of Service partnership with nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives through thoughtfully curated home interiors for individuals, families, and veterans transitioning out of homelessness in Detroit. Pophouse team volunteers annually to furnish homes.
• Kraemer Design GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm partnership for Pophouse HQ2 project, collaborating on the design of new headquarters in the David Stott Building.
• Sachse ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for Pophouse HQ2 project, executing the build-out of the new headquarters space.
• NORRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture firm partner for Quicken Loans Chase Tower project, serving as architect of record to produce construction documents.
• The Whiting Turner Contracting CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner for Quicken Loans Chase Tower project, managing construction execution.
• Vogue FurnitureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFurniture manufacturer partner for reception desk fabrication on Quicken Loans Chase Tower project.
• Line Studio DetroitminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCustom concrete millwork partner for Quicken Loans Chase Tower project, creating bespoke furniture and millwork pieces.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Studio Urquiola: Product and interior design studio led by Patricia Urquiola, which collaborated with Pophouse on the Phil the Lounge Chair for Haworth. Comparable as a fellow design collaborator bridging product and interior design disciplines.

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Largest global architecture and design firm with deep workplace, hospitality, and brand practices. Competes with Pophouse for enterprise interior design RFPs but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• HOK: Global design, architecture, and engineering firm with significant workplace and interiors practice. Overlaps with Pophouse in corporate headquarters design and enterprise interior engagements.
• CannonDesign: Integrated design firm offering architecture, interior design, and experiential services across corporate, healthcare, and education markets. Comparable to Pophouse in bundling interior and experiential disciplines.
• SmithGroup: Integrated architecture, engineering, and design firm with workplace and interiors capabilities. Comparable to Pophouse in corporate workplace and interdisciplinary design delivery.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture and design firm with an interiors practice serving corporate, healthcare, and cultural clients. Overlaps with Pophouse in enterprise workplace and brand-driven interior projects.

Direct peers

• Rockwell Group: Interdisciplinary design firm blending architecture, interior design, brand, and experiential design for hospitality, entertainment, and cultural clients. Comparable to Pophouse in bundling multiple design disciplines under one creative practice.
• Ware Malcomb: Commercial real estate design firm specializing in office, healthcare, retail, and industrial interior design. Comparable to Pophouse in mid-market and enterprise workplace design engagements.
• IA Interior Architects: Workplace-focused interior design firm serving enterprise clients with strategy, design, and experiential offerings. Closely comparable to Pophouse in target market (corporate workplaces) and full-service design model.
• Elkus Manfredi Architects: Mid-sized interdisciplinary design firm with architecture, interiors, and urban design practices serving corporate, retail, and hospitality clients. Comparable to Pophouse in scale and full-service design model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pophouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/pophousedetroit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pophouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/pophouse

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Pophouse