Hunt & Noyer: Handmade furniture, home décor, and personal accessories carefully crafted in Detroit, Michigan with utility and longevity at the forefront of every design

My name is Kyle Huntoon and I am the owner and head designer behind Hunt & Noyer. I am a fourth generation woodworker who escaped a past life in an office cubicle in search of a more fulfilling mission; to create functional and beautiful home accessories and fine furniture using honest materials, applying traditional and modern techniques. 

I am a Michigan native and find inspiration in both the natural beauty that this state has to offer, and the urban landscape of my adopted home of Detroit. The rich history of manufacturing in Detroit inspires me to innovate and persevere as I work each day to expand my business, carving out my own version of the American dream of becoming a successful small business owner.

I formed Hunt & Noyer, a melding of my Father & Mother’s surnames, in early 2013 to pay homage to the lineage that has made me the designer/craftsman that I am today. 

Through Hunt & Noyer I produce handmade furniture, home décor, and personal accessories. Functionality is the driving force behind my work, carefully crafted in Detroit, Michigan with utility and longevity at the forefront of every design. My customers appreciate the attention to detail, and knowing that I stand behind each piece that comes out of my studio whether it is a craft beer carrier or a dining room table. Hunt & Noyer furniture and accessories are currently available through my website and by commission, but my hope is to establish a presence in local and national retailers, and in design magazines through paid advertising and improvements to my company branding. 

I am proud of the achievements that I have made in the past year in business which were realized by way of my first Kiva Zip loan. I was able to establish my own studio space, and purchase much needed equipment. The amazing network of Kiva Zip lenders also helped me by funding my booth fee and travel expenses allowing me to exhibit my work at the prestigious Smithsonian Craft Museum in Washington, D.C. 

The next phase of Hunt & Noyer will need another boost from the Kiva community in order to help me realize my goals, and ultimately enable me to begin hiring employees from the Detroit area. A long term goal of mine is to establish an after school outreach program through Hunt & Noyer to teach design minded youth of Detroit the skills needed to take their ideas and make them reality.

My first loan through Kiva Zip helped me to establish a studio space for Hunt & Noyer, purchase new and safer tools, and improve my website, all of which lead to an increase in customers and helped me end 2015 with approximately 25% growth in revenue from the previous year.

This second round loan will allow me to build upon the successes of 2015, and begin to market my line of furniture and home accessories on the national level through print advertising in design magazines, and the aggressive pursuit of local and regional retail opportunities. $1000 will be spent to develop and print 100+ copies of a Hunt & Noyer product catalog that I will distribute to retailers locally and in national target markets [Chicago, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Palm Springs]. $2000 will be spent to develop and run a print advertisement in national interior design magazines. $500 will be spent to fund a follow up marketing trip to Chicago [or another target market] to meet directly with retailers. 

The remainder of the loan will be spent to expand upon the existing Hunt & Noyer furniture line; purchasing material, prototyping designs, hiring employee(s), and building inventory to support the advertising push. The funding will be used to purchase materials and build inventory. It also will be used to hire and train at least one employee who’ll work for 3 months to assist in the production of inventory to support potential business growth generated by the advertising campaign. 

My expectations are that once the Hunt & Noyer brand is recognized in major markets through retail exposure and a national advertising campaign, I will see revenue growth of at least 30% over last year. With an established presence in the marketplace, repeat business will fund future investments into new designs and advertising, allowing me to hire full time employee and eventually free up time for me to establish an after school outreach program for design minded youth of Detroit.