Curiosity fuels Erika Cross. The Ann Arbor, Michigan–based maker designs highly adaptable pieces that spark creativity and encourage interaction. “Reconfigurability adds tremendous value to the relationship between user and object,” she tells Business of Home. “If users can adjust their objects to meet evolving needs and environments, it extends the lifespan of the design.”
Cross grew up in the Midwest and has been interested in art for as long as she can remember. When she was in third grade, her painting won first prize at the Michigan State Fair, and by middle school she was helping her mom pick out furniture for their newly renovated house. “I knew I wanted to work in design at that young age,” she says.
She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and design from the University of Michigan, and then a bachelor’s in interior design at Eastern Michigan University before enrolling at the Royal College of Art in London, where she received an MFA in product design. In 2016, Cross launched her namesake studio with a selection of occasional tables composed of reclaimed wood and resin, as well as a line of cork-based designs that included a sound-absorbing wallcovering and a chair made from salvaged wine bottle stoppers. “I was fresh out of grad school—my thesis work became my inaugural collection,” she says.
Her first cohesive furniture collection, Elements, arrived in 2022 featuring eight interactive designs, such as the screw-shaped Bolt with a rotating, height-adjustable tabletop, and the two-piece Step coffee table that can be arranged in an array of space-savvy configurations. “I used simple geometric shapes as building blocks, and combined them to form sculptural objects,” explains Cross. “There is a dialogue among the parts that make up each object, and also between the objects and the users who enjoy them.”
To forge her imaginative pieces, she employs a mix of old-school artisanal methods and cutting-edge technology. The Bolt table, for, instance, requires everything from hand-carving and veneering to lamination and 3D printing to produce. “Engineering these custom processes—and working through the challenges and obstacles that arise along the way—is a part of my work I greatly enjoy,” she says.
Materiality also plays a significant role in her work. Cross uses a medley of fashion-forward materials, including all-natural, 100 percent recyclable cork and hand-cast eco-resins, to elevate her sprightly designs. “I mainly select materials based on their physical properties and applications,” she says.
The Elements series has scored an assortment of prestigious accolades, including WantedDesign’s 2022 Best of Launch Pad and a 2023 ISFD Innovation + Design Award. “There was widespread recognition for this collection almost immediately,” says Cross.
Last month, she unveiled Squiggle, a line of undulating mirrors with rearrangeable frames made from PVC and Baltic birch, while remaining hard at work on a handful of custom designs for clients. “One involves an installation where I’m suspending around 30,000 artificial flowers from the ceiling of the event room in a medical spa,” she says. “I absolutely love bespoke projects because they provide me the freedom to work outside my personal collection and explore different aesthetic styles.”
If you want to learn more about Erika Cross, visit her website or Instagram.
