Blu Dot

Blu Dot is an American modern furniture retailer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It operates 17 retail locations in the United States, Mexico, and Australia.[1][2]

Blu Dot
IndustryFurniture
Founded1997 (1997) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Founders
  • Maurice Blanks
  • John Christakos
  • Charlie Lazor
Headquarters
Minneapolis, MN
,
U.S.
WebsiteBluDot.com

History

Blu Dot was founded in 1997 by Maurice Blanks, John Christakos, and Charlie Lazor.[3] The trio conceived the idea during a backpacking trip across Asia a decade earlier while they were undergraduates at Williams College.[3][4]

In April 2008, Blu Dot received a $10 million growth equity investment from private equity firm CHB Capital Partners.[5][6][7]

In 2018, Blu Dot was given the Product Design award at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards.[8]

References

  1. ^ Lagorio-Chafkin, Christine. "How Two Architects and a Sculptor Built an Enduring Furniture Design Firm". Inc. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  2. ^ Ewoldt, John (2015-03-21). "Blu Dot furniture to open its first outlet store". www.startribune.com. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  3. ^ a b Studach, Mel (26 November 2018). "Why Blu Dot wants to make good design democratic". Business of Home. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  4. ^ Kenefick, Courtney (2017-05-09). "How It's Made: Blu Dot". SURFACE. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  5. ^ "CHB Capital Partners Portfolio Investments, CHB Capital Partners Funds, CHB Capital Partners Exits". www.cbinsights.com. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  6. ^ "Blu Dot - Products, Competitors, Financials, Employees, Headquarters Locations". www.cbinsights.com. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
  7. ^ "CHB Capital Partners". www.chbcapital.com. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
  8. ^ "The year's best design firm according to Cooper Hewitt". Business of Home. June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2022.