Blu Dot

Blu Dot is an American modern furniture retailer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It operates 17 retail locations across the United States, Mexico, and Australia. Blu Dot employs approximately 200 people worldwide, the majority of which are located at its Minneapolis headquarters.^[1]

Blu Dot

Industry	Furniture
Founded	1997; 28 years ago (1997) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Founders	Maurice Blanks John Christakos Charlie Lazor
Headquarters	Minneapolis, MN , U.S.
Website	BluDot.com

History

Blu Dot was founded by Maurice Blanks, John Christakos, and Charlie Lazor in 1997.^[2] The idea for Blu Dot was conceived back in 1988 during a backpacking trip across Asia, when the founders were still undergraduate students at Williams College.^[2][3] In April 2008, Blu Dot received a $10 million growth equity investment from private equity firm CHB Capital Partners.^{[4][5][citation needed]}

In 2018, Blu Dot was given the Product Design award at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards.^[6]

Development process and products

Hot Mesh Barstools and Table

Blu Dot oversees its product development internally, managing the process from initial design to retail through its in-house team^[3][7] and does not put its designers' names on the products.^[8]

Blu Dot's products include indoor/outdoor dining chairs, glass nesting tables, plastic lounge chairs,^[9] storage ottomans, pillows and room staple sofas.^[10] These products are marketed as "skewing midcentury, but with a sleeker, more contemporary edge."^[11]

Retail Presence

Blu Dot has developed a notable presence in major cities across the United States, Mexico, and Australia, with a total of 17 retail locations as of 2025.^[12][13]