Based in Minneapolis, Blu Dot creates home furnishings that combine classic silhouettes and contemporary design. College friends John Christakos, Charles Lazor and Maurice Blanks (two architects and a sculptor) started Blu Dot out of necessity: They were trying to decorate their first homes and couldn’t find affordable furniture that they actually wanted to buy. Frustrated but inspired, the trio set about creating fun, simple wood and steel pieces inspired by mid-century modernists such as George Nelson, and soon won the hearts and minds of other unsatisfied home decorators. Highlights of their always-evolving collection include sculpture-like bentwood rockers; futuristic floor and table lamps; the Modu-licious series of interchangeable storage units, beds, and tables; and home accessories such as pixelated decorative pillows and 1930s-inspired rugs.