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Savor the last days of summer in the comfort of Blu Dot’s new outdoor furniture collection

Cabana Cool

Savor the last days of summer in the comfort of Blu Dot’s new outdoor furniture collection

Savor the last days of summer in the comfort of Blu Dot’s New Outdoor Furniture Collection (Courtesy Blu Dot)

Minneapolis-based furniture purveyor Blu Dot recently released their new Perch outdoor furniture collection, a luxurious seating family outfitted with sumptuous pillowy cushioning. Perch comprises a two-seat sofa, three-seat sofa, lounge chair and ottoman, and reclining chair fashioned from rectangular teak slats supported by a matte white aluminum framework. The material composition affords nearly year-round exposure to the elements. Meanwhile, the Sunbrella fabric prevents fading and pesky mildew. 

Perch Outdoor 2 Seat Sofa

 

A teak recliner
(Courtesy Blu Dot)

Perch Outdoor Lounge Chair

A teak recliner
(Courtesy Blu Dot)

Perch Outdoor Ottoman

A teak ottoman
(Courtesy Blu Dot)

Perch Outdoor 3 Seat Sofa

An outdoor three-seat sofa
(Courtesy Blu Dot)

Perch Outdoor Sun Lounger

A white recliner
(Courtesy Blu Dot)

As the story goes, Blu Dot’s design team was inspired by the marine world. Taking cues from the aesthetic detailing of decking and boats, the Perch collection features just three materials, in a construction that makes use of each: a solid aluminum base to support teakwood slats, topped off with a Sunbrella upholstered cushion. The combination results in a striking combination of cozy reclining seating that brings the warmth of indoors outside. 

A sketchbook showing different chairs
(Courtesy Blu Dot)
A man touching a recliner
(Courtesy Blu Dot)

On a recent trip the company’s Minneapolis headquarters, The Architect’s Newspaper had the opportunity to speak with the design team and founders, Maurice Blanks and John Christakos. Established in 1997, Blu Dot was started by a collection of friends that had just graduated from architecture and art school. Frustrated by the lack of modern furniture available that was designed well and that they could actually afford, they decided to go off on their own and 22 years later, the company prides itself in the ethos that brought it to fruition: affordable furniture that people in their twenties could buy on a budget. This was before IKEA, West Elm, and CB2, when you had to actually get an appointment to a furniture showroom. 

(Gabrielle Golenda/AN)
(Gabrielle Golenda/AN)

Blanks and Christakos designed and made Blu Dot’s earliest creations like the Real Good Chair, Modu-licious, and the Strut Table. Nowadays, they both work the in-house design team to develop new collections like the Hands Down sofa collection, conjure new designs like the Deep Thought Leather Lounge Chair, and, from time to time, retire irrelevant pieces like 4 Square CD Rack. What’s next? The company has just launched its own series of rugs that pair perfectly with their furniture offerings, which will continue to grow within the Blu Dot furniture family.

(Gabrielle Golenda/AN)

With all that in mind, do have a hankering to get your hands on a Blu Dot original of your own? Enter to win a 1972 Chevy El Camino filled with ten thousand dollars worth of Blu Dot Furniture—nearly as many as you could cram into the trunk—on Blu Dot’s website through September 20.

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