Blu Dot

When Brett Conroy encountered the makers of a watermelon side table he'd seen in the pages of Dwell magazine – celebrated Minneapolis furniture designers Blu Dot – that he realised that we needed its aesthetic in Australia.

After visiting Blu Dot showroom in Soho, Conroy set about bringing the brand to Sydney, using his fortunate background of design and logistics. This location opened in 2013, just the third in the world after New York and Los Angeles.

Blu Dot’s pieces combine the elegance of mid-century modernist design with a level of functionality that suits small-scale living – whether in a Manhattan loft or a terrace in Sydney or Melbourne. Best of all, the pieces are accompanied by a price tag that’s accessible, not aspirational.

If you’ve ever questioned what’s possible when a designer assumes complete control of the process, all you need to do is look around. The space is punctuated with svelte couches in persimmon and dusty teal; coffee tables allude to sculpture while remaining fiercely practical and sleek; modular shelving units spin magic with space. Each piece strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and complexity – a hallmark of good design.