- Art & Design
From a studio in East London, the award-winning furniture and interior brand Six Dots Design develops objects that leave room for spontaneity, personality and the visible traces of the making process. Expressive forms, raw materials and unexpected details form the common thread running through a body of work that exists somewhere between design and art. What began as a personal exploration has, in just a few years, evolved into an internationally recognised label collaborating with collectors, interior architects and cultural institutions.
Behind Six Dots Design is Joseph Ellwood, who founded the brand in 2020. After studying architecture at the University of Bath, he honed his technical skills with a furniture maker before beginning to share his own designs during the lockdown period. These early creations quickly attracted the attention of clients. While continuing his studies at the Royal College of Art, Ellwood remained active in bespoke projects, but a study trip to Villa André Bloc proved to be a pivotal moment. The sculptural and playful approach of the French artist and architect inspired him to view objects as more than functional solutions. From that point onwards, imagination and expression found a much more prominent place within his design practice. 
This evolution culminated in the brand’s first fully realised collection: Contemporary Vanity. The series was unveiled at a dedicated launch event before being exhibited at several exhibitions. The collection received international attention and established the name of Six Dots Design within a broader design context. Specialist publications soon took notice, and by the end of 2022, Wallpaper Magazine had named the studio one of the most promising design practices of the future. This recognition laid the foundation for a period of rapid growth and increasingly ambitious projects.
The sculptural and playful approach of André Bloc inspired him to view objects as more than functional solutions
Alongside this development, the London-based label worked on a diverse range of commissions and collaborations. It designed furniture for Shoreditch Arts Club and participated in an exhibition by Rimowa. In 2023, collaborations followed with H&M and IKEA, with Six Dots Design contributing to the development of a range of everyday objects. The following year, the brand made its debut at Collectible in Belgium, where the Handcraft Spacecraft table was selected as one of the fair’s standout pieces. The collection later evolved into a range distributed internationally. 
Recent years have likewise demonstrated a studio that continues to experiment with new forms of presentation and collaboration. In 2024, Six Dots Design launched the Not in Service collection through a performance inspired by a fashion show. In 2025, collaborations followed with Maison Margiela and CUPRA, while the studio’s work appeared with increasing frequency in international interior and design publications. At the beginning of 2026, one of its designs received a Wallpaper Design Award. Throughout all these projects, the same conviction remains at the core: design should be human, expressive and unpredictable, with room for the imperfections that give an object its character.
Courtesy of Six Dots Design
Text by Carolien Depamelaere