The city was beautiful, the weather was perfect and this year’s show was everything we expected it to be; big, well attended, full of new product releases and expanded enhancements.
So, let’s jump right in with this years top NeoCon trends.
Trend No.1:
Color- It’s Everywhere
Over the last few years, we’ve seen an upward trend when it comes to color. From bright and popping to jewel toned hues, color is one trend that everyone is loving.
And this year was no different. We saw color everywhere. But the key trend this year was in the powdercoat finish enhancements. More furniture featured details with options to customize and add color in an even larger selection of powdercoat finishes. This trend was easily this year’s biggest stand out feature.
From bright blue table and desk bases to orange foot rings, customizing product with more powdercoat finish options was a top priority for many brands.
There is one thing for certain, color makes an impact. And after a rough couple of years, it's nice to see some happiness through color making it's way back into the workplace.
Trend No. 2
Luxurious Velvets, Soft Texture and Quilted Knits
In almost every showroom- yes you heard this correctly- EVERY showroom, we saw beautiful velvets, soft, neutral textures and quilted patterns to help reinforce that strong resimmercial vibe.
No.3
Low and Oversized
Comfort was a key factor that led many of the trends for this year’s show. We saw a lot of low-to-the-ground and oversized lounge sofas, sectionals and chairs. And they were AMAZINGLY comfortable. In fact, if you attended this year's show, you may have seen me “plopped” down in the OFS showroom. I must add that their lounge was AMAZING! I didn't want to move.
No.3
Chairs with Flair
A little flair here, a little flair there- chairs with flair were simply everywhere!
No.4
Geometric Attributes
New shapes and fun sizes played a big role many furniture designs including ottomans, table tops and bases, which leads me into our next trend…
No.5
Round and Round We Go
Rounded corners and soft curves were this years most dominant trend and they could be found on everything. I’m talking tables, desks, soft seating, shelving, credenzas, ottomans- you name it!
No.6
Micro-Seating
This trend caught me by surprise! Let's about the rise of micro-seating. Smaller in scale, yet comfortable and functional, these small pieces were popping up everywhere. Many of the chairs were an extension from a well-established collection of each brand.
This is a trend that I am interested to see unfold.
No.7
Breakaway Spaces
As employers seek an environment safe and exciting to return back to, there was a heavy emphasis on private breakaway spaces. From phone booths and pods to tiny nook focus spaces, the emphasis on these spaces were a key takeaway.
Many pods can get pricy and typically these are first on the list to get cut from ones budget. This year, we saw a lot of different styles in creating these small-scaled focus areas for an array of budgets.
No.8
Media Walls and Tables
Not new to our industry, but I have never seen so many media tables and walls. The best use of these walls (in my opinion) were their location. Many vendors used these walls and tables as an end break to a benching setup or cubicles.
No.9
Personalized Space
Many of this year’s enhancements were developed with the individual in mind. Spaces are flexible, yet completely customizable and are built to fit the needs of each person, rather than a group.
The key takeaway here is that employees returning to the office want a space to call their own. And what better way is there to make a space feel familiar than with personalization.
No. 10
Ottoman Enhancements
Never have I ever seen so many enhancements to… ottomans. From foot rings, to new heights (essentially making them into stools) and stacking features, our beloved ottomans received a few facelifts this year.
No.11
Displays of Biophilia
I saved my favorite trend for last which shouldn’t be a surprise. Biophilia! I may be a bit biased on this one, but Manufacturers are getting creative with greenery and we saw a lot of it at this year’s show.
From beautiful desktop planters to markerboards and dividing screens with magnetic pots, having access to greenery was a standout feature that was thought about A LOT, and designed to seamlessly blend into the workplace.
And there you have it! Our top 11NEW-ish trends from this year's NeoCon. Id like to point out that resimmercial design and comfort were thought of throughout every piece. This is a trend that we don't see going away for a while.
And adding in natural elements such as wood, stone and greenery has been increasingly popular over the last several years. It is great to see how seamlessly these details are now becoming a standard.
If you want to browse the showrooms with us, check out our NeoCon highlights on Instagram where we take you with us through The Mart and other areas of Chicago. Check us out
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