7 Trends From NeoCon 2022

Published: July 7, 2022

Our team spent three jam-packed days at NeoCon 2022 and Teknion’s inaugural WorkWell Chicago event. We had a blast absorbing fresh furniture solutions, ways to address the new workplace, and other innovative ideas from some of the industry’s most influential designers and thought leaders.

The Collective Design Specialists, Eva Lindstrom and Rafael Martin, compiled common themes from the tradeshow that we feel will set the stage for the new workplace. Read them below!

Space Division

Before 2020, there was a simmering interest in additional space division, perhaps due to the growing backlash of noisy, open office environments. The pandemic accelerated this trend dramatically and pushed furniture experts to be more creative in adapting to clients’ needs, whether for health/safety, wellness, or worker productivity. As a result, these solutions involve more acoustics, visual privacy, and combinations of materials.

Spacestor, Arcadia

Stylex, Still

Teknion, Expansion Cityline A Frame

Mobility

Manufacturers are adding casters to their furniture in response to the trend of creating flexible spaces. Mobile furniture allows office leaders and end users to adapt rooms to their working styles, which can be especially useful for those clients that have downsized to a smaller office footprint. Adding mobility to furniture makes the office more playful.

Senator Group, Adapt

Teknion, Routes (stackable)

Martin Brattrud, Trestle Table

Planters

It brought us so much joy to see that nearly every brand incorporated greenery into their products in some way, shape, or form! The trend toward planters drives home the widespread desire to bring the outside inside and stimulate Biophilia, otherwise known as the natural human instinct to connect with nature. Bringing greenery into a space, whether through a large plant, moss wall, hanging plant from a workstation, or just a tiny planter hanging from a workstation, can tremendously impact employee well-being.

OFS, Kaleid

Teknion, Kiosk Planter

Nordgrona, Moss (can help with acoustics)

Textured Fabrics and Elevated Finishes on Day-to-Day Pieces

By now, most know about the Resimercial design trend, the blending of ‘residential’ and ‘commercial’, which has been a welcome departure from bland, dull, mainly vinyl fabrics. More manufacturers showcased highly textured fabrics on their furniture to perhaps add a “cozy and “homey” feel that resembles styles one might see in residential design. Screens with highly textured fabrics elevated the look of the workstation, and chairs with textured fabrics were too inviting to pass up a seat.

 

Allermuir / Senator Showroom – Chair finish

SitOnIt Ped Cushion

Naughtone Showroom Finish

Elevated Power

Power solutions were no longer an afterthought. Manufacturers are integrating power inside upholstered pieces, adding different color options, and even creating bold freestanding power modules. With the workplace so reliant on technology, it was refreshing to explore innovative solutions for power.

EVOline

Watson, Haven (integrated power in light fixtures)

Byrne, Vesta

Senator, Mote

Teknion Untethered

Hightower, Niko Power

Terracotta Color Palette

Will Terracotta be the next Pantone Color of the Year? Manufacturers seemed to trend towards blush finishes, wood-tone finishes, or other materially inspired finishes. This finish color communicated a soft, warm, and welcoming look/feel that we absolutely loved.

HBF, Note Touchdown Desk

 

HBF, Textiles

Hightower, Kona Sectional

OFS, Hydra

Teknion, Zones Modular & Studio TK, Qui

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