Everyone's Talking About NeoCon & Design Days 2023

If you've never been to NeoCon and Design Days in Chicago, allow us to give you a brief summary of what you can expect. Touted as the most important event of the year for the commercial interior design industry, NeoCon has offered a space for hundreds of companies to showcase their newest, most innovative and inspiring product every year since 1969. Spanning nearly 1 million square feet, you'll walk a ton at NeoCon, taking hundreds of photos to send your clients and colleagues, and you'll have enough excitement to last you weeks after it is over.

Just like the years prior, we found inspiration in every showroom we visited. Throughout our tours, we started seeing a few similarities amongst the designs. We noticed a lot of organic shapes, planters, and private office solutions amongst all of the manufacturers. We are sure we'll start seeing these trends being utilized throughout our future projects. Read more about each of these trends below!

Organic shapes, pastels, planters and private office solutions were everywhere! Our team was inspired by the sleek, versatility of curved pieces and the smooth edges really stand out. One of our favorite new pieces of soft seating is Andreu World's Bolete Lounge BIO (above, left). Its versatility is just as strong as its uniqueness, offering the ability to utilize a single seat section or combining as many as you'd like to create a partial curve, or even full circle composition. Another curved favorite is the Halcon Optic conference table (above, right), featuring a distinct half-moon tabletop and integrated technology enhancements.

This next one is a trend we saw coming earlier this year (click here to see some of our 2023 Trend Predictions!)! From standalone accessories to standard workplace products like desking and shelving, planters are everywhere. This next product is stylish and versatile, offering acoustic solutions and even brighter space thanks to its integrated planter design. Narbutas' PARTHOS (above, left) is covered with PET felt and filled with textile offcuts, which work in tandem to muffle high, medium and low frequency sounds. Our team loves to see products that serve multiple purposes, and this next one does just that. OFS' Keleid (above, right) is a line of moveable shelving units, workstations and more that provide your space with space for luscious greenery.

This next trend may not come as a surprise at all. With the influx of companies returning to the office this past year, a need for more private open office solutions has emerged. Workers have gotten used to quieter, calm environments and companies want to provide a space where their workers feel like they aren't as distracted or overwhelmed the by the sounds that fill offices daily. With dozens of manufacturers and product options to choose from, a few that stood out to us are the Muuto Outline Highback Work 100 (above, left) and this personal privacy solution by Global (above, right) featuring a PET felt floor partition.