Jessica Smarsch, Manager of Design for Robert Allen Contract, attended the NeoCon World Trade Fair June 14-16 in Chicago. North America’s largest design exhibition and conference for commercial interiors, this annual industry gathering has taken place at The Merchandise Mart for the past 42 years. We knew Jessica would be trend-spotting so we asked her to share a few of her discoveries in our blog this week.
It was a refreshing sight to see bustling halls at NeoCon this year. There certainly seemed to be a positive spirit in the air. I was struck by a number of interesting trends infiltrating the Contract market.
The trend of naturals has been huge in residential and it seems to also be taking hold in the corporate arena. Here Steelcase pairs leather and wool looks with a soft throw in a modern, natural feel.
Nurture by Steelcase uses this linen ground with a playful illustration for a pediatric accessory in healthcare.
Wool felt is nothing new to the corporate arena, but here Halcon uses it in a new way: in a natural tone as an elegant and functional magazine rack.
And perhaps the most innovative, surprising and beautiful use of a natural fiber was seen at Herman Miller with this perforated wool panel system.
Another interesting sight at Neocon this year were sheers in the corporate environment. Here Knoll uses a modern, "techie" sheer as a corporate space divider, allowing more fluidity of space, perhaps following the trend of lowered panel heights and a more open corporate environment.
Humanscale offers a simple geometric sheer as a "go with" in this office setting.
And finally: COLOR. Purple has infiltrated the market in waiting rooms, healthcare and corporate settings. Carolina / Loewenstein uses purple as a decorative accent in a waiting room.
... and here as an accent pillow in a medical setting.
Izzy Group shows purple with the still-popular acidic green.
And Steelcase offers an office system in this hip new color.
Robert Allen Contract’s NeoCon exhibit included our own homage to purple. Shown here is one of our five room palettes in the new Classic Living collection, which includes fabrics and paints (Sherwin-Williams low and no-VOC wall coverings) for senior living. It’s our first collection targeted to CCRC (Continuous Care Retirement Communities).
If you haven’t been to NeoCon, plan to attend next year in Chicago on June 13 –June 15. You’ll see thousands of innovative new products – can choose from 150 CEU-accrediteed seminars – and connect with 40,000 or so of your colleagues! It’s informative, educational and lots of fun!