Review of NeoCon 2019
With nearly one million square feet of the most versatile exhibits gathered under one roof, we were immersed in the most featured innovative, products and services from well-known companies and emerging talent.
Interior designers Bonnie Hakes and Rita Gochberg share their insights on NeoCon.
Every year Neocon exhibitors not only showcase a vast variety of products from residential to commercial but also bring forward design trends. Some are reinforcing previous strong styles that are here to stay or introduce new philosophies that are powerful enough to transcend across multiple manufacturers and markets, setting the tone for future interior environments.
Mid-Century Modern For All
Mid-century modern style has made a huge comeback in recent years but, until recently, it was clearly reserved for the residential niche. That is not the case anymore. Mid-century style, from clean lines to its use of natural material, exposed plywood edges and simplicity, fully expanded into the commercial world. From retail to corporate environments, it is unmistakably here.
Biophilia
As study after study shows that exposure to natural elements has positive influence on our health and wellbeing, more and more environments are beginning to integrate greenery, natural and nature-inspired materials and use of color palettes that reminisce of outdoor elements.
Geometry, Texture and Bold Colors
Geometric patterns, from big and bold to small and intricate, are dominant across a multitude of products. We can expect to find them in flooring, wallcovering materials, accent elements and casework. This trend is part of a bigger scale, particularly in furniture, allowing for flexibility and mobility, where different elements can be disassembled and reassembled, allowing for easy nesting, reconfiguration and adaptability.
Bold patterns are not limited to only shapes, this year we see a rise of an edgy combination of purple and orange tones as well as use of highly textured upholstery, stepping away from the typical commercial flat fabrics and reinforcing the continuous shift towards “Resimercial” integration.
Open Office – Rethinking Work Flow and Privacy
In the past couple of decades, corporate environments completely transformed, moving towards open office spaces and practically deconstructing the personal cubicle and shifting towards “work where you land” spaces. Open office is now being pulled back, seeking to reintroduce options for privacy and autonomy, even if it is just temporary.
The office environment is moving towards the idea of individual work and flexible and reconfigurable settings allowing project need-based groupings and privacy accommodations.
As a response to this need to provide privacy, we see a huge influx of solutions in the shape of small soundproof boxes, reminiscent of phone booths, promising to be the answer for every office looking to retrofit on a dime. While the vast selection of these pop-up companies offering the “phone booth solution” are very generic in appearance and not at all inspiring, a few stood out with their attempt to provide not only a solution, but a solution that had some design process behind it.
Gone are the large cumbersome occasional tables. We see an emergence of smaller tables offering proportions that allow for ease of re-configuring in the workplace, while also creating an interesting composition by layering one on top of the other.
Creative Acoustics
This year shows us a large amount of creative and, in some cases, sustainable acoustical solutions that can seamlessly integrate into any high-end design allowing for wide range of customization. We see an extremely wide range of solutions including wall panels, freestanding elements and ceiling configurations allowing for lighting integration, seamless integration into any design and complete customization.
