Search

Best of NeoCon 2019

Once again, Design Milk headed off to Chicago to the Merchandise Mart to see the latest and greatest in commercial design at NeoCon 2019. Along with a continuation of privacy furniture, much of the new designs seemed to blur the lines between workplace and home, offering companies options that provide a more comfortable and cozy feel. Color and modularity also were standouts as the workspace continues to evolve with companies focusing just as much on aesthetics as they do on functionality. Take a look at some of our favorites from this year’s show.

06.18.19 | By
Best of NeoCon 2019

Designtex presented The Bauhaus Project of wallcoverings and textiles featuring the original work of Anni Albers and Gunta Stölzl. Marking the Bauhaus centennial, the collection honors the textile pioneers, who at the start were only allowed to study ceramics and textiles when it began in 1919.

Black White Red, Anni Albers, 1926

Black White Yellow, Anni Albers, 1926

“Design for a Wallhanging”, Gunta Stölzl, 1920-1926

“Wallhanging No. 175”, Anni Albers, 1925

Hightower’s entire showroom was full of goodness, offering lots of options for various workplace scenarios, like the FourLikes Seating System with a privacy canopy. And forget looking for outlets to charge your phone as their new pendant lighting has the option for a charging cord (see below).

Also at Hightower, Claesson Koivisto Rune’s Boxplay modular sofa in a very on-trend peach was on display, along with their Sono Acoustical Panels on the wall.

Etch, by Hella Jongerius, was a favorite textile pattern at Maharam.

Coalesse presented a new seating collection designed by Arik Levy in collaboration with the Coalesse Design Group. Marien152 has a residential feel but it’s designed with workplace comfort in mind.

Patricia Urquiola unveiled her latest collaboration with Haworth, the Cabana Lounge system that’s designed to be configured into any setup that makes the user’s life more productive.

Skyline Design worked with Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, who designed two modern patterns for glass walls and partitions that resemble stained glass.

Arper featured a new chair, Cila Go, designed by Lievore Altherr as a go-to workspace with a moveable desktop and a cubby underneath for storage.

David Edward displayed the LOOPER benches, designed by the Michael Graves Design Team, which look as if a single piece of wood has been looped around in an angular fashion.

Luxxbox showed off some of their playful acoustic options, including these large, freestanding leaf-like panels.

Shaw Contract showcased some of our favorite flooring, especially the Community and three color-focused collections: reFrame (above), Dye Lab, and Gradation.

Shaw Contract’s Community

Shaw Contract’s Community

Shaw Contract’s color studies

Studio TK’s new Scandinavian-inspired Havn seating features winged sides to offer the user a retreat from the workday.

Teknion is close to launching their multifunctional modular Bene Box system, which is almost like the modern, and much more sophisticated, version of DIY cinderblock furniture of years past. The wooden modules fit together to make desks, tables, stools, shelves, and storage space, which are perfect for flexible office spaces that might need to change frequently.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.