Every year, the NeoCon show in the United States showcases the world’s best commercial interior design, with cutting-edge concepts, the latest furniture innovations, and glimpses into the future of the workplace.
This year’s event was no different, highlighting the latest office chair designs and contemporary creative workspace concepts.
Buro team members, Adam Tipping, Product Development Manager, and Carla Sheldon, Marketing Manager, visited the States to check out this year’s show. Here are their top seven takeaways and everything you need to know about the hottest interior design trends.
Seven office chair design trends on show
Synchro mechanisms
Synchro mechanisms were displayed throughout NeoCon this year, as more furniture designers embrace flexible ergonomics.
Synchro mech chairs, like our own Buro Mentor, move in harmony with the body for maximum ergonomic support and comfort, with no levers to adjust. They adapt and adjust to our needs as we change positions during the working day.
Carla says synchro mech chairs are becoming increasingly popular among the world’s top furniture designers.
“There were more synchro mechanisms than three lever chairs,” she says. “At this year’s NeoCon, there was a continuation of office furniture that offers flexibility to multiple users, and mechanisms that can dynamically transform to comfortably fit any body.”
Elegant shapes
Chairs with slim backs, oval-back chairs, and square-shaped backs were all the rage at this year’s conference.
Carla says “simpler, more elegant” shapes and designs, (like our Buro Elan) were in vogue. This trend is evident in meeting room chairs – these have lost their ‘chunkiness’ and are more streamlined, often with smaller arms,” she adds.
Adam saw more 3D knit mesh fabrics on show, while Carla noticed “more colour” across the latest office chair designs.
The Buro Elan is an office chair with a graceful appearance, elegant lines and advanced ergonomic features including a synchro mechanism, breathable mesh back, depth adjustable seat slide, lumbar support and optional armrests and headrest.
The ‘Resimercial’ trend
Hybrid and flexible working is here to stay, but companies are looking to make their workplaces more homely and inviting to employees. Cue the ‘Resimercial’ trend.
Through interior design touches, employers are looking to earn the employee commute and entice people back to the HQ. Natural light, wellness and mental health rooms, and amenities like great coffee facilities are increasingly common.
Offices also offer different spaces to suit different types of work, from focus spaces to collaboration spaces and conference rooms.
Even workplace kitchens are getting a facelift, with large islands for socialising, relaxing, and sharing ideas.
Top interior designers are making workplaces warm, inviting, and comfortable — just like home.
“Even the meeting spaces were more like your lounge room at home,” Adam adds.
Even healthcare interior design is being influenced by the trend, Carla says:
“Resimercial is stronger than ever, with some very homely touches in workplace design. This is extending to healthcare, elevating the experience for patients and clinicians with lighter colours.”
Soft seating
Soft seating is a key feature of the Resimercial trend. Workplaces are using soft furniture typically found in homes, such as armchairs and ottomans, to give the office a more homely feel.
In collaboration spaces, soft furnishings are used to enhance group work and socialisation, with designers opting for modular reconfigurable furniture and fixed shapes to fit multiple people.
Natural themes
Offices are increasingly embracing the great outdoors, and biophilia (natural themes) was another top trend at NeoCon.
Green walls, indoor plants, organic shapes, and natural materials are being used to put employees at ease in the workplace.
Wooden fixtures and organic shapes were featured across the conference.
Adam says natural designs were popular in “collaborative and breakout spaces”.
“A lot of different elements were being combined. Fabrics, woods, leather, exposed metal and recycled PET are all being used in differing combinations,” he adds.
Carla says: “Colours are brightening up, but there is still a strong influence of natural blue, green, and terracotta shades.”
Sustainability
Sustainability was arguably one of the biggest trends at this year’s NeoCon. More than ever, interior designers and furniture makers are focusing on sustainability and recyclability, as companies seek to lower their environmental footprint.
Product stewardship is another key focus for the year, with brands keen to maximise the lifecycle of their products and ensure parts can be replaced and repurposed.
The Okamura Sylphy (made from 100% recyclable cushion material), NaughtOne Percy (whose components are recyclable or reusable at the end of life), and the KFI Jade (featuring recycled plastic felt), caught the eye of our team this year.
Technology
As technology, conference calls, and connectivity become a greater part of our working lives, designers are blending tech features into commercial fitouts.
“Technology in the office spaces must work in unison with the furniture,” Adam says. “Digital screens in a breakout space are the new meeting room. Power bank charging stations are now a prerequisite to an open plan office.”
Carla adds: “With hybrid working now the new normal, technology is being incorporated into workplace design. We saw digital screens in small collaborative spaces and larger screens in meeting areas to include remote participants. Powerpoints are being built into sofas and collaborative furniture for easy laptop charging, and portable charging units all support flexible working spaces.”
A glimpse of the future
NeoCon 2024 brought the very best in design trends, providing a glimpse into the future of the office.
Adam liked the RedDot award-winning Fuld Nesting Chair, which can be bunched together when not in use, as one of the more futuristic furniture items on show.
Carla picked out the Neuron Activation Pod, a solo space for workers to chill out in the office, supported by low-frequency vibrations.
