Tracking Trends in the Contract Furniture Industry

by Alyssa Mellett

NeoCon, or the National Exposition of Contract Furnishings Show, is the world’s premiere event for the contract furniture industry . Manufacturers from around the world participate to display their latest creations and visions for the future. Every year, Formation attends, seeking inspiration and to keep our finger on the pulse of the design world.

High level themes that emerged from this year’s show included the blurring of lines between residential and commercial spaces, a heightened focus on sustainability , and the creation of flexible systems that can adapt to any office and any style of work. Here are four prominent trends we saw this year.

01 | TEXTILES + TECH

Exploration in textiles was a huge theme at Neocon this year. From Haworth’s Digital knitting machine to highly textural fabrics, we are excited to see how this trend evolves in the future.

Haworth’s digital knitting machine was quickly producing samples of its capabilities throughout the week. This automated loom enables Haworth to create striking, unique pieces with patterns, colors, textures, and performance elements. Office furniture will soon join the footwear and fashion industries as they push the limits of bespoke, high-performance textiles.

Prototypes offered insight into the digital knitting machine’s capabilities and Haworth’s vision of how to apply this technology to the contract seating industry. Since each pattern is engineered to exact dimensions, there is no cutting or unused material, resulting in a zero-waste.

Formation Partner, Bob Henshaw evaluates Haworth Digital Knit office chair back samples while learning more about the technology.

Fabrics with a raised or textural elements were incredibly popular across different companies. A nostalgic influence was also apparent in textiles this year; retro patterns and tweed inspired fabrics were prevalent.

Felt and other compressed fiber fabrics with a heathered appearance, have been popular over the last several years and continue to be showcased. In some cases, intentional variation in appearance was eco-driven as companies strive for environmentally conscious offerings.

Textural elements are created using a variety of techniques, from subtle stitch direction variation to drastic changes in fabric thickness. HBF’s Lost and Found collection embodied this trend.

02 | COLOR

Color trends were incredibly consistent throughout the Neocon exhibitors. . The “nostalgic design” trend was embodied at Neocon through a colors reminiscent of the 1970’s. Soft, warm hues such as oranges and yellows were accented with muted greens and blues.

Terracotta and clay-inspired hues were a popular accent color.

A good snapshot of the color palette consistently seen throughout the show.

For some showrooms, yellow was the “it” color of 2019. As we move away from millennial pink, gen z yellow is a natural evolution. Pink and yellow are versatile accent colors. The companies that showcased this trend opted for brighter and bolder hues, to demonstrate the color’s versatility and ability to turn heads.

A muted, warm clay paired with a deep, jewel green formed a compelling composition.

Greens and blues were consistently seen in healthcare-focused spaces.

Light neutrals helped tie pieces together; light fabrics, felts, and woods acted as a neutral foundation for their colorful counterparts.

03 | SHAPE

Simple and soft forms were prevalent this year. The rounded shapes made the pieces feel approachable and comforting. In some applications, this approach felt playful and relaxed.

The rounded seat pan of this chair is amplified outward by the wrap-around back. The slight color variation in the two piece’s upholstery brings attention to this detail.

Even space dividing elements, which have traditionally been very architectural in their form, introduced softened corners. The segmented panels allow for greater repetition of this detail and assist with the manufacturing of the pieces.

Again, the efficient right corner of this privacy divider has been rounded. Will soft corners make cubicles more palatable in office and co-working spaces?

These task stools had a playful, bulbous attribute to their simple form. With the quiet return of velvet and the popularity of tactile textures, we expect to see more rounded and overstuffed seating in the coming years.

The color variation draws your eye to this full round corner detail inside a privacy pod.

The Hightower Nest Easy Chair repeats rounded forms ad nauseum and we love it. Who wouldn’t love taking a call or drinking a cup of coffee nestled in this vision of coziness?

Even in rigid materials, soft shapes emerge. StudioTK used extruded aluminum panels to form their Freehand side table, a stand out product this year.

04 | POWER

With office trends continuing to move away from open floor plans, furniture companies are looking for ways to create a personal office-feel in the middle of a room. Because bringing electricity to these smaller spaces is a major hurdle, companies presented a variety of solutions this year. We can’t wait to see which will prevail in offices of the future.

There was no lack of USB ports integrated into furniture.

Inductive charging was surprisingly scarce, we expected it to be more prevalent given the market saturation of this feature in popular smartphones.

Hightower even integrated outlets into their yet to be released Atlas Light Pendant. Hightower’s inaugural showroom was one of our favorite spaces this year.

New life was given to extension cords to help make charging more accessible. Cord wraps and high-end finishes were common.

Stand-alone charging centers were common, however, they still needed to be tethered to an outlet. OFS’ Scepter was one of many power solutions.

Steelcase showcased their mobile power solution: a portable rechargeable battery that can accompany you in any space.

Neocon 2019 was full of nostalgic influences, the return of, dare we say it, cubicles, and bringing the comfort of your living room to the break room. We’re excited to see how the emerging technology and evolving color, material, and finish trends shape the workplace of the future and influence adjacent industries. If you would like to see more from this year’s show and how we apply these trends to your business, contact us.