This year’s Neocon had a lot of standouts. There were big names with new design collaborations and some up-and-coming designers that really stood out. Here are a few of our favorites from The Mart in Chicago.
Brooklyn-based Uhuru made the leap to contract furniture with their very first collection dubbed Essentials Workplace. The brand’s dedication to craftsmanship and material sensibility is apparent in the new line that offers industrial-yet-modern pieces that can be incorporated into a variety of different office styles.
Allsteel showed a lot of great options for the evolving workplace using fresh and bright textiles, including Parallel (shown above) which is designed with wide arm rests to allow for informal, relaxed meeting places.
A manufacturer of innovative glass and resin architectural materials, Sensitile debuted Celeste, a fully customizable backlit canvas. Either LED panel lights, projection light, or daylight can be used to emphasize the the etched glass patterns that appear to be infinite.
Tarkett debuted a collection of luxury vinyl tile collections from a group of very impressive designers including Suzanne Tick, 2X4, D.B. Kim, K&Co, and Sagmeister & Walsh. The products ranged from subtle-yet-beautiful ombre wood-look tiles to all out in-your-face florals that faded into colorful pixels.
In a match made in heaven, Scholten & Baijins has designed a serenely beautiful collection of graphic gradient patterns for Skyline Design. Its subtle patterns, which can be arranged in multiple ways to allow more light or more privacy, are paired with a curated color palette that look great as a whole.
One brand that really stood out in terms of innovation was DIRTT, which stands for “doing it right this time.” Not only can they build practically anything designers and architects can dream up, they can do it in a very short amount of time. They have also pioneered new virtual reality technology that allows users to edit 3-D models in real time, as well as being able to physically walk inside these digital models.
The Conexus lounge chair by HBF, designed by Michael Vanderbly, maintains the craftsmanship and style of luxury residential furniture alongside ultra-durable materials that would suit practically any hotel lobby, upscale retail store, or office reception area. In addition, they also debuted a striking collection of textiles designed by European designer Christian Müller.
Other impressive textiles include Carnegie’s Alunet, an open-neat weave that controls heat and glare with maximum transparency, and Reflectacoustic, an innovative design that controls sounds as well as delivering heat and glare reduction through yarn, weaving, and metalized backing technology.