BWBR sent a team of interior designers, architects, workplace specialists, and design leaders to Chicago for NeoCon and Design Days, where we saw the latest trends and innovations in interior design on display. This year, the focus was on design simplification, prioritizing sustainability, and enhancing flexibility. Here’s a closer look at the standout trends and highlights:
Less is More
Clean, simplified design was a key theme, evident in both patterns and colors throughout flooring, textile, and furniture showrooms. While high color contrast and heavy pattern usage has been popular in years past, we saw a shift in 2024. This year, furnishings and finishes acted as more neutral backdrops in environments, allowing users to add vibrancy to a space using art, plants, and other unique details.
We also saw this trend in action with steps toward making products more accessible and user-friendly without the need for extensive adjustments. Clean lines, minimalistic patterns, and functional simplicity were prevalent throughout the showrooms, reflecting more inclusive and intuitive design solutions.
Simplicity and sustainability went hand-in-hand, seen throughout the events in product engineering that minimizes the amount of material needed and considers how that product can be replaced, repaired, or recycled at end of life.
Sustainability Takes Center Stage
The push for sustainability was stronger than ever, with many showrooms and manufacturers showcasing natural, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional materials. Unfinished woods and natural textures were prominently featured, celebrating the raw beauty of these materials. This year marked a significant shift from mere discussions about sustainability to more tangible actions and results.
We saw many products made from recycled materials, while other manufacturers focused on reducing packaging and single-use plastics. Flooring companies also played a major role, emphasizing recycled content and reclamation programs. The industry is continuing to make great strides towards dematerialization, with impressive advancements in reducing the material and environmental impact of products.
The Art of Balance
We as designers are increasingly focused on creating spaces that engage all senses while providing areas that balance both relaxation and rejuvenation, allowing an immersive experience for many different types of people to enjoy. Showrooms featured personal and small group pods, highlighting a thoughtful balance between active, sensory-rich environments and tranquil, private areas. This approach underscores the importance of offering a variety of choices within workspaces to cater to diverse needs.
A blend of old and new was also observed at this year’s events, with a resurgence of classic designs reimagined for contemporary spaces. Showrooms celebrated the “new classics,” blending timeless aesthetics, shapes, and textures with modern functionality and ergonomics.
A Standout Showroom
One showroom truly captured the spirit of joyful design (and might have been my favorite of the show!). Momentum, which received multiple Best of Neocon awards, featured a standout collection from Yinka Ilori, earning the Best Booth award.
The space was a celebration of joy, immediately eye-catching with vibrant colors and unique design elements that set it apart. While most other showrooms were simplifying their colors and moving towards neutrality, Momentum fully embraced the color realm. When walking into this showroom, we were delighted by feelings of joy, happiness, and excitement for the future of design!
Between emerging trends to look out for, exciting new products embracing sustainability and accessibility, and so many incredible showrooms, it was a great NeoCon and Design Days. As always, we can’t wait to explore these developments in our work and watch how the design and landscape of the shows evolve next year!
