I Design Love

This post is a little late, but better late than never. Back in June I attended NeoCon at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, IL. If you are not familiar with NeoCon, it is one of the largest commercial design trade shows. I missed last years show, so I was really anxious to attend this year. My husband, who had some time off from his crazy schedule, joined me on this trip. It is always nice to get a little time to ourselves! When I am in Chicago I always like to spend an extra day to visit family and go shopping. So I made to sure to carve a little extra time into my trip to visit my beloved Zara. Unfortunately, we don’t have one in Detroit, so whenever I am in Chicago I make it my mission to go.

It is always fun to see what the latest and greatest trends are in the commercial design world. A big trend that I noticed with color and material was a lot of texture and more muted color palates. The past few years, the trend was to use lots of bright punches of color. This year, it was definitely toned down.

 

What is very popular right now in offices is the use of informal meeting areas or open conference rooms. The days of high cubicles are pretty much gone and offices have moved more towards an open concept. Collaboration is a big deal and to be able to have informal meeting spaces is the perfect way for people to gather. I am loving this high top table, this wood table is gorgeous and I saw a lot of tables very similar at NeoCon this year. I love the finish and feel, it creates a lot of texture.

 

 The aluminum band adds a contemporary touch to this table.

 

 This is an example of something I would use in someones private office. The table is a white back painted glass. This is a far cry from the heavy wood private offices that everyone is so used to seeing.

Again, lots and lots of texture this year. This table has a stone top table, which is stunning. It is very contemporary, but yet still traditional. The table would be the perfect compliment to the private office desk shown above.

 Wall covering is a great option to using when designing commercial interiors. With people always coming and going walls can take a beating, but commercial wall covering can help minimize the wear and tear of the walls. There are some amazing products out there for wall covering. These textures and patterns are very similar to a Phillip Jefferies grasscloth. Again texture, texture, texture….

Above are some area rugs from the textile manufacturer, Maharam. Maharam has some amazing textiles and they debuted an area rug collection for NeoCon. Area rugs are always fun to do in a commercial space. They add warmth and complete a space. Typically, I like to use carpet tile for my area rugs because of wear and tear, but putting a rug like this in a low traffic area like a lobby or break out seating area would work best.

 

 This was a display at the carpet tile showroom, Interface. You might be familiar with the brand called Flor, this is there commercial line, and they have some gorgeous tiles. The nature inspiration is in full force at this showroom. Interface does a great job of showing their design inspiration and how it translates into carpet tiles. Once you hear the story behind the design of the carpet, it makes the carpet even more special.

 These carpet tiles above are amazing!! I love the look of the planking, it is a nice break from the traditional square tile. The pop of green color breaks up the floor and adds interest, color, and pattern. When designing I love to add pops of color when I use carpet  tile. It is a great way to break up a large area and designate space. Again, you can see all of the texture!

The textile trends this year seem to be pretty neutral with small pops of colors. The green color above was really popular.

 

 

 I love this conference table. It is a back painted glass and comes in a variety of colors. The white color is my favorite, it is stunning.

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 This was a new introduction at Neocon this year. This furniture is called bend and I think it is pretty unique. What I was really drawn to most was the bar stools. I am always looking for different style bar stools and these stools are definitely that.

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 HBF textiles, is a commercial textile line. They came out with a new collection by, Elodie Blanchard, which is gorgeous. What I really liked most was the design of their showroom. I love the wood table, paired with the white Tolix stools and the deep gray color on the walls.

I had a great time at NeoCon this year, there was so much too see and to take in. I came back to Detroit with some new ideas and inspiration.