For more than fifty years, NeoCon has provided a platform for the numerous ideas that shape the ways in which we live and work. Described as the design industry’s premier trade show event, the 54th edition of NeoCon took place in Chicago from 12-14 June 2023.
Continuing in its quest as a launchpad for innovation, the latest edition of NeoCon presented a mix of celebrated manufacturers and emerging brands, showcasing a wide array of furniture, fabrics, flooring, and interior finishes. Design professionals from a range of sectors, including work, health, hospitality, and retail, were in attendance.
This list presents Archello’s pick of the best of NeoCon 2023.
Seating manufacturer Stylex has been producing furniture for the modern workplace for more than sixty years. Today, the brand’s products also include tables and screens. The new Luna banquette seating was designed by American designer Anthony Land. Specified “by the inch”, this concept ensures Luna fits within a range of contexts and spaces. Luna’s ergonomic design provides the sitter with comfort and support. Other new designs from Stylex include the expressive Umo coffee table and cocoon-like Oko lounge chair.
Worklab Shelving System by Narbutas
Lithuanian-based Narbutas designs and creates furniture for the modern workspace. The new Worklab shelving system is a functional and original furniture piece, created to offer respite from traditional office arrangements. Designed by Italian studio Baldanzi & Novelli designers, Worklab combines a conference wall, whiteboard, workplace, and shelves. Other new designs from Narbutas include the mobile Parthos acoustic columns and the Arqus executive furniture collection.
Solid Wood Tambour by Surfacing Solution
Surfacing Solution is a manufacturer of decorative ceiling tiles, flexible wood panels, and acoustic products. Solid Wood Tambour is a flexible and grooved decorative surfacing material, available in 30 unique profiles and a range of wood species. The grooving is visually distinctive and its flexible quality is ideal when designing curves and angles.
Beam Lounge Seating by Nienkämper
Toronto-based Nienkämper makes furniture for commercial, residential, and hospitality sectors. The company manufactures classic European-designed furniture under license; its sizable portfolio also includes American and Canadian designs. The new Beam Lounge Seating was designed by Nienkämper Design and Kenny Nguyen. Expressive, curvaceous, and playful, Beam’s upholstered seating elements rest on an exposed wooden beam (from which the collection takes its name). The design incorporates a range of corresponding — integrated or separate — coffee tables.
Based in Georgia, USA, Patcraft is a manufacturer of high-performance flooring solutions for every market sector. Material Edit by Patcraft is a collection of soft and hard surfaces. The collection is inspired by “connectivity and shared artistic experience” and a rediscovery of “lost art”: it incorporates methods, techniques, and art forms from the past.
Finnish brand Framery is a maker of soundproof pods and booths for the busy workplace. The Framery One pod features leading sound insulation and ventilation and has been optimized for focused work calls and virtual meetings. The pod’s seat and table are adaptable and its exterior panels, interior fabrics, and furnishings can be customized to suit a company’s style and personality.
Designing seating for corporate, healthcare, and education sectors, California-based SitOnIt Seating specializes in task chairs, durable design-led seating, tables, and screens. The company’s new Cora collection is designed to withstand the intense demands of healthcare settings. SitOnIt used insights from professionals in healthcare interior design when creating Cora.
Born in North Carolina, USA, Davis offers a wide variety of contemporary business furniture for corporate, hospitality, healthcare, and educational sectors. The new Vida collection was designed by Berlin-based designer Hanne Willmann. Comprising a series of occasional, medium, and large conference tables, crafted with soft geometric forms, Vida represents the first collection by a female designer for Davis.
Armstrong Flooring™ Natralis™ by Armstrong Flooring
Armstrong Flooring is a heritage flooring company with more than 150 years of history. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA, it specializes in the manufacture of hard surface flooring for commercial and residential interiors. The new Armstrong Flooring™ Natralis™ is inspired by North American landscapes and “spot” patterns found in nature. The hard-wearing vinyl is designed to maintain a consistent appearance in high-traffic environments.
Based in Toronto, Borgo is a specialist in the design and manufacture of contract seating. The new Granchi stool has a distinctive crab-like appearance: Granchi translates to “crab” in Italian. With its dynamic design, the stool is particularly suited to multifunctional workspaces.
Founded in New York, Wolf-Gordon is a manufacturer of high-performing wallcoverings in a range of materials and designs. “HI > AI” is a series of digitally-printed wallcoverings on PVC-free substrates with original patterns created by seven artists. The varied designs explore topical themes, from the uniqueness of human-generated art to the anxiety caused by impinging technology. (Pictured: Digital Playful Toile.)
Mohawk is a flooring company headquartered in Georgia, USA, whose products span more than thirty different product categories. With the new Wild Dyer carpet tile collection, Mohawk celebrates the unexpected beauty of dyes manufactured from mushrooms. Wild Dyer is part of Mohawk’s focus on eco-intelligence, the biosphere, and the role of fungi in our lives.
Pindrop by Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering
Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering is a US supplier and manufacturer of textiles and wallcoverings for commercial interiors. Pindrop is a new dedicated acoustics line — crafted from recycled PET, the engaging designs seek enhance interior auditory experiences. Pindrop consists of three collections: Shapes & Tiles, Panels, and Architectural Layers.
Based in Indianapolis, USA, Brizo designs and crafts high-end fittings for kitchens and bathrooms. The new Mystix Steam System is described as “a restorative spa experience.” Users can tailor their steam shower with the Mystix Steam Generator.
The Pippin Chair from British furniture company NaughtOne is the brand’s first flexible mobile lounge chair. Designed by British designer Lucy Kurrein, Pippin is an easily maneuverable chair: set on wheels, a handy strap handle adds a quirky touch.
The Mastermind Collection by Watson Furniture
The Mastermind Collection by Watson Furniture is a modular meeting and conference table system. Mastermind is designed around the idea of the table as a foundational piece of furniture and a crucial part of human interaction.
Flote is a new seating collection by Hightower Studio, the in-house furniture product line of Hightower. Designed for the workplace and public spaces, Flote is inspired by the convertible design of a pool float.
Libra is a new multitasking chair from Ontario-based Krug. A design for active team, classroom, and training environments, it is made for active spaces.
Tiles by Ceramica Rondine are inspired by wood design and minimalist cement surfaces. Loft is a new series of concrete floor tiles that draws on industrial concrete flooring. The cement base is mixed in six earthy colors.
Santorini Stone by Phillip Jeffries
New Jersey-based Phillip Jeffries is a maker of wallcoverings. One of a number of new designs, Santorini Stone is a vinyl wallcovering that captures the quality of ancient papyrus.
Designed by German designer Martin Ballendat for Italian brand Tonon, Shells Outdoor combines a backrest braided with nautical rope and a seat upholstered in weatherproof covers.
Rug + Broadloom Collection by Shaw Contract
The Rug + Broadloom Collection from commercial flooring manufacturer Shaw Contract was designed in collaboration with Michael Ford, “The Hip Hop Architect” (whose Hip Hop Architecture Camps are “designed to empower underrepresented youth to explore and excel in the fields of architecture, urban planning, and creative placemaking through the lens of hip hop culture”). The new collection celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop.
The Arbor ceiling system from acoustic design manufacturer Turf, has been crafted with continuous connections in mind. A “Gridlock” connection allows the Arbor baffles or modules to be placed in staggered formations, heightening the ceiling system’s visual quality while maintaining acoustic performance.
Duo Trolley Bar by Poltrona Frau
The new Duo Trolley Bar from Poltrona Frau is part of the Italian heritage brand’s latest collection. Designed with a romantic edge, the Duo Trolley Bar recalls the erstwhile smoky cocktail bars of the early 20th century.
Alla Occasional Table by Andreu World
The Alla Occasional Table by Philippe Starck for Spanish furniture company Andreu World serves as a piece of sculpture, a table, and a stool. Alla uses a traditional clavet joint system, allowing for circular design and easy repairability.
The Global Collection by Alvic
The Global Collection from Alvic is a system of wall panels and cladding in a selection of stone, linear textures, and classic woodgrain.
Rayo Lounge Chair by Room & Board
The outdoor Rayo Lounge Chair from Room & Board is a circular product, made using materials that are endlessly recyclable. Rayo is one of a number of new products from the Minnesota-based furniture manufacturer.
Supreen™ fabric combines advanced woven and coated technology to create a quality liquid-barrier textile. Supreen™ is a portmanteau word, derived from “supple” and “preen”.
British designer Mark Gabbertas designed the new Tibo bench and table combination system for British furniture brand Allermuir. Created for indoor and outdoor use, Tibo draws on everyday furniture typologies such as the outdoor picnic table workbench.
The PI wall shelf by Ethnicraft embraces organic curves and the beauty of solid wood. An acronym for “Polished Imperfect”, the shelving is inspired by the strength, curves, and lines found in nature.
Pyramid by Prismatique Designs
The Pyramid coffee table by Canadian furniture manufacturer Prismatique Designs, stacks aluminum rails in a geometric pattern to create a pyramid shape.
US brand Ghent specializes in visual communication products. Preserve is a new outdoor collaboration tool that aims to create an extension of the indoors. In the form of a pavilion, Preserve features weather-tested glass, steel, and fabric.
Behr® BioNature Collection by Behr
The new BioNature collection from paint brand Behr combines a palette of nature-based paint colors conceived from biophilic design concepts.
Mambo Lounge is part of a new collection from luxury outdoor furniture and lighting manufacturer Royal Botania. Soft curves, warm wood, and quiet colors imbue Mambo Lounge with a sense of calm and comfort.
For a detailed list of the new products presented by each of these brands during NeoCon 2023, please visit our NeoCon 2023 page.
