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Given the current state of the economy, a visit to the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair was affirming. The show is held at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart and fea- tures the newest designs in contract furniture for office, hospitality, health care, government and institutional environments. Overall, there were few signs of the recession. Larger companies, the flagships of the office and contract fleet, attracted throngs to their spacious displays.
In the workstation area, white and lighter colors were popular. Different materials were combined, and less wood was visible in many products. Hi-tech-looking translucents and plastics seem too space-age to store a lowly file folder. And don’t worry, green isn’t going away. The companies may not be banging the green drum, but they can tell you the materials that are used, where they came from, and where they’re going when the product ends its life.
A TV screen asked: “Where is work going?” Well, it’s going home. One collection that caught my eye was Coalesse’s Denizen casegoods collection, which had attractive multipurpose features that would work in a home office or an apartment living room. Desks, tables and storage units can be used for several different jobs.
How about powered furniture? Powermat showed its new wireless-energy products. Users can charge iPods, iPhones, Blackberry, mobile phones and laptop computers by placing them on a tray. A joint venture with Teknion Corp. is embedding the energy transfer process into furniture. It can also be used in cabinets, walls or other surfaces.
One of the components of universal design is bariatric furniture, and one of the market leaders in this area is KI. We had an interesting discussion of the health care market and the Arissa Collection, designed for individuals up to 750 pounds. This line is made in High Point and features plywood and solid wood construction.
Seating is always an important part of the contract mix. Knoll was featuring a battalion of new Generation chairs in its large showroom. Recognized at the show was the SP chair from Itoki Design. It uses elastomers and an interactive lumbar support that pushes forward as you sit down. Also recognized was Sedia Systems’ Turner, a multipivot fixed seat that swivels and tilts, allowing more space in a classroom. And I tried Tayco’s Kruze chair, which was awarded for its design and green features.
Lightweight panels may not be as sexy as a new task chair but the new Avian board is a thicker panel designed to reduce weight in large displays and trade show booths. The panels were light enough to be used in a television entertainment center that hung from the ceiling in Avian’s booth.
Anyone for some cardboard furniture? Vancouver-based Molo Design displayed giant expandable cardboard “softblocks,” disks to sit on, and snake-like “softwall” partitions. It’s not going to replace a comfy chair, but it looks cool. Cool enough to be displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Overall, there was no shortage of designs and interesting ideas, and that is a good sign for this industry.
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