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NEOCON ENERGIZES INDUSTRY; RUG BRANDS TEAM UP WITH CONTRACT FURNITURE MAKERS
The Herman Miller lobby display at the Chicago Merchandise Mart during NeoCon 2017 featured rugs by Danskina for Maharam, blurring the lines between residential and commercial design. |
CHICAGO -- With attendance rising seven percent over last year's edition, NeoCon has further established itself as commercial design's launch pad for forward-thinking ideas and products, including a renewed emphasis on residential looks in contract interiors.
NeoCon again proved that it is the world's premier platform for commercial design when it took over The Mart from June 12-14, 2017, connecting leaders in the industry, and drawing in more than 53,000 design professionals .
At the 2017 edition of NeoCon, Haworth got into the rug business in a big way, introducing 20 new GAN rugs designed exclusively by Patricia Urquiola for the Haworth Collection.
As reported by RugNews.com, rugs made a strong showing at NecCon earlier this month, not only in hospitality, but in other contract sectors once relegated to heavy duty commercial broadloom (
read full story).
One example was contract furnishings company Haworth Collection's partnership with GAN rugs of Spain, which was officially announced in May with rugs designed by Patricia Urquiola debuting at NeoCon.
Specially adapted for work environments, the rugs are based on rug collections Mangas and Bandas, which Urquiola had previously created for GAN, as well as four new designs from the hand-knotted Degradé line, which was specifically made for Haworth.
Hand-knotted rugs in ombre color gradations move into contract installations with the Degrade range designed by Patricia Urquiola and made specifically by GAN for the Haworth Collection.
Another commercial furniture industry trend-setter, Herman Miller, espoused what it calls the "resi-mercial" trend, taking over a huge chunk of the lobby at the Merchandise Mart to showcase products from its family of brands, including rugs from the Maraham, a leading contract and designer fabric house. According to Herman Miller's blog, "The idea of bringing residential elements into the office is not a new concept. In fact, George Nelson once called the ideal office 'a daytime living room,' a place organized for productivity while still giving the comforts of home."
Indeed, the growth of rugs on show, many in collaboration with high end rug designers, is in direct correlation to the shift away from boxy contract seating and bland flooring, toward comfortable, residential styling and colorful, textural area rugs.
The "resi-mercial" look was evident throughout Neocon 2017, and illustrated here in the Herman Miller showroom with layered rugs.
The Mart's continued investments into the building did not go unnoticed as new amenities and modernization helped complement the overall show experience. Upgrades were apparent from the ground up as NeoCon attendees enjoyed The Mart's brand new 2nd Floor lounge, Marshall's Landing, designed by A+I Architects and operated by DMK Restaurant Group and a new venue for keynotes and seminars on the 19th Floor.
A commercial rug installation from GAN for Haworth features multiples of Patricia Urquiola's Mangas Natural collection area rugs in 100 percent wool.
NeoCon 2017 welcomed six new permanent showrooms to the building, as well as 75 innovative new companies to the exhibitor roster. Rich programming and a wealth of special events, parties, award ceremonies and inspiring exhibits made for a productive and fun show.
According to Byron Morton, VP Leasing, NeoCon Shows, "We went into this year strong---showrooms were at capacity and there were 28% "new to NeoCon" brands in our sold out 7th Floor Exhibit Hall. The buzz continued to build with three full days of sold-out keynotes, at-capacity CEU sessions, innovative product launches and dynamic networking events. We look forward to leveraging this momentum as we get ready for NeoCon's 50th anniversary in 2018."
Sit/stand solutions, privacy pods, ergonomic seating, integrated technologies and high-performance textiles were among five of the top trends seen throughout the show. Yet, there was a rich diversity to the offerings, enabling specifiers more choice and flexibility for their projects. The talks and topics headlined by keynotes Arianna Huffington, Jessica Green and John Ronan and the debut of Icons at NeoCon gave further insight into the future of commercial interiors.
A nubby textured wool rug by GAN for Haworth, shows the residential side of contract.
Exhibitors and designers shared some of their observations on NeoCon 2017:
"NeoCon was definitely riding the Rust, Merlot, Cinnabar, Vermillion, Peach and Nude color-wave. One particularly good moment of this color trend was the ombre Merlot-colored wall at HBF and the beautiful multi-level Kanso bench from Nao Tamura, which was upholstered in a dark rich HBF textile. I was also in love with the monochromatic expressions shown in Herman Miller's display in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart, especially the four dark green Loll outdoor chairs on top of a bright green Danskina rug designed by Cloud 9. Patricia Urquiola can, of course, do no wrong and Haworth was a design feast that required multiple go-arounds to be able to take it all in. Fascinating colors and materials and just the right combination of clean design with a relaxed look bringing workplace to a new level." - Ghislaine Vinas, Founder, Ghislaine Vinas Interior Design
Herman Miller's display in the lobby of the Merchandise Mart featured Maharam's Argali rug by Danskina in 98% wool and 2% silk which is rated for moderate traffic in commercial applications.
-"This has been one for the records with great response from prospective customers and dealers to our constellation of brands and range of workplace products from Rockwell Unscripted to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of KnollTextiles." - David E. Bright, Knoll
-"2017 was one of the busiest, most upbeat NeoCons in recent memory. Right from the start the show floors were packed, the energy level palpable." - Tom Reardon, Executive Director, BIFMA
A monochromatic Herman Miller lobby display at the Chicago Merchandise Mart featured green outdoor chairs anchored by rugs by Danskina for Maharam , a Herman Miller company