Another successful NeoCon is in the books. The 51st design event offered up no shortage of inventive office solutions, high-end furniture, and smart design June 10 to 12 at The Mart in Chicago. As it’s among the world’s biggest and best commercial interiors, we weren’t surprised to find many new favorites among the showrooms and booths this year. These are just a handful of those we loved.
Courtesy of Luum
1. Luum’s Future Tense Collection
The Future Tense Collection designed by Suzanne Tick is a highlight of Luum’s progressive approach to textile design. We were particularly struck by Tilt Shift, with its linear design and repurposing of recycled cotton (59% polyester, 41% Recover® postconsumer upcycled cotton). The post-industrial cotton used in Tilt Shift comes from apparel waste that’s carefully sorted by color before being shredded and spun into yarn. The bold palette offers up a cheerful selection for upholstery with unexpected color combinations that reflects the contrast between artificial and natural components. Tilt Shift stands up to stains, and it’s affordable, too.
Courtesy of Teknoflor
2. Teknoflor’s Naturescapes HPD
Teknoflor continues to lead the way in the world of health care flooring as it offers alternatives to traditional vinyl flooring with elegant options like Naturescapes HPD—a polyurethane sheet flooring product that was the first hardsurface flooring product in the world to receive Living Product Challenge Petal Certification by the International Living Future Institute. Teknoflor is now part of global flooring manufacturer HMTX Industries alongside Halstead, Metroflor, Aspecta, and Vertex.
Courtesy of Tarkett
3. Tarkett’s Drop Cloth LVT from Float Studio
It’s light, bright, and tough—it’ll stand up to all those scratches and dirt—so the new Drop Cloth LVT is most likely to be specified in education, health care, community organizations, and creative corporate settings. Tarkett collaborated on the colorful, innovative flooring with 2019 Designers of the Year Brad Sherman and Nina Etnier of Float Studio. Drop Cloth is a high-definition digitally printed LVT on Tarkett’s Contour construction. It’s inspired by a day in the paint studio, as the team actually scanned the artists’ drop cloths to create the design. Drop Cloth LVT is fully customizable, so you can get the look you want. Drop Cloth LVT is FloorScore® certified, made in the U.S. with up to 27.5% pre-consumer recycled content, and 100% recyclable through the ReStart® reclamation program.
Courtesy of ASSA ABLOY
4. ASSA ABLOY’s New Powder Coatings
The possibilities for your door pulls are endless thanks to ASSA ABLOY. Add a pop of color to your hardware with a special powder coating—any hue you want. ASSA ABLOY can match a crayon, a fabric swatch, you name it, and they can make it happen, whether you want it for wayfinding, a brand color, or even safety purposes. Color has proven especially helpful in places like health care and assisted living facilities, where even patients with dementia may be able to find their way back using color when memory fails them.
Courtesy of Mohawk Group
5. Mohawk’s Relaxing Floors Collection
There’s just something about fractals. When you step into the Mohawk showroom, your eyes are drawn to the irregular curves in a way that’s almost calming. The effect is intentional. Mohawk and a team of artists and scientists have been studying the phenomenon and learned that fractals have indeed been proven to reduce stress. It’s why the design team used them as the inspiration for Relaxing Floors, a modular system designed by 13&9 in collaboration with Fractals Research and Mohawk Group. Based on their transdisciplinary approach to design, Martin and Anastasija Lesjak of 13&9 worked closely with Richard Taylor, a professor at the University of Oregon and founder of Fractals Research, to create this next generation of flooring solutions with Mohawk Group. Relaxing Floors uses Mohawk Group’s Duracolor Tricor solution-dyed nylon fiber and EcoFlex NXT tile backing. The collection’s carpet plank styles are manufactured to meet the Living Product Challenge Petal Certification and have a net positive impact for people and the environment.
