NeoCon may not have the hipster cachet of ICFF or the design world glamour of Milan’s Salone, but every year I come away from Chicago’s Merchandise Mart having seen a lot of great products, and am reminded of the vast size, scope, and importance of the show. And as the way we work and the way we live become increasingly inseparable, design trends in the contract and residential markets are becoming similarly intertwined. Further, many Midcentury classics, now popular in the residential market, were first developed for the contract market. In addition to the great products we featured in our preview, here are a few more standouts from the show.
Antenna Workspaces, Knoll
The big news from Knoll was the Antenna Workspaces (above) collection by Antenna Design. The desk system is built around a table base with clean lines. A variety of box storage, drawer units, and panels can be attached to the center rail. The system looks particularly good when used with Knoll archival surfaces, such as the natural rattan and grass fabrics used in the NeoCon showroom.
CH Bench, Itoki Design
Designed by Jeff Miller, the CH Bench can be assembled in an infinite number of configurations. Available in black, white, yellow, green, and gray, the one piece LLDPE bench can be used alone or in groups.
Highline Cradenza, Datesweiser
Part of a new collection of credenzas and conference tables, this piece has strong architectural lines with stainless steel legs. The cradenzas are vailable in a variety of wood, corian, glass, and marble finishes and door, drawer, and tray configurations.
Levy, Bernhardt Design
The Levy chair, named for designer Arik Levy, has a slim, minimal profile that puts its design a notch above the average stackable. The chairs also meet Greenguard air quality standards.
Horizon, Humanscale
This slim, dimmable LED task lamp creates an large plane of even, warm light. Simple ball joints at the base and lamp allow for easy movement.
Adamick Screen, Haworth
This acrylic space divider is easily assembled from flatpacked units. Designed by Chris Adamick, the screen is available in white, organge, cranberry, and gray.
