NeoCon Notes
NeoCon, if you’ve never heard of it, is the Interior Design community’s best-know trade show. It takes place at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago (the building was, before the Pentagon, the largest in the world in terms of square footage, was owned by the Kennedy family for some time, and used to have its own zip code; facts I picked up taking one of the Architectural Riverboat Tours of Chicago. Check out Wikipedia for more on this fascinating building) and show takes place in June. NeoCon has also spawned, like mushrooms, offshoots NeoCon East in Baltimore, NeoCon West, NeoCon South… you get the idea.
But the Chicago show is the main event, the mother ship. Many furniture and finish companies launch new lines or show off their newest prototypes at NeoCon. The showrooms span several of the building’s floors (floors 11, 10, 8, 7, and 3 house much of the show and veterans attendees often recommend first timers start at the top floor and take the stairs down; the elevators can get packed) displaying products in both trade booths brought in for the occasion and the many showrooms that provide daily living space to much of Chicago’s commercial (and residential) design manufacturers.
So rather than continuing to explain the event, I’ll get on to a few photos from the various showrooms and booths that caught my attention.
Haworth is always looking to the future and I’d love this to be my corner office someday! The soft freestanding partitions are a prototype for enclosing both lounge and office spaces. Their focus on technology integration is also highlighted by the media wall their showroom sported.
Global shows off some lovely existing pieces of their lines with a stunning White, Yellow & Cobalt showroom that caught my attention with it’s bold quality.
Dyson introduces a new brainwave for bathrooms: a faucet that combines the tap with the hand dryer unit. A clever idea that might be something useful in large, public bathrooms to avoid drips on the floor.
J&J Invision carpets show off a lovely ombre carpet tile laid out in a houndstooth pattern to great effect. I don’t believe is on the market yet, but I know I’ll be on the lookout!
Janus et Cie, well know for outdoor furniture, shows off a lovely “woven” loveseat (and matching chair)
Masland Contract showing off a fantastic Hospitality/Assisted Living carpet collect. The Milestone collection combines Asian-inspired traditional patterns with fresh, modern colors
Throughout the show, not only at their own booth but down at Check in were clever little cardboard rounds from Molo. Taking the Pop-Up shop idea to a whole new level.