The Mart in Chicago was buzzing this week, with multiple industries unveiling exciting innovations at NeoCon 2025. The iconic building showcases the best of commercial design, spanning over 1 million square feet of exhibition space. Housing over 400 exhibitors across eight floors this year, the Mart came alive with attendees, with much to see and many to meet. This year, we saw a turn towards transparency around circular design, and a marked investment in sustainability as a whole. Additive manufacturing is on the rise, the technology now having progressed to a point where the products are not only feasible and aesthetically focused, but thoughtful and considered as well. Neuroaesthetics, low seating, and immersive experiences define NeoCon 2025, hopefully setting a precedent for similar design trends in the future.
LightPlay by Ryan Smith of 3form + LightArt with Interior Design
Interior Design collaborated with Ryan Smith, chief creative office of 3form and founder of LightArt, on an immersive installation called LightPlay of 300+ softly glowing lamps, forming columns of light from above and below, a cavern of luminaries. Complete with a row of 3D printers (printing more shades, of course), a host of miniatures were available that visitors could play with to make their own stackable shades, with a mirror in which to view the full size in comparison. The installation was hosted by SANDOW Design Group within the DesignScene lounge, which was created in partnership with Behr, Bentley Mills, 3form, LightArt, and Momentum Textiles & Wallcovering.
BuzziPleat by BuzziSpace
Inspired by traditional pleating techniques, the BuzziPleat takes center stage even when at the very back of the BuzziSpace showroom. Multiple sizes and contrasted stitching make for a simple yet effective design, offering exceptional acoustic performance.
Special Edition HÅG Capisco Puls Chair
HÅG returns with an iconic form – complete with an unexpected twist. Peter Opsvik’s classic design aims to energize our seating habits, and this edition is made from post-consumer plastic dividers sourced from Norway, an initiative to remove these otherwise unusable plastics from waste streams into something that is not only useful, but beautiful.
Eave Modular Sofa by Norm Architects for Audo
Audo stuns again with the Eave Modular Sofa by Norm Architects – generosity in some parts, refined curvature in others, creating beautiful and approachable modular furniture that transcends current fads.
Gimbal Lounge Chair by Hightower
Hightower makes great use of their space at The Mart, sunlight streaming into their brightly lit, happily colored showroom. Walking down a curated hallway of their newest products, we end in a sunny space of wide half-moons and plush upholstery, a breath of fresh air compared to some interior quadrants.
Turf Design
Turf Design returns with a fully immersive textile experience – more of a maze than a showroom. Two pathways are given, with a sparkling reminder, “Pick your path. Make a sound decision.” A quiet hush descends as you venture in, one path leading down a dark red and orange hallway, glowing with recessed lighting and giving a distinctive nightclub vibe. On the other, a more reserved, cool gray collection emerges, leaning on more natural patterns of stone and serenity.
Nano Modular Lounge Seating by SitOnIt Seating
The upholstery really sets this apart from any other line of modular seating – a definite theme at the show this year. It reads as if it had been dip-dyed in orange, a slow gradient forming across the piece. Nano from SitOnIt Seating comes in four sizes, with collaborative tables and other accessories available to fit any working space.
Mantra Inspired Furniture
Mantra Inspired Furniture is on a mission to save America’s hardwood forests, one responsibly-sourced hardwood piece at a time. Because of neglect and mismanagement, many of our hardwood forests are in jeopardy, sparking wildfires and destroying ecosystems in the process. By investing in forest regeneration practices, Mantra Inspired Furniture can foster community and education surrounding this crucial issue, while creating economic stability for rural communities in the process.
Acoustic Shading by Impact Acoustic
The shades are impressive, but the real innovation is behind the process at Impact Acoustic. Transforming thousands of PET bottles every day into beautiful and functional products, they have devised a completely circular solution – utilizing a patented process involving UV light, they are able to create functionally virgin stock from former products, minimizing waste streams and giving fresh life to old material infinitely.
Roland DGA
Roland DGA is a Japanese-born company that now has a facility in California, working with cutting edge printing processes to create innovative solutions for a range of surfaces. Developing eco-friendly, smart ink is no easy task. Yet, Roland DGA understands that developing this infrastructure is not only necessary for our collective future, but that key points in printing sorely need an upgrade. Able to print on fabric as well, the sky is the limit for applications of these processes.
Smith System by Steelcase
Steelcase returns with an array of education-driven furniture that puts collaboration and communication first. Handy hooks for backpacks and shifting locks on casters enable educators to switch from a lecture to breakout period with ease, leaving more time for learning and connection.
Bae Modular Seating System by Frovi
Frovi unveils a sculptural collection, rotund and elegant, yet markedly not slouchy like the recent pillowification of seating we’ve seen in recent years (it’s a word, trust us). Smart proportion and forays into unusual shapes keep the collection appropriate for contract while maintaining an interest and sophistication that truly sets Frovi apart from the crowd.
