Tag Archives: office furniture

Office furniture tries to find balance between rest and productivity

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A lot of offices and workplaces now have realized that the furniture and the design in their spaces can contribute to the productivity and the stress release of their employees. We’re seeing some add subtle and not-so-subtle touches to their offices to help people destress or at least have some sense of rest and relaxation while at the same time contribute to the eventual productivity of these employees.

Designers: PD Group X design studio

Cortina is a concept for a series of office furniture that gives users in the office their personal time and space and at the same time, increase work concentration. It is made up of three different pieces that are also multi-functional. Of course we’re fans of designs that can serve more than just one purpose to its users. The three items in this concept series are: the Pause Lounge Stand, the Peep Desk Wall, and the Tab Document Rack, which their names show off what their main functions are. They are meant to have multiple functions so as to save space and your office’s budget as well.

The Pause Lounge Stand lets users take a pause at work while also not overstaying in the rest area. Before you settle in your lounge chair or rest area, pull the handle that will set the time and as the minutes tick by, the shade parts of the tower-like stand goes down and the subtle lighting slowly disappears. Once the shades are all down, it’s a sign to go back to work. It also doubles as a phone charging station so you can let your device rest. The Peep Desk Wall is a divider placed on your table which is able to control the field of view between you and the other occupants of the table and the degree of light diffusion as well. You can also attach magnets and sticky notes on the metal plates so you can reach them easily.

Lastly, the Tab Organizer sorts papers of different sizes when you close the “blinds” after placing the different pieces into the tabs. The product renders don’t really show how the sorting happens but at the very least, it lets you store different documents into a standing piece of furniture and lessen clutter on your table. These carefully designed piece of office furniture would be an interesting addition to your workspace if these are functionalities that you need to implement, working on both rest and productivity.

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Tulipan Pod lets you keep your privacy but still be connected to the outside world

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As much as I love working with my officemates, there are times when I wish my cubicle had a mute button so I could focus on whatever task I need to finish at the moment. But of course unless I had my own room where I could close the door or I step away from my space and hide somewhere, that cannot happen. Companies that have a more creative work space can use the more innovative open space layouts and furniture that we’re seeing lately.

Designer: Industrial Facility for +Halle

The Tulipan Pod is one such kind of furniture that was developed for +Halle by London design studio Industrial Facility. It’s basically an enclosed workspace that is not totally isolated but gives the user the option of temporarily shutting away other people in the office or still working in a private space but being a bit more “open”. It also has a softer look than other enclosed workspaces that we’re seeing as it gives off a plush texture.

The pod has a cylindrical shape with one half of it stable and immobile, featuring a small table where you can place your laptop and other small work tools. The other half swivels around and can serve as your door to close out the outside world. There’s a seat with a soft back so you’re comfortable even when enclosed. If you want to talk to other people or see your environment, you just swivel out. The top part is also open so you still get to be connected to your surroundings and you also get properly circulating air.

Of course if you’re claustrophobic, you probably will not want to swivel into the pod or use the pod at all. But for those who need a bit of privacy while still have the option to be connected to the rest of your office, then this is a pretty good alternative to keep out chatty officemates when you need to focus.

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Eco-Friendly Design Concepts at NeoCon 2024: Transforming Workspaces

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NeoCon 2024 is just around the corner, and this year’s event is set to significantly impact the world of commercial interior design. Taking place June 10-12 at The Mart in Chicago, this 55th edition is expected to attract around 50,000 attendees who will explore the latest trends and innovations in shared spaces. Let’s dive into what to expect, focusing on the themes of design, well-being and sustainability.

Design: Creating Spaces That Connect Us

Design is at the heart of NeoCon, and this year’s event is about creating environments that foster community and collaboration. Gone are the days of bland, cubicle-filled offices. Today, it’s all about spaces that spark spontaneous interactions and genuine connections. Imagine walking into an office that feels more like a dynamic, buzzing café than a traditional workspace.

For instance, products like GRVT by Ghent and KI’s Sonrisa Lounge Furniture offer mobile, flexible solutions that can transform any environment into a collaborative hub at a moment’s notice. These designs cater to the ever-changing needs of modern workspaces. Spacestor’s Portals Huddle, with its easy-to-relocate collaboration spaces, exemplifies how versatile and responsive workplace design has become.

The overall layout also plays a huge role. Gensler’s Design Forecast for 2024 highlights the importance of human-centric workplaces that inspire purpose and reflect organizational values. This means creating spaces where people can casually bump into each other, sparking creativity and camaraderie. These little moments can make a big difference in fostering a positive company culture.

Well-Being: The Science of Feeling Good

One of the most fascinating trends at NeoCon 2024 is the rise of neuroaesthetics—designing spaces that make you feel good based on how your brain reacts to certain elements. Think colors, sounds and even the art on the walls. It’s all about creating environments that boost your mood, productivity and overall well-being.

The Immersive Biophilic Garden by Garden on the Wall, for example, features indoor preserved gardens and moss walls that elevate moods and stimulate minds. Similarly, Egan Visual’s Sculpt Walls blend art with acoustics to create a sensory-rich experience, and CECOCECO’s ArtMorph panels use lighting and textures to soothe and captivate.

Colors play a significant part too. Studies show that natural patterns and shapes are easier for our brains to process, leading to a sense of calm and clarity. Shaw Contract’s Arctic Escape collection and Bernhardt’s Ice Collection of cobalt blue tables are designed to evoke specific emotional responses. Warm colors like Pantone’s color of the year, Peach Fuzz, and cool blues highlighted in ASID’s 2024 Trends Outlook also contribute to environments that make us feel good.

Unexpected pops of color, engaging textures and artful patterns can act as positive distractions in stressful environments. Designtex’s Joy Collection, with its vibrant colors and stimulating designs, brings a sense of clarity and delight, especially to healthcare settings. Collaborations like Stylex and Carole Baijings’ new color palette show how creative use of color can enrich our daily experiences.

Sustainability: Designing for the Future

Sustainability has shifted from a trend to a non-negotiable element of modern design. With the built environment contributing significantly to global CO2 emissions, there’s a pressing need for eco-friendly practices. NeoCon 2024 showcases the leaders in sustainable design, highlighting materials and solutions that reduce environmental impact without sacrificing style or functionality.

Haworth’s DesignLab emphasizes circular design—considering sustainability at every stage of a product’s life cycle. Andreu World’s Circular Design Challenge encourages industry professionals to embrace greener practices like eco-design, zero waste management and carbon neutrality.

Biophilic design, which integrates natural elements like plants and natural light into spaces, is also gaining traction. This approach reduces stress and fosters a deeper connection to nature. Scandinavian Spaces’ Tinnef, made from 100% recycled plastic, and Davis Furniture’s X50 collection, featuring components made of pre-consumer recycled content, are leading the charge in this space.

Noteworthy sustainable innovations include Ultrafabrics’ Volar Bio, which features a mix of recycled and bio-based content, and Turf’s Stone Textures, which emulate natural stone using eco-friendly materials. Slalom’s Bloom product emphasizes acoustic wellness using bio-based materials, while C.F. Stinson’s Sea Change textiles are crafted from post-consumer recycled polyester. Nienkamper’s Vox Tambour, using the eco-material Eelgrass, demonstrates how sustainable materials can offer excellent acoustic and thermal regulation properties.

NeoCon 2024 is set to showcase how thoughtful design can create environments that are functional, beautiful and supportive of human connections and environmental stewardship. As we look forward to the innovations on display, it’s clear that the future of design lies in creating spaces that are as good for people as they are for the planet. This holistic approach makes NeoCon 2024 an unmissable event for anyone interested in the future of our shared spaces.

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Office furniture concept was made with accessibility front and center

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We’ve seen the birth of a new kind of computer chair, one that integrates not only the computer but even the monitor as well. While these gaming-oriented behemoths are equal parts impressive and bewildering, they are, like most office and computer furniture, made for the majority of able-bodied people, to the exclusion of those with physical disabilities. This latter group often needs more specialized equipment, but few actually design office furniture with accessibility as the top priority. In contrast, this furniture concept was made specifically for people with physical disabilities, and it creatively combines ideas and mechanisms from existing products or systems in order to create something that is new yet also familiar to the people who will be using them.

Designer: Divyanshu Garg

There are many types of physical disabilities and impairments, but for those who can still do some form of office work or another, the most common type is a walking disability. These people can still work with their hands and even use a computer, but their mobility is hampered, making it difficult for them to go places. Some even have to use wheelchairs, which could be a major obstacle to productivity and comfort, even at home. There are, however, also plenty of tools and devices designed around this kind of disability, but very few are meant to make office life more bearable or even more enjoyable.

This office furniture thesis tries to combine some of these features with other mechanisms that people from all walks of life might be familiar with. Everyone will want proper lighting and a comfortable chair, for example, but not many of these are made for those who aren’t able to walk. In this concept, for example, the chair shifts forward to facilitate moving from the chair to a wheelchair, something that is already used in cars made for accessibility.

The person, however, might not even have to move at all, presuming the office, home, or facility is built with a system that can move the furniture around. The concept allows for a motorized track running across the ceiling for that very purpose, like trains on a rail. There’s also a desk that pivots and slides in and out as needed, similar to those chairs used in some classrooms. The entire ensemble is enclosed in an open cubicle shape with smart glass that can go transparent or opaque, depending on whether the person inside needs visibility or privacy.

This is admittedly a rather ambitious design, but with the exception of the motorized ceiling track and privacy glass, it might actually be possible to implement. The thesis does at least demonstrate how an accessibility-focused design process can make a huge difference, one that could ironically benefit even those without disabilities in making their office life a bit more convenient and comfortable.

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This height-adjustable table with a conical base supports sitting + standing working positions

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Since the transition from home offices to actual corporate offices has begun, it’s important to ensure that employees feel comfortable, productive, and motivated in their workplace. Adding the right furniture designs can either make or break the environment of an office – the perfect work desk or an ergonomically designed chair can amp up an employee’s productivity immeasurably! And one such furniture design I recently came across is the Follow Meeting Cone.

Designer: Mara

Designed by office furniture brand Mara, the Follow Meeting Cone is an intriguing table with a conical base and an adjustable tabletop that can be controlled and operated using a mechanical component. The Follow Meeting Cone utilizes the brand’s pioneered height-adjusting mechanism that can support both sitting and standing working positions effortlessly!

The table’s mechanical system allows the table to be raised or lowered, enabling you to position it at the angle you want to work in. The base and top are connected using a metal telescopic-element that is visible once the table has been raised.

The table’s interesting conical-shaped base serves as the star of the design and gives it a sculptural silhouette. It adds a fun element to the table, allowing it to stand apart from the other dull tables you usually find in offices. It comes in a range of different colored finishes, allowing you to pick a color that perfectly complements your office space. The cone is designed to be used in commercial workplaces, as well as home offices or residential spaces.

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This colorful collection of office furniture adds a casual + cozy element to the modern workplace

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Since the transition from home offices to actual corporate offices has begun, it’s important to ensure that employees feel comfortable, safe, and motivated in their workplace. Adding an element of warmth will surely help employees to ease into their new work routine, after spending more than a year working from home. And a great collection of furniture could really help with that – such as the ZooZoo collection by Narbutas.

Designer: Annie Lee for Narbutas

Designed by Annie Lee for the workplace furniture brand Narbutas, the ZooZoo collection includes an intriguingly high coffee table and a complementing pouf. The sleek coffee table is 27.2 inches tall and features a metal base, as well as a smooth top. The coffee table is available in two sizes, and the metal base can be customized to the color of your choice.

“Regular coffee tables are not convenient when used in meeting settings due to their low height,” explained Narbutas. Hence, Lee made the coffee table higher than usual, making it suitable for informal meetings in lounge areas. Besides the coffee table, the collection also includes a series of matching poufs available in a variety of colors and textiles. The poufs are accompanied by cushioned seats

“Thanks to its multifunction, ZooZoo saves space by providing a surface, a seat, and a storage compartment in one unit,” said Narbutas.

The poufs can be neatly stowed under the coffee tables, and also boast handy storage nooks to hold books, folders, and other miscellaneous items. The entire collection is available in a single color, or a two-toned option, hence allowing it to suit diverse interior spaces.

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This zero gravity workstation puts you in laid back position so you focus on the project not your back

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A good thing about visiting a dentist is that recliner with a lumbar curve you lay back on while a random dude fiddles with your tooth. What if there was a similar option to work out of? Wish granted; enter the LEVUS!

If you spend most of your productive hours of the day in front of a computer, it would be a miracle if back pain and sitting discomfort is not a part of your everyday routine. Current offices are built to ruin our backs and health, and that didn’t even change with the work-from-home overflow during the pandemic. Our backs, shoulders, and necks are still under the painful pressure of sitting for long hours on traditional chairs.

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Irrespective of how comfy they vouch to be, the basic structure of the chairs remains the same: vertical spine pressure is the final outcome. With the laid back setup, LEVUS presents itself as a perfect solution for WFH and modern office cubicles struggling slouching workforce. The LEVUS is basically an adjustable set-up where you work in a reclined position with all the important equipment ergonomically placed around you.

Built for comfort, the idea of LEVUS is compelling to invite a gamer in with a widescreen display cocooning you as you have no mercy on the opponent slouching in his gaming chair. Even though the gaming industry will have an inclining intention to boost the sales of something as comfy as this; the workstation can be a great companion for creators and everyday office warriors alike, especially those who hate being forced to sit straight. They can just get into the contraption, lean back, and reduce the vertical pressure on the spine.

The solid and lightweight aluminum structure of the LEVUS is extremely flexible, catering ergonomically to user needs. Shipped flat-packed, the structure is easy to assemble, you can rock a number of monitors, adjust the headrest, have the mouse station positioned on either side, and roll down the keyboard table for the most comfortable work/gaming possible.

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A sustainable modular seating designed for the privacy-stricken post-pandemic workforce

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The pandemic has given birth to a seclusion workforce that is now more concerned about safe distancing and privacy. Privacy is more than a buzzword; it is perhaps a necessity these days, especially on open office floors. The workforce is used to private, secluded work life at home; transitioning to the social lifestyle in an open office theme is going to take a while.

For this mindset of post-pandemic office goers, designer Dymitr Malcew has designed what is a flexible, private seating solution. Dymitr is a Singapore-based designer and architect reckoned in the crowd for his human-centric furniture and structures. There have been many future-forward designs of desks and private residences that the designer has idealized over time. But what really stands out in his portfolio – and aligns with the furniture collection in discussion – is the cubicles finished with interactive screens and modular furniture to function as meeting rooms in cramped office spaces.

Designer: Dymitr Malcew

Just personalizing the concept further, Dymitr has arrived at soft upholstered, comfy seating collection to create a private but friendly atmosphere. Dubbed Futo, the furniture collection is designed for DYD. It’s a flexible option that touches the tangent of lounge furniture and blurs the line between hospitality-ready and office furniture. This is reminiscent of its appearance, which first up reminds of the high-back, overpowering furniture common in hotel lobbies. The curvy and preferably organic Futo collection offers users psychological safety (by providing seclusion in space) in addition to snugly comfort.

By offering the workforce flexible office furniture, Futo collection can be used in various configurations. The modularity is backed by sustainable construction and ensures private working zones and common meeting spaces without much fuss of rebuilds. So, it’s a given, that with the Futo – available in vibrant color options – offices will be able to optimize performance and workforce well-being with this one particular furniture collection.

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Green offices need this 360-degree rotating ergonomic stool that is recyclable by design

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In the past couple of years, the definition of the office environment has drastically changed. We are more rooted to our seats than ever before as the digital work age transports us into a new era. A good, comfortable office chair can instantly increase productivity, thanks to the comfort it guarantees. But to fill the void for a comfortable seat with a more adaptive and less space occupying option, a designer has envisioned an ergonomic stool that will adapt to the user’s body movement during long periods of sitting.

Designed to guarantee comfort and instantly increase concentration and physical fatigue, the Axis stool is, according to the designer, the first ergonomic stool created from sustainable materials. The stool is intended primarily for the demanding needs of a flexible office environment, for which, it is made lightweight and stackable – two essentials of a modern office where space comes for a premium.

Designer: Florian Blamberger and Alexander Knorr

In addition to its ergonomic design, sustainability is at the Axis’s core. The seat is made from injection molding bio thermo-polymer, which makes it a biodegradable and recyclable seating unit for the greener offices of the future. To create more impact with little mechanical intervention, the entire stool – the base and the seat – are held together using a single screw. The convenient manufacturing makes it possible that the specially engineered seat on the top can tilt in any direction so the users don’t feel the pressure while leaning from one desk to another. The base and the seat are placed inches apart from each other to allow 360-degree tilting without friction between the two components.

Axis is by virtue then, comfortable enough to let you work efficiently for long hours, albeit a backrest. The firm base of the stool keeps it sturdy on the ground, its lightweight structure permits it to be stacked up after use, while the eco-friendly construction ensures the stool can be completely recycled at the end of its life cycle.

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This modular furniture system can be reconfigured endlessly to keep your kids entertained while you work from home!

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Loop is a modular furniture system that aims to keep your kid entertained while you’re working from home, incorporating a mixed array of play modules and work modules that can be reconfigured endlessly to create the ideal WFH space.

Working from home has tested each of our house’s office efficiency and versatility. Few of us have come out on top–sinking into the couch is great for Netflix, but not Zoom, and mid-meeting snacks end up as a layer of cracker and chips on the carpet. Add kids to the mix and a home renovation project couldn’t come soon enough. But before you completely transform your living room, look to Loop, a modular furniture system with integrated kid-friendly features designed by industrial designer Buse Kaya for parents who need to keep an eye on their kids while working from home.

It always feels like the doctor’s office waiting room has everything to keep your kid entertained, from wooden toy blocks to sheets and sheets of stickers, whereas the magazine rack is there for you to peruse while you sip on your coffee and fill out the paperwork. Loop (stylized as Loop.) is a little bit like that.

From a chalkboard to a bead maze and tactile puzzles, each module that makes up Loop is designed for your child to play with while you work. Considering its modular formation, Loop can be configured in countless different ways. In one space, users can stack each module on top of one another to create a partition and standing desk space, allowing you to work freely while your kid remains entertained and within eyesight.

Alternatively, users can position Loop so that the storage modules bunch together while the play and work modules attach to one another to form a hybrid WFH space. Or, true to its name, Loop can form a circle similar to horseshoe desk formations in grade school so while you work at one module, your kid can play away right in front of you.

Since WFH has sprung into high gear, those of us with kids are reconsidering our home spaces to make sure we’re filling out the correct paperwork while watching our kids and keeping them entertained. Comprised of attachable modules, Loop is a furniture system that can adapt to any living space. Each module comes with its own function and personality, offering an array of different play spaces for your child or children to stay entertained.

Designer: Buse Kaya

Each module that comes with Loop can be broken down to create detached play areas for your kid to bring anywhere they like.

The modules can even function as seats that imitate a rocking horse.

Built with kid-friendly materials, Loop is as playful as it is safe. 

Loop comes with an assembly booklet that guides users through the building process. 

Loop’s final form was ultimately decided following multiple ideations and an involved research period.