Plum Walls, Fluted Everything: Our Design Director’s Top Takeaways from NeoCon 2025
Director of Design Jenna Wiley-Bevins and Designer Molly Lund spent a few days last week in Chicago attending NeoCon, the annual conference for the commercial interior design industry. Held at Chicago’s massive Merchandise Mart, NeoCon brings about 50,000 designers, manufacturer reps, architects and the like to the Windy City each year. Jenna shares her takeaways from the world’s largest commercial design conference below.
Here’s my quick hit of what stood out to us most from the whirlwind of showrooms, color palettes and clever solutions we saw.
Biggest “aha” moment
The color plum is having a serious moment! Or wine. Or aubergine. Call it what you want, but this rich, moody hue was everywhere: on walls, upholstery, lounge seating. It’s the 2025 take on cozy luxury. Combine it with warm woods, and you’re halfway to a space that feels both elevated and inviting.
Trends I can’t stop thinking about
Fluted everything is still a major design element. It’s been trending for a bit, and we are still seeing it everywhere — panels, cabinets, even entire accent walls were rippling with texture. Acoustical solutions were another highlight; designers are clearly leaning into the reality that open plan doesn’t have to mean noisy. And the lighting? Retro 60’s floor lamps the size of small trees — sculptural and playful. I also saw nesting tables galore and so much warm wood.
Standout brands
OFS absolutely nailed it. Their showroom was a masterclass in variety — desking, seating, gathering spaces, all dialed up with on-trend color stories (yes, plum included). Enwork was another star. So sophisticated, so polished and the finishes were spot on.
Where commercial design is heading
Think smaller meeting nooks and more natural elements. I noticed a clear shift toward clustering smaller group spaces within open areas but using smart acoustical tricks. Also, say goodbye to bulky storage — it’s all about slim, airy shelving now. And plants are HUGE in office spaces right now.
How NeoCon helps us help you
We don’t just read about trends — we touch them, sit in them, swivel in them, and bring back only what feels genuinely useful for our clients. It’s one thing to see a workstation online; it’s another to know firsthand how it feels.
How we choose what makes the cut
We came with a mission: find fresh workstation solutions and smart lines we can source well and price competitively. Not everything wowed us (some lines didn’t meet our standards). The gems we did find? Can’t wait to share them with you.
Favorite booths
Hands down: OFS and Enwork. See above — they delivered and then some.
NeoCon in three words
Inspirational. Energetic. (A little) Crazy.
A hopeful note for the future
Design is centering people more than ever — how we actually live and work, not just how a space looks in a brochure. Thoughtful, human-focused design is the future, and that makes me so excited to keep doing what we do.
If you’re curious about how these ideas could shape your next project, you know where to find us!