Each June, members of the commercial furniture industry across the country gather in Chicago for NeoCon and Design Days.
NeoCon is the industry’s key event of the year, where brands show off their latest products and innovations. Members of the industry across departments join in on the fun to gain inspiration and stay apprised of the latest trends in furniture.
Alongside NeoCon, Fulton Market’s Design Days continue bringing the community together through immersive experiences and showrooms. Together, NeoCon and Design Days highlight the best of the industry, from innovative designs to new technologies.
After joining the excitement in Chicago, the Waldner’s team put together their favorite new product features alongside key trends and award-winning designs.
Notable NeoCon 2026 Awards
Kimball International Kiaura Collection, built with Cognetic Technology
- NeoCon 2026 Best of Competition for Integrated Solutions
- NeoCon Gold for Lounge Furniture Collections
- NeoCon Gold for Seating: Conference
- NeoCon Gold for Seating: Ergonomic Desk/Task
- NeoCon Gold for Seating: Sofas and Lounge
- NeoCon Gold in Technology: Integrated Solutions
- NeoCon Innovation Award in Technology: Integrated Solutions
Bernhardt Design Privacy Please ArtCenter Collections for Collaboration
Davis Furniture Laken Table
Davis Furniture Tiago Chairs & Stools
Davis Furniture K90 Table
Davis Furniture Faba Lounge Collection
Davis Furniture Cerro Chair
Steelcase at Fulton Market Design Days
This year, Steelcase celebrated community in their new space at Fulton Market. With the rising use of AI across the industry, which Steelcase research has found to increase stress and burnout, Steelcase has shifted focus to designing spaces that enable people to think, connect and focus better. For this year’s Design Week, Steelcase introduced new products and features that offer what they’re coining “ergonomics for the brain.” Visitors at the Steelcase showroom were the first to be immersed in these innovative spaces, where different needs are supported throughout the day. Moving through the space, visitors could identify spaces that support deep-focus work and sustained attention, as well as spaces built for creative collaboration and others made to support people recharging their energy.
Steelcase Design Days 2026 Featured Products – Workplaces That Help People Think Better
Steelcase Apprise Collection
A collection designed to bring both emotional and physical comfort to healthcare environments—featuring welcoming, residential-inspired forms with contoured cushions that support the body, thoughtful details that feel like home, and durable, easy-to-clean materials that meet the demands of care.
Steelcase Community of Brands at Fulton Market
Coalesse Co.Lab joined Fulton Market this year with a brand new interactive space designed to foster connectivity and creativity. Visitors were immersed in products from Coalesse, Viccarbe, Tom Dixon, Moooi, Flos, and Extremis, combining varying textures and materials to create inspiring workspaces. Get a sneak peek into the Coalesse Co.Lab pop-up here.
5 Macro Trends from NeoCon & Design Days
Following our deep dive into recent reporting from NeoCon and Interior Design magazine, we’ve identified five standout macro trends now shaping the commercial design landscape.
1. A Warmer, More Emotional Color Story
Burgundy, lavender, mauve, and plum tones emerged as a dominant color story this year, signaling an embrace of palettes that are warm, immersive, and emotionally resonant. Tone-on-tone compositions created a sense of continuity and visual richness, allowing color to function as an organizing principle rather than an accent.
2. Blurred Boundaries Between Work, Hospitality, and Home
The lines between workplace, hospitality, and residential design continue to blur, with spaces designed to feel less like offices and more like destinations people genuinely want to be in.
3. Sustainability and Adaptability as Standard Practice
Sustainability and adaptability remain top of mind, with brands continuing to prioritize materials and systems built to evolve alongside the spaces they furnish.
4. Hospitality-Inspired, Experience-Driven Spaces
Hospitality-inspired spaces continue to dominate, with an emphasis on creating experiences and destinations, not just furniture.
5. Ergonomics for the Brain
With the rising use of AI across the industry shown to increase stress and burnout, designers are shifting focus toward spaces that enable people to think, connect, and focus better, supporting deep work, collaboration, and recovery throughout the day.
5 Micro Trends from NeoCon & Design Days
Pulling from industry coverage, on-the-ground reporting, and observations from our own Waldner’s team at the MART and Fulton Market Design Days, we’ve pinpointed five emerging micro trends defining how today’s spaces are being designed.
1. Acoustics as a Design Feature
Acoustics are becoming a deliberate design feature rather than an afterthought, integrated into furniture and architectural elements alike.
2. Softer Silhouettes
Furniture silhouettes are shifting away from rigid geometry toward plump curves, cocooning lounge pieces, serpentine seating, and elongated communal tables, all designed to foster flexibility and ease.
3. Muted Palettes to Combat Overstimulation
Designers are leaning on muted mauve color palettes to combat overstimulation and create a greater sense of calm.
4. Indoor-Outdoor Living
The line between inside and outside continues to dissolve, with outdoor spaces receiving the same level of design intention as any room with a roof.
5. Texture, Biophilia, and Deliberate Layering
Texture, biophilic design, and the natural world remain where people want to spend their attention. Restraint isn’t the only path to a beautiful room — many of this year’s standout spaces were moody, layered, and fully committed, working not because they were full, but because every choice within them was deliberate.
Our Top 5 Favorite Products
Some of Waldner’s most loved products from NeoCon and Design Days! Click on the images for more information.
In a world increasingly shaped by AI, NeoCon and Design Days 2026 reminded us that the future of design still centers on people, balancing new technology with the human touch through color, comfort, and spaces built for how we actually want to think, connect, and recharge.
Contact us today for planning ideas on how to incorporate trends, products and more from NeoCon & Design Days!
