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June 8-10, 2026:

Oct 8
3 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

recap & trends



Merchandise Mart, Chicago


Fulton Market District, Chicago




Although I’ve attended  NeoCon for over 20 years, this year was different as I represented my client, STUDIOS Architecture, and participated as a professional IIDA member. Since STUDIOS NY is an IIDA NY Chapter Advocacy Firm, I attended along with my colleagues Chan Chen and Ida Widauer, and we collaborated to organize tours of showrooms from manufacturers who are annual IIDA NY Chapter sponsors. When possible, we toured with IIDA NY’s 2025/26 President, Elisabeth Mejia from HKS in New York.

 

With many manufacturers now located in the Fulton Market District instead of the Merchandise Mart, we split our time: the first and third days at NeoCon in The Mart, and the second day at DesignDays in Fulton Market. Both events were lively and energetic. This year, the Merchandise Mart opened for a half day on Sunday, allowing attendees to get a head start—which we took advantage of.

 

This recap organizes photos by category (Furniture, Fabrics, Acoustic Products & Flooring) and highlights just a few introductions from the showrooms we were able to visit.


Websites with new product introductions are hyperlinked to each manufacturer, so please click on to learn more.


Interior Design Magazine's Best of NeoCon awards and Show Daily publications highlight and summarize many of the introductions as well.


This year the messaging with regards to sustainability including carbon neutrality, social impact and human health was overarching and prevailed.


The Metropolis Sustainability Lab also served as a resource to highlight several manufacturers, while hosting events and presentations.


Since this overview is more inspirational, please contact a manufacturer prior to considering any products to confirm project compliance.



FURNITURE:

There was a fairly cohesive story across Chicago: the workplace is becoming warmer, more residential, more sensory, more flexible, and more human—while sustainability and performance are becoming increasingly embedded rather than treated as separate features.


Trend

What changed in 2026

Color

From isolated accents → layered, immersive palettes

Form

From rectilinear → curved, soft and sculptural

Aesthetic

From minimal/corporate → warm, residential and hospitality-inspired

Materials

From smooth/anonymous → tactile, natural and crafted

Acoustics

From technical afterthought → integrated design element

Privacy

From open-plan vs. private → flexible gradients of enclosure

Wellness

From ergonomic → sensory, emotional and restorative

Sustainability

From recycled content → circularity and product longevity

Technology

From visible tech → integrated, supportive technology

Lighting

From illumination → experience, wellness and architecture

Showrooms

From product displays → immersive destinations

Workplace

From "where people work" → how people want to feel, connect and work

Refinement over reinvention is a useful way to describe the overall show. NeoCon and Design Days 2026 felt less like a search for the next revolutionary office product and more like a refinement of what the workplace should feel like.


There was a noticeable movement toward warmth, personality, comfort, connection and sensory richness, while manufacturers simultaneously improved performance, flexibility, sustainability and technology.












FYRN | Here + Now | UHURU




HNI Group & Partner Brands





Nucraft






FABRICS | WALLCOVERINGS:

The textile story at NeoCon and Design Days 2026 was about personality, tactility and material expression. Color and pattern became more prominent, while natural textures and performance remained important to commercial specifications.


For textile libraries and manufacturers, the trends point to opportunities in expressive upholstery, archival-inspired patterns, dimensional weaves and sustainable performance fabrics.







WALL SYSTEMS:






ACOUSTIC PRODUCTS:

The defining acoustic trend of NeoCon and Design Days 2026 was the integration of sound management into the overall design language of commercial interiors. Acoustic products are no longer just technical necessities; they are increasingly architectural, decorative and central to the experience of a space.


For design libraries and manufacturer representatives, this creates opportunities to present acoustic products alongside furniture, textiles, wallcoverings and architectural finishes, rather than treating them as a separate specification category.






CARPET & FLOORING:

Carpet:


  • Texture over complexity: dimensional surfaces and tonal variation offer visual interest without overwhelming a space.

  • Nostalgia with a modern twist: archival patterns and retro graphics are being reinterpreted for contemporary commercial interiors.

  • More expressive color: carpet can be either a quiet foundation or a bold design statement.

  • Nature-inspired design: organic patterns bring softness and movement to commercial spaces.

  • Sustainability as a specification priority: backing systems, recycled content and durability remain important considerations.







 
 
 

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