Design Trends for Office Interiors

Roxanne Laverty of Goldray Glass is getting the inside scoop on the latest and greatest in office design for Fall 2015 while she visits NeoCon East in Philidelphia. She reports:

“Trends this season are vibrant and bold colors, especially in the orange and teal schemes.

Big names in furniture like HON, Alsteel, Humanscale and Offices to Go are all sporting chairs and accessories with striking burnt orange and coral hues, as well as varieties of teal, green and cerulean blue.

Aesthetically the sleek clean line is in, while large, or overstuffed items are totally passé. The minimalist vibe is everywhere, including fixtures such as faucets, lighting and framing. The majority of winners for Best of NeoCon have simple designs, with pops of color and an almost retro style of imagery. In the Architectural and Decorative Glass category (from the Chicago NeoCon show in June of 2015) Skyline made top of the list for it's multi-faceted plus-sign patterned glass. A throwback to the 60's for design and color, but with a twist of applying the image to an etched low-iron glass, as opposed to the yellow-hued glass of the era.

Even after 10 years, Hurricane Katrina is still making waves, but this time in a positive manner. The design community is now looking at ways to adapt reconstructed or new-build structures to the environment around them. Two hospitals in Louisiana have been designed with an impressive level of redundancy and armor to protect them from future catastrophes. Both facilities are built on an upside-down design, with sacrificial first-floors and materials built to withstand 130mph winds. Glass and metal are seen in abundance on the facade of both institutions, being that safety-glass and alloy metals are engineered to brace the elements and when compromised they are less likely to impede upon the well-being of those around.

Demountable panel systems are seeing a rise in popularity, as the open-concept workspace is only appealing for specific companies. The days of blasé, clear plate glass systems are behind us. This season has seen a rise in textured and colored glass panels in these designs, which bring life and dimension to the space. Clients can choose a color theme and incorporate personality into each workspace by varying the intensity, color or application to each glass panel. Employers appreciate the expense saved in reconstructing each area, while maintaining a sense of unity and collaboration throughout."

*A special thank you to Lacasse, Neutral Posture, Mayer Fabrics, Great Openings, Nathan Allan, Egan Glass and Humanscale: NeoCon East 2015 booths pictured above.