Top Colors at NeoCon 2019

NeoCon is a three-day event for the commercial interiors industry that takes place at The Mart in Chicago. This year’s event was June 10-12th and was an excellent event to showcase the latest in color trends for Workplace, Healthcare, Hospitality, Retail, Education, Public Space and Government. There was first-class educational programming featuring 100 accredited seminars in addition to daily keynote presentations and special programs. This included the presentation given by my fellow Color Marketing Group board member, Montaha Hidefi and myself on the last day of the event, “Harnessing the Power of Color Forecasting in Design.” We had a great turnout for that and excellent follow-up discussions during the Q&A afterward.

CMG members will be receiving a Roving Report that I submitted with Nicole Hoy from Sherwin-Williams. Roving Reports are written by CMG volunteer members who report on various trade shows around the world giving their perspective and observations. Here is a sneak peak of some of the colors that we observed emerging or continuing in the marketplace.

Rosy Reds and Rusty Oranges

Yellows Getting Attention

Dusty and Deep Greens

Aqua Blues and Indigo

Lilacs Galore and Purple

Creamy Beige and Browns

A term that I recently heard, “resimercial” sums up to me what has been continuing in commercial design. The blending of residential and commercial aesthetics. The increasing numbers of people working from home is a driver as well as a more relaxed and business-casual attitude overall.

Sustainability was promoted in just about every booth.

Biophilic design is being employed to reduce stress levels, improve mood and increase productivity as health and wellness concerns are rising.

A growing need that is being addressed at many levels is the privacy and noise challenges of open plan environments. It was good to see color integrated into the cubbies, pods and modern “phone booths.”

Mikomax Smart Office