Color, Comfort and Circularity: What We Noticed at NeoCon + Design Days 2025
Each June, the design community gathers in Chicago for NeoCon and Design Days. With nearly 50,000 professionals attending this year’s events at THE MART and throughout Fulton Market, the atmosphere was vibrant and full of energy. The conversations, showrooms, and product debuts revealed thoughtful shifts in how we approach commercial design.
One thing became very clear: The commercial interiors industry is not only evolving, it’s becoming more intentional. We saw meaningful attention placed on well-being, sustainability, adaptability, and aesthetic warmth. Steelcase and its partner brands brought forward a variety of new solutions that reflect these values in tangible, usable ways.
Let’s jump into some trends and key takeaways we brought back home with us. These are the highlights that stood out to us, captured our attention and sparked new ideas.
Nature-Inspired Tones and Textures
This year’s palette leaned into soft, earthy colors paired with rich textures. Greens, purples, burnt oranges, and subtle neutrals created calm yet expressive environments. These tones helped bring a sense of balance, especially when used in open or shared spaces.
Fluted wood details were also very prominent throughout. These textures can bring depth and warmth to a space without overwhelming the design. When used thoughtfully, they help create a space that feels calm and welcoming.
Privacy That Feels Intentional
Trends show that employees need spaces to reset and refocus. Whether you’re managing a hospital where staff work 12-hour shifts, overseeing a school where teachers need quiet planning time, or leading a corporate team struggling with open-office fatigue, there’s increasing demand for privacy solutions. This year, that showed up in the form of privacy lounges, pods, booths, and solo seating.
With soft curves, thoughtful upholstery, and innovative acoustic features, these pieces do more than serve a purpose; they reflect care for the person using them. These quiet corners and focused zones help people stay balanced throughout the day, especially in hybrid or high-traffic settings.
Your space planning decisions directly impact operations. Hospital administrators report that staff break areas influence nurse retention rates. School principals find that teacher collaboration improves when educators have both open meeting spaces and quiet retreat areas. Corporate leaders see productivity gains when employees can choose their optimal work environment throughout the day.
A Strong Emphasis on Flexibility for Adaptive + Inclusive Spaces
It’s no surprise that flexibility was a major theme again this year. What stood out, however, was the execution. Products designed for mobility and modularity were not just practical, they were visually refined and easy to use.
Modular furniture systems solve different challenges across industries. In healthcare, they allow you to reconfigure patient areas during busy times when capacity needs change. In education, they help you to transform cafeterias into community meeting spaces. In corporate environments, they support hybrid work models.
We saw height-adjustable tables, stackable seating, and reconfigurable lounge systems that made it easy to switch modes. Collaboration can happen at one moment, and focus work the next. For organizations navigating ever-changing workflows, these products offer the adaptability teams need, without overcomplicating the space.
This focus on flexibility also extended to inclusion. Many showrooms focused on designing for neurodiverse users, incorporating soft lighting, varied textures, and settings for both engagement and quiet time. Neurodiverse design considerations aren’t just about compliance, they improve outcomes for everyone. Variable lighting controls help nurses reduce eye strain during long shifts. Varied texture options support students with sensory processing differences, leading to fewer classroom disruptions. Quiet zones in corporate offices accommodate employees who need focused work time, regardless of neurotype.
Sustainability with Structure
Perhaps one of the most promising directions we noticed this year was the focus on circular design. Furniture built to last longer saves money. When furniture components can be easily replaced rather than requiring complete replacement, you cut future costs. For education leaders managing tight budgets, this means stretching facility dollars further. For healthcare systems standardizing across multiple locations, it ensures consistency while controlling costs.
This resonates deeply with our values at Custer. We believe great design is as much about long-term responsibility as it is about aesthetics. Products built to last, that adjust over time, and are responsibly reused play a key role in supporting healthier spaces and reducing waste. They also help our customers meet evolving sustainability goals in ways that are practical and authentic.
As we design spaces that support well-being and community impact, circular design plays an important role. It helps ensure our work adds long-term value, for people, organizations, and the spaces they rely on each and every day.
A Shift Toward Human-Centered Design
The spaces we explored and products we discovered went beyond function. They felt intentional, supportive, and in tune with how people actually work.
Today’s most impactful spaces don’t just serve a function, they support the people who use them. Whether it’s creating areas for focused thinking, encouraging collaboration, or offering flexibility in how a space is used, thoughtful design begins with empathy. It meets people where they are and helps them thrive, fostering environments where individuals feel supported, engaged, and empowered to do their best work.
Moving Forward
NeoCon and Design Days 2025 reinforced what we believe at our core: the best design starts with people. From nature-inspired tones to adaptable, inclusive settings and circular solutions, the future of commercial design is being built with intention. It reminded us that progress in designing spaces which support our work, learning, wellness, and beyond isn’t always about what’s new. Sometimes it’s about doing the essentials more thoughtfully. Better colors. Better comfort. Smarter flexibility. Real sustainability.
We’re excited to bring these insights back to our clients and communities. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just designing spaces. We’re building environments that help people thrive.
