ICFF 2017—A Retrospective

Members of our team were delighted to head to ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, last week, to gain insight on some of the latest trends in office furniture design. The event showcased beautiful luxury residential and office furniture, wall coverings, lighting, and accessories from some of the world’s most esteemed design firms. Thoughtful approaches by design students, added an additional edge of exciting experimentation. Through the seemingly endless array of booths, we were struck by a broad survey of timeless contemporary furniture, intermingled with sensationally bold forward-thinking designs.

For us, it was refreshing to see the level of creative innovation designers have been taking in their approach to the modern office. As businesses fully embrace open plan work areas, there has been a demand for furniture that intuitively inspires flexible, collaborative, social environments. Contemporary furniture designers are stepping beyond object aesthetics, and are rethinking how they use materials, their environmental footprint, as well as the emotional impact of their designs. In changing work environments, more attention has been going into how one engages and feels within a space.

As modern offices become redefined, space planners are designing spaces to suit an increasingly tailored and personalized set of needs. With the increasing overlap of residential and office environments, communal lounge areas are taking on bold playful colors, inviting textures, and thoughtful designs that strike the balance between social and public environments. From lounge areas arranged in a tête-à-tête conversational fashion, to charging stations arranged in enveloping comfy cubicles, there is an attentiveness to the level of engagement and interaction between the individual and their environment. The specificity of material, and move towards primary colors with contrastingly textured wood furnishings, has added the relaxed unpretentious appeal of a rustic environment within unmistakably urbanized settings.

Echoing these themes, was the beautiful midcentury-inspired lounge area by Bernhardt Design. Their lounge area presented a tasteful arrangement of sofas in pastel blues and greens, paired with an assortment of matching pastel tables and oblong dark hardwoods. A clean white open backdrop brought out the clarity of color, while affecting the relaxing appeal of large room. We also keenly noticed our FLEX divider screens by Loftwall, in warm tone textiles, attractively set beside architectural wood dividers, and a boldly colored minimal stool. Below are some photo highlights. Enjoy!