Welcome to 2020. And while there are no flying rocket cars or space shuttles to Mars, we’re at least happy to report that we have the technology to keep our offices quiet with office phone booths, noise-canceling headphones and more. But the question is: have our offices caught up with the times?

This summer, we’re seeing a lot of new office furniture designs that are getting us excited. 2019 has been the year of the flexible office, and the office furniture that overtook Neocon and other major design fairs this spring directly responded to the need for more flexibility in shared environments: more defined lounge areas, combined with a reclamation of ‘private spaces’ in the form of office phone booths, glass-enclosed spaces, and noise-insulating technology. While 2017 was the year for improving wellness at work, the flexible office trend directs its attention to office furniture and design as a primary way to decrease distractions and make working a better experience for everyone. In this blog, we will focus on some of our office furniture finds that best represent this growing trend.

In 2019, the way we work and how we work with others is evolving. The open office, once introduced as a breakthrough in office design, has gone under fire for being too distracting and lacking in privacy.  Entire offices are finding themselves overhearing private conversations, phone calls and interactions with clients with no way of escaping the noise. Designers are faced with the challenge of designing offices that retain the aesthetic and social advantages of open plan design while creating solutions to the age-old problems that accompany it. Less a fleeting office trend and more of an expected norm, the “flexible” office was introduced as an open plan environment that embraces the inclusion of private spaces.

If you work in New York City, chances are, you’ve been inside a noisy office. Phones ringing off the hook, sirens wailing outside, and with five different in-office conversations competing for volume. Imagine if it were possible to escape it all—without ever leaving your office. Office phone booths (often referred to as office pods) are sound proof booths that are designed for comfort and silence.