NeoCon + Design Days Recap

Interior Design Trends Shaping the Future of Commercial Spaces

At NeoCon and Design Days, our interior designers explored what’s next in commercial interiors. The verdict? resimercial design isn’t just here to stay—it’s being taken to the next level. The next evolution of resimercial interiors includes thoughtful residential cues woven into commercial functionality, creating environments that feel welcoming, personalized, and experience-driven.

Fireplaces in meeting spaces, framed artwork in office corridors, and custom millwork that adds depth and detail were just a few standout features bringing a home-like feel into commercial design.

Our designers, Sarah Miller and Joseph Crimmins, explored these elevated touches firsthand and brought back key insights into how comfort, brand identity, and flexibility are all converging in today’s most successful spaces.

If you’re considering a commercial interior renovation, here are the top design and material trends to keep on your radar:

1. Lighting and Texture Create Depth

Lighting and acoustics are being treated as immersive design elements. From sculptural pendants to ambient LED wall washes, lighting was used to shape mood, not just visibility.

LightArt’s exhibit allowed designers to build modular lamp stacks using 3D-printed recycled plastic, reinforcing both customization and sustainability.

Turf created a fully immersive acoustic experience with DJ-curated music, layered textures, and hands-on demonstrations of how their wall panels are fabricated. Design is increasingly multisensory, blending sight, sound, and texture to shape memorable environments.

2. Evolving Color Palettes

Color continues to evolve as a powerful design tool, with this year’s palettes leaning into a mix of rich jewel tones, earthy neutrals, and expressive micro-trends. At NeoCon and Design Days, burgundy stood out as a dominant hue, bringing depth and a sense of refinement to textiles, wall finishes, and accent furniture. Lilac, a softer counterpart, added an unexpected freshness, layered with warm neutrals and light wood tones.

Micro color trends revealed thoughtful pairings like jewel-toned yellows with bold blues, signaling a playful yet curated approach to contrast. Designs also leaned into dark earth tones and dark wood finishes to bring warmth, texture, and timelessness into their schemes. These elements offered a strong foundation for bolder color expressions.

Paint manufacturers have also echoed these directions:

• Sherwin-Williams‘ Color Capsule emphasized chartreuse and mauve finery.
• Benjamin Moore’s 2025 forecast included grounded hues like Cinnamon Slate, a moody, clay-infused gray that pairs beautifully with natural wood tones.

3. Prioritizing Sustainable Interiors

Sustainability is now built into the foundation of commercial design. Designers and manufacturers continue to showcase commitment to biobased materials, circular product lifecycles, and material transparency.

At the show, we saw:

• LightArt / Lighting made from recycled fishing nets
• Haworth Alder Table / Furniture crafted from biodegradable wood and coffee waste
• Interface + FYRN / Furniture designed with end-of-life recycling in mind

For clients with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals or LEED ambitions, these sustainable choices signal real, measurable progress.

4. Zoned Comfort: Nooks and Privacy Pods

Open-plan environments are being balanced with quiet zones that support focus, wellness, and neurodiverse needs. From acoustic phone booths to built-in seating pods, these spaces provide personal retreat without full disconnection.

A standout was the Hightower Tulipan Pod, a HiP Award finalist that blends a cozy swivel chair with a compact table and visual privacy. Micro-quite pods are perfect for hybrid workplaces, campus lounges, or hospitality lobbies. These adaptable features are becoming essentials in future-ready environments.

5. Earthy Tones and Timeless Texture

Neutral palettes remain a favorite for their calming presence and branding versatility. Think warm woods, soft beiges, clay tones, and muted taupes. These tones work well especially in high-traffic zones like student unions, retail floors, or wellness centers.

Award-winning showrooms like OFS highlighted this direction with curved furniture, flexible layouts, and pergola-inspired office systems. Steelcase showcased biobased foams and forms in their furniture inspired by nature. Terrazzo patterns made a strong showing as well, particularly in coved flooring applications that pair durability with a seamless, minimalist aesthetic. These earth-toned palettes are being used to provide a versatile base for branded accents, wellness zones, and timeless architecture—meeting both aesthetic and performance goals across markets.

6. Signage and Wayfinding as Experience Design

Wayfinding has evolved into a branded, intuitive experience. Signage continues to play a key role in helping users navigate large or multifunctional environments while reinforcing identity.

Takeform stood out with fully integrated signage systems that marry visual communication with environmental branding. Their packages are tailored to reflect organizational values and aesthetics.

From first impressions to daily use, signage is a strategic tool in crafting memorable, brand-aligned experiences.

7. Rounded Forms and Organic Lines

Curved lines continue to shape today’s interiors, softening the user experience and improving circulation. Furniture, lighting, and millwork are trending toward biomorphic forms that align with wellness-driven design.

A clear example is the rise of rounded and semi-circle conference tables, which are gaining popularity in workplace and education settings. These shapes promote inclusivity by giving everyone a clear spot at the table and ensuring all participants remain visible during hybrid meetings or Zoom calls—a thoughtful blend of form and function.

8. Innovations in User-Centered Spaces

Function and flexibility were recurring themes. Furniture systems are designed to adapt in real time to changing needs and diverse users. We saw:

• Sit-to-stand occasional tables for lounge and meeting areas
• Sofas with movable privacy panels for hybrid collaboration
• Dual-use media walls with a rotating TV on one side and a whiteboard on the other
• Magnetic wall systems used to swap in branding, material boards, or interactive planning tools without permanent installation—ideal for classrooms, hospitality suites, or innovation hubs.

Each of these innovations reflects a larger shift: furniture and finish systems are no longer static. Systems are designed to flex with the user, making environments smarter, more inclusive, and more responsive to changing demands.

Why Interior Design Trends Matter in 2025

Whether you’re repositioning a workplace for hybrid teams, updating a student center, or enhancing guest experience in a hospitality setting, these insights offer more than aesthetic direction. They serve as a roadmap to functional, future-ready design.

By attending events like NeoCon and Design Days, our team stays at the forefront of design innovation and brings you the most relevant solutions for what’s next.

Looking to incorporate these trends into your space?
Let’s design what’s next—for your people, your brand, and your future.