NeoCon 2025 brought together manufacturers, designers, and thought leaders from across the contract design industry to explore what's next for the built environment. From saturated color to sensory-aware design, the conversation this year pointed toward a more human-centered and sustainable future for interiors. Swatchbox is excited to be part of that future and was proud to be part of this year’s NeoCon with both a presence at the Behr Paint space and a dedicated booth educating attendees about our Second Life Samples initiative, giving new purpose to unused material samples.
Also representing Swatchbox on the ground was our Designer in Residence, Annemarie Casino, who toured the showrooms, exhibits, and installations across THE MART and Design Days. These are four key trends she noticed during the event.
1. Inclusive Design and Sensory Awareness
An increased awareness of neurodiversity is influencing how commercial spaces are being designed, with a growing focus on meeting a broader range of sensory needs. Instead of physical accessibility alone, designers are beginning to consider how environments affect individuals with ADHD, autism, and other sensory processing differences.
BuzziSpace’s Quiet Revolution emphasized the importance of acoustic balance in shared environments. With a focus on wellness and sustainability, BuzziSpace’s approach encourages spaces where people can concentrate, connect, and thrive. At the same time, it highlights the power of quieter environments to support meaningful work.
The Quiet Revolution by BuzziSpace
Mohawk Group featured a carpeted sensory room for their Multisensory Collection that illustrated how flooring and acoustic design can create calming, inclusive environments. The collection features an extensive range of carpet designs that encourage relaxation, deliver emotional comfort, and support overall wellness in commercial spaces. With their earthy, grounded aesthetic, these textured surfaces create engaging tactile experiences that bring depth and sensory richness to interior environments.
Multisensory Collection by Mohawk Group
2. Biophilic Design as Baseline
As Annemarie Casino recently wrote in her exploration of biophilic design, creating healthier, more meaningful spaces is no longer optional. It’s a professional responsibility. That ethos was reflected throughout NeoCon 2025, where biophilic design emerged not as a trend but as a foundational principle shaping everything from materials to layout.
Slalom’s Bloom finish offered something especially thoughtful. It’s made from a mix of natural fibers and flower petals, sourced from farms that follow seasonal cycles and support local biodiversity. The petals are heat-treated to keep their fragrance while removing allergens, creating a tactile surface that feels warm, soft, and close to nature. Bloom needs a little gentle care, which feels appropriate for something so connected to the living world.
Bloom by Slalom
Another great biophilic product innovation was Hyphyn, a biodegradable performance vinyl part of the Reve Collection by Pallas. One of the more intriguing material debuts at NeoCon 2025 came from Pallas Textiles, which introduced Hyphyn, a biodegradable performance vinyl featured in its new Reve Collection. Hyphyn is designed to break down by over 90 percent in landfill conditions within two years without releasing toxic residues or microplastics. The material degrades into soil capable of supporting full plant germination, offering a rare combination of durability during use and minimal footprint after disposal.
Hyphyn by Pallas
3. Color Makes a Confident Return
Color was everywhere at NeoCon 2025, and not just in bold upholstery or playful paint palettes. It was used to influence mood, carve out zones, and spark connection in subtle and unexpected ways. Many showrooms leaned into saturated hues with deep purples, rich reds, and chromes. Color drenching and large-scale patterns were also on full display.
One of the standout examples came from Turf, whose immersive showroom was a full-on sensory experience in acoustic design. Sculptural forms, strategic lighting, and saturated hues worked together to show how sound and color can shape how a space feels. Their work earned a well-deserved Best of NeoCon Award, and it was exciting to see just how expressive acoustic materials can be.
Turf Design Experience Center
Designtex brought a full rainbow of color to NeoCon this year with their large fabric sample table, inviting visitors to explore their palette hands-on. The display felt open and playful, but it also came with a thoughtful twist. The tables used in the showroom were made entirely from reusable and recyclable materials, including paper tubes (the same kind used to roll their fabrics) and corrugated cardboard. It was a simple, smart approach that aligned with the company’s broader commitment to sustainable thinking in both materials and presentation.
Designtex Showroom
4. Modular Furniture
Modular furniture systems dominated the conversation at NeoCon 2025, and manufacturers demonstrated how thoughtful modularity can create environments that truly adapt to human behavior and changing needs throughout the day.
Boss Design's Beau collection stood out for its commitment to comfort engineering within a modular framework. The collection's organic curves are great and tie in with the biophilic elements we are excited about, but the real beauty is in how comfortable these seats are. The comprehensive range of seating and table units make it great for residential and commercial projects alike.
Beau collection by Boss Design
Isomi's Knit One Chair took a completely different approach, earning Gold recognition for its innovative construction method. This modular seating system replaces traditional foam with air and conventional upholstery with 3D-knitted textiles, reducing material waste while still maintaining comfort. What makes Knit One particularly special is how it marries the ideas of sustainability and modular design.
Knit One Chair by Isomi
Walking through NeoCon 2025, it was impossible not to feel energized by what's coming next. The innovations on display, from Slalom's fragrant Bloom finish to Isomi's biodegradable seating, represent something bigger than just new products hitting the market. They're showing us different ways to think about creating environments that actually work for both people and the planet. They're solutions we can start using right now to build spaces that are more inclusive, more sustainable, and more connected to what humans actually need.
Swatchbox is a premier sample fulfillment service for building product manufacturers. With proprietary software designed by insiders of the design community, Swatchbox helps manufacturers improve product sales and brand affinity by delivering material samples to the design community with speed, intelligence, and style. Learn more and join Swatchbox at www.swatchbox.com.
