NeoCon—North America’s largest design expo and conference—happened last month in at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The top furniture designers, manufacturers, office design firms, and industry leaders attended and came together to discuss the latest office trends, problems, and big ideas for the future.
Of all the trends and topics discussed, one theme was of particular interest to the majority of the attendees: a turn back to private, quiet workspaces from popular open office layouts.
Acoustic furniture and sound-absorbing design options are perfect for any office or workspace. You can create quiet places for your team to get more work accomplished, host a one-on-one or small group meeting, or enjoy a cup of coffee on their break time. Whether you choose to incorporate this privacy trend in your current office by adding acoustic furniture to your layout, or you want to completely redesign your space as an completely quiet and focused office, here are some of our favorite furniture options we’ve shared with you to give your office the privacy treatment everyone is raving about.
The Classic Acoustic Panels
Elegant, chic, and easy to implement: acoustic panels fit perfectly in most offices. Acoustic panels are the best option for creating quiet places in your office if your space is already hustling and bustling with noise and activity.
Acoustic panels are great if you’re updating your office on a budget. You can still get all of the great sound reducing and soundproofing benefits that acoustic furniture provides without breaking the bank.
With the classic acoustic panel design option, you don’t have to relocate those team members that are only able to work productively and creatively in peace and quiet. Those who prefer to work in noisy group settings will find that acoustic panels benefit them, too! Conversations, brainstorming, and meetings will be more clearly audible and background noise will be greatly reduced within the office. These panels create a win-win for everyone on your team.
Acoustic panels are made from felt and cut into unique sizes and shapes to fit your space. These “skins” insultate rooms, both big and small, so you can even soundproof your executive office or C-level suite to increase your focus and privacy. These panels are simple, elegant, and truly effective.
The Privacy “Cocoon“
For the office that’s creative, progressive, and likes to have fun—the Privacy Cocoons may be right for you. These colorful “hood” designs are striking and unique, and unlike anything your team has probably ever seen. These futuristic soundproof hoods can be mounted on walls, cubicle wings, doors, or corners of your office.
If your team truly enjoys collaborative time together, and they prefer to work in a noisy, talkative environment, then these cocoons are a great solution for anyone that wants to get away from the buzz at a moment’s notice. Because you can mount these cocoons virtually anywhere, your team can move from meeting to phone call, or team strategy session to one-on-one discussion in a matter of seconds.
Acoustic “Wings”
Get rid of your cubicles and traditional workspaces, and make way for Acoustic “Wings.” These gorgeous soundproofing solutions are designed to completely reinvent your modern office and collaborative workspaces.
The sleek, elegant “wing” design creates an aesthetically pleasing look to your office layout. You can partition large, open spaces and create a new way to organize your team. These wings are sound absorbing on both sides of the partitions, so you can create two separate quiet spaces at the same time. It couldn’t get any easier.
With these wings, you can also create indirect light sources within your new modular office spaces. Attach the wings at a 90-degree angle, and you’ll reduce glare on computer screens and cut down on your team’s direct brightness and artificial light exposure. Available in a variety of colors, these wings create comfortable, quiet, and unique places your team will love coming back to day in and day out.
The return to privacy and quiet within the workplace is a welcomed change in modern and contemporary office design. We look forward to seeing how the rest of the design world will react to this trend.
We love incorporating sound-absorbing furniture into our clients’ office interiors. To see how we can co-collaborate on your next office design project to create a space that fits all of your unique workplace needs, contact us today.
