6.2.08 | Kimball Office just might steal the show this year with its launch of Hum. Minds at Work.™ O.K., you have to like cute to clap with glee for the name, but the concept, execution (as far as we can tell from images), and underlying research move Kimball Office up with the leaders of the class in the North American contract furniture area. With its striking showroom at 325 North Wells, designed by TVS Interiors, and its relaxing views overlooking the Chicago River, the short trip across the street from the Mart is an essential stop.

6.2.08 | Carnegie (www.carnegiefabrics.com) introduced an exciting new Xorel product at the Hospitality & Design Show, and we just couldn’t wait until NeoCon to get the details. What we discovered was, thanks to a newly developed process of embroidering, Xorel Embroider was born. It’s available in 8 patterns that include plaids: Axis Embroider and florals Laurel Embroider.

6.2.08 | Coalesse (Mart Suite 1032), (an obvious play on the word coalesce, to fuse or unite into a whole) is the new name for Brand 3, and, in a sense, is a new guise for the now defunct Steelcase Design Partnership, some of the products and parts of which transferred to Coalesse and other Steelcase divisions or reporting lines.

6.2.08 | The newly refreshed DIRTT showroom (across the street from the Mart with Kimball at 325 N. Wells) is an ode to environmental sustainability’s tenets –Reduce and Reuse. It is proof conscientiousness doesn'’t mean less design or function.

6.2.08 | Geiger is going to have a big NeoCon 08, the first under the overall direction of Steve Gane, president. Apparently Mr. Gane remembers the success of his tenure at HBF when that company, now a competitor, seemed to grow products at increasing volume each NeoCon.

5.26.08 | The ICFF is New York City’'s answer to the international question, “What have you done for design lately?” On May 17-20, 642 exhibitors from 38 countries around the world came to NYC’s Javit's Center to showcase their contribution to the current state of contemporary design. They were well rewarded as over 25,000 attendees –ranging from interior designers and architects to retailers and manufacturers –flocked to the fair to take it all in.

5.19.08 | Do you want to celebrate interior design, the effective use of facilities, and the importance of interiors to human vitality and creativity? Here is another chance. It’'s going to be a great NeoCon World Trade Fair 08, from many perspectives. For comprehensive information about this years event, go to www.mmart.com

5.19.08 | Learn a bit more about two speakers scheduled to present at NeoCon this year. Tim Springer, President, HERO, Inc. and Elaine Aye, Principal, Green Building Services, offer some "insight" into who they are and how they work by answering a few of our questions.

5.19.08 | Many seminars at this year’s NeoCon caught our eye at first glance. The following is a sampling of the offerings. This list is by no means complete and is intended only to give readers an idea of the breadth of the offerings, and should not be taken as a quality assessment; we haven’'t listened or attended any of them.

5.19.08 | There are many things about Humanscale that are difficult not to admire. The first is that the company is grounded on ergonomics – call it human factors or just plain people-centric – gives a healthy shift to the focus on sustainability that is too often lost in a rush to obtain LEED certification or to save the planet. It'’s not that human centricity is the best perspective for solving our environmental problems, it’s not. But by appealing to human nature- –the aggrandizement of the species and the self- –we are most likely to save the Earth as an enjoyable human habitat.