Did you know that interior design trends are influenced from many different areas? Fashion, culture, and even global events, all impact interior design in unfathomable ways. It’s fascinating to see how all of these can influence interior design. But I also love watching the cause and effect impact of trends and how human behavior shifts as a result of what people are exposed to.

Commercial and residential interior design influence each other in big ways too. One of those is seating!

I recently attended NeoCon in Chicago – the largest commercial interior design convention – and couldn’t help but notice how the world has shaped new introductions that are coming out into the market. 

In terms of design styles, Boho and Scandinavian inspired pieces were everywhere I looked, and the colors were muted and earthy. 

What I really enjoyed seeing though, was how seating trends are changing. I anticipate that some of these new trends in commercial office lounge seating will be entering the residential market within the next couple of years. 

So in today’s article, I wanted to share what I saw with you! And explain more about these new seating trends and how we will see them in the residential market. 

Let’s take a look!

 

Low Seat Heights

 

Low to the ground seating. 

That’s right! Despite the aging population and soaring ceilings of today’s homes, the overall seat heights shown were much lower, bringing occupants closer to the earth. 

Instead of standard seating heights of 19” – 22”, seat heights have dropped to 16” – 19”. 

If you have mobility issues, stay away, but for others, especially vertically challenged people, this new trend has the potential for creating cozy spaces.

So how could this translate into the residential market?

I anticipate that we’ll be seeing a lot more sofa seating that is lower in general, and even more modular sectionals being closer to the ground. Think of the large, deep sectionals we are used to seeing today that have minimal legs – those, but even closer to the floor.

With the rise of being more in tune with our mental health and taking steps to minimize stress, lower seating is a way of being influenced by other forces, such as fashion and culture.

 

 

Soft Curves

 

In addition to bringing people closer to the ground, I also saw many soft curves. 

Chairs that took on a sculptural form with softly rounded fronts, gently sloping arms, and backs that hug you when you sit in them.

For anyone thinking that curved furniture will be making its way out of trend – this won’t be happening any time soon! Pieces with soft curves will become almost part of the norm with dining chairs, accent chairs, and even outdoor furniture too.

 

 

Rich Textures

 

Solids with soft textures were everywhere, and it’s no surprise!

Gentle bouclé fabrics that feel soft and nubby under hand, and rich velvets stole the show. Solid patterns help the sculptural aspect of seating to really shine through while still adding to the lush experience of an upholstered piece.

For the residential market, there will be a shift from using patterned upholstery to more solid fabrics on seating so the texture does all the talking! Particularly if you’re choosing a piece of furniture that has soft curves as part of the structure, the focus will be put on the texture of the fabric rather than pattern.

 

 

So there you have it! A round-up of new seating trends to come! What do you think of these new seating trends? Will you be jumping at the chance for soft curved or lower seating? I’d love to hear all your thoughts in the comments below!