Design Chicago 2024 Recap: Industry Trends and Staples

Last week, the Innovative team had the pleasure of attending Design Chicago, the Midwest’s Largest Residential Design Conference taking place in Chicago’s own design hub, The Merchandise Mart. Uniquely curated displays and presentations left us well informed and inspired by the latest trends in the design world.

Here at Innovative, we strive to bring leading-edge retail designs to our clients. In order to do this, we are constantly in the field educating ourselves on the current state of consumer favorites.  Here are three of our favorite trends that we picked up during our trip.

Endless Textures

Texture was everywhere. Rugs, walls, couches, tables - you name it, and there’s a texture for it. Textures help drive home any style. Classic canvas is a down-to-earth staple. Faux crocodile shows elegance and luxury. Soft and fuzzy gives off all the cozy feels. There’s no mood a texture can’t help you achieve.

Maximalism Makes a Comeback

Gone are the days of sad beige and neutral décor ruling the design-scape. Bold patterns and luxe hues are here to stay for a while. Our team witnessed these maximalist features often stacked and paired together. Go big or go home.

Interactive Mood Boards and Workstations

Just about every consumer walks around with a smart phone in their pocket nowadays. Because of this, we as humans tend to gravitate towards things that are interactive and customizable. Effective retail grasps and engages customers by providing interactive workstations. Design Chicago showcased curated mood boards and workstations, allowing the consumer to customize article layouts to achieve their visions.

BONUS: Luxury, a Timeless Necessity

Our team had the pleasure of sitting in on a panel presentation by industry-leading interior designers hosted by House of Rohl. They talked about the importance of using luxury products when it matters the most. One of the panel speakers, Carley Summers, talked about the process of getting these luxury products in her projects. Summers described often needing to bring clients into stores to see and feel the products and then compare them to their cheaper counterparts. As retail experts, it reminded us of the importance of our job. By creating quality displays, we help guide consumers to invest in quality products.