Interior Design Trends from Clerkenwell Design Week

These are the commercial interior design trends from Clerkenwell Design Week 2022 brought to you by JBH Refurbishments.

From office booths for activity based working and pastel shade to sustainability and real plants that never need watering, nor go brown!

Right is is where you’ll discover what’s hot in the world of office design.

Office Booth Design Integrates More Tech, Quirky Shapes, and Natural Wood Finishes

Office booths are more popular than ever. They offer a great acoustics for podcast recordings, virtual meetings and are a quiet place to concentrate away from the hubbub of busy office life.

The office booth has been around for some time now, but that doesn’t mean that its not evolving. At Clerkenwell Design Week we discovered some design developments that mean this little booth is just getting better and better.

  1. Natural wood finishes are becoming a feature that we haven’t seen much of in the past. In fact, natural woods and bamboo seem to be an emerging design scheme across all office furnishings, bringing softer tones to the office environment and opposing the stark black/ charcoal grey frames that we have come accustomed to.
  2. The technology in office pods is also evolving. A software system has been developed that allows you to login and see if the meeting pod is occupied. It even tells you the temperature and and how many people occupy the space. This technology is ideal for offices with a large workforce and multiple pods, or a co-working space. It allows you to check availability and book the pod.
  3. ‘On Air’ signs are an integral feature on all the latest office booths. This concept is ideal for podcast recordings, radio interviews, virtual meetings and any eventuality that might require great acoustics. The ‘On Air’ sign is triggered when the door is opened and occupied. It automatically switches off when vacant.
  4. Ventilation, lighting, media stations and charging points are freely available in most office pods, providing a quiet space in a busy office .

Manufacturers are Serious about Sustainable Design

Furniture and carpet manufactures are clearly taking the topic of sustainability seriously in 2022.

We are all striving to translate the government’s zero emissions target into our own businesses, but as hard as we try to improve our own processes, ultimately the products we buy and use have to come from sustainable materials and ethical manufacturing.

At Clerkenwell Design Week we met manufacturers from furniture to carpets that have sustainability at the forefront of everything they do.

Carpet manufacturers have managed to create products that are made from fully recycled materials. They’ve also developed organic adhesives to ensure the products they lay can be recycled again when they reach the end of their lifespan.

It’s not only the manufacturer’s own products that get recycled; in fact they will remove any product, strip it back and reuse it in their own carpets. Any materials that cannot be reused will be sent to other recycle facilities. This means the whole process of carpeting your office is now fully sustainable!

The same goes for office furniture. We found that a lot of office furniture and materials are made from recycled or sustainable products. One company in particular is making bamboo office furniture and booths. Bamboo is a very sustainable product; it grows fast, it’s strong, it prevents deforestation, and can be used in a multitude of applications.

Ergonomic Design for a Flexible Office

Products that transform for complete flexibility were in abundance at the Clerkenwell Design Week.

One highlight we would like to share is a product we have not seen before; it’s a partition on wheels with built-in electrics powered by a rechargeable battery. A screen can be mounted on the partition without any cables trailing along the floor, meaning you can move it and use it anywhere. What’s more, on the reverse is whiteboard. This really is the ultimate flexible media station/whiteboard for the meeting room and office.

Modular furniture continues to make a big impact at Clerkenwell. From a sofas that converts into a meeting pod (the back and arms fold up and down as desired) to a conference table that converts to a bed, the innovative solutions for commercial interior design just keep coming.

The modular partitions are the ideal practical solution for most offices. These systems can be combined to create the ideal office partition / storage / seating.

Pastel Colours Coatings

Move over black coatings and make way for pastels. From taps to light switches, door knobs to desks, pastel-colour coatings were a clear design trend from Clerkenwell Design Week 2022.

Resimercial Design

Resimercial design has been a buzz word for a few years now, but as the gap between home and office narrows resimercial design is on the rise.

Sofas designed for breakout areas have become so comfortable you won’t want to go home. While commercial carpets and flooring have been transformed to mimic the home environment with subtle patterns and raised piles. Even booths are evolving to provides individual work stations that look and feel like a cosy home office.

Real Planting is Given a New Lease of Life

Unbelievably, real plants can now maintain their natural colour all-year round with zero maintenance or watering. Real office planting, including moss can be treated to bring out its natural colour even at a point when they would have naturally died. This is fantastic sustainable option that triumphs over artificial planting.

Acoustics are Everything

Gone are the days of the basic oblong acoustic panel. Today, office acoustics come in all shapes and forms, including decorative wall panels, plant pots, light shades, even sculptures. These products bring a new level of detail to office design and comfort.

There are more  interior design trends from Clerkenwell Design Week on our Instagram page. Follow us for @jbhrefurbishments for more office design inspiration or contact us to discuss your next Kent fit out or London office refurbishment.


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