November 2005 • Productsphere
Work It Out
The latest contract products are tools for personalizing office environments.
By Paul Makovsky
Gone are monotonous beige office spaces. The latest designs for commercial spaces use color and pattern to brighten the office—and even make it more interactive. The fabrics in Textus’s Gradient collection change color incrementally; Lee’s patent-pending 2 Faced carpets are tufted in a way that makes the hue and pattern change depending on your perspective. And for a limited time Tivoli Audio’s Portable Audio Laboratory (PAL) comes in new bright colors. At NeoCon this year companies such as Interstuhl, Halcon, and Steelcase debuted sleek ergonomic and tech-driven products. For example, Steelcase’s round concept meeting space made of Corian contains digital sensors that adjust the lighting based on the number of people occupying the seats. OFS’s comfortable KLM bench, USM’s height-adjustable Kitos desk system, Built NY’s colorful neoprene lunch totes, and Freshware’s limited-edition LED watches are just a few of the latest choices for personalizing and transforming the workplace.
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Timothy Murphy’s KLM bench—which won the 2005 OFS Hotseat competition award presented at the OFS showroom at NeoCon—offers short-term public seating for a variety of environments, ranging from airport seating to museum atriums. (800) 521-5381; www.ofs.com.
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