CDW 2026: The pieces we're still thinking about

Clerkenwell Design Week doesn't really end when the doors close. You carry it with you in the notes on your phone, the conversations on the way back, the pieces that keep surfacing in your mind a few weeks later.

CDW 2026 was a strong show. Not flashy, but considered. The things that stood out weren't necessarily the loudest. They were the ones that felt like they'd been made to last.

It's been a few weeks now since the show closed its doors for another year. Here's what we're still thinking about.

Hitch Mylius hm105 Planar

Hitch Mylius showed the hm105 Planar chair, designed by Magnus Long. The chair is built around three elements: frame, arm, and upholstery, which defines its look while also making it straightforward to update and reuse over time.

At CDW, it was upholstered in Vescom Onyx, with pink tubular steel legs and solid oak arms. The fabric gave the chair a distinctly aged, vintage quality, something we’ve not come across before in a commercial fabric. Unexpected, but it works.

The Planar is built on FSC-accredited plywood with CMHR foam, and comes with a broad range of base, arm, and fabric options. Vescom is one of Hitch Mylius's standard partners, but the chair is designed to accommodate a wide range of coverings. It would work well in reception areas, senior meeting rooms, or breakout lounge settings.

VG&P Common Room table

VG&P showed several pieces worth attention, all designed and made in the UK.

The standout was their collaboration with designer Daniel Schofield: the Common Room Table family. Originally designed to explore the use of lower timber grades, the triangular base came about as a practical solution for patching wood knots and splits, and VG&P worked with Schofield to refine it for workspaces and communal settings.

It works across boardrooms, meeting rooms, and reception areas, with a concealed door in the base for cable management and integrated power and data options available in the top.

VG&P also showcased the Gable Bench and Chair, which is built from just four panels of oak veneered plywood with solid oak edging and a solid oak armrest. The simplicity is intentional: carefully considered dimensions that deliver comfort without overcomplicating the construction.

Another highlight was the Canteen Low Stool, which takes its inspiration from the classic post-war British school chair. A single continuous piece of precision-bent tubular steel combined with a 12mm plywood seat and back. It’s stackable, easy to carry, and visually light despite being robust.

Humanscale eFloat Quattro

Humanscale showcased a few products worth noting, including the eFloat Quattro, a height-adjustable desk aimed at executive workspaces. The four-leg frame adds stability at larger surface areas, a limitation of other sit-stand desks in more senior settings. It has a digital switch which includes two programmable height presets.

Surfaces are available in solid wood and other low-emission materials, formaldehyde-free throughout the core, glue, and edge banding.

Orangebox Tessel

Orangebox showed new additions to the Tessel collection, a tabling system designed for adaptability across meeting and collaborative settings. Its leg system flexes and slides to suit any configuration, with integrated power options available. It arrived at CDW with strong recognition, having been shortlisted for Best Product of the Year: Furniture at the Mix Interiors Awards 2026.

Tessel reflects exactly the kind of spaces that are becoming central to modern workplace strategy. Areas that support varied, informal collaboration without feeling temporary or underspecified.

Brunner Ray Executive and Wave

Brunner showed the Ray Executive chair alongside the Wave conference table, both designed for senior settings where the environment is expected to say something about the organisation.

The Wave table is the standout: wavy leg covers in wood or metal that can be swapped out without tools, a steel frame that accommodates a wide range of table top shapes and dimensions, and a cable guide rail built into the leg. It's a conference table with genuine character, without being showy.

What we took away

Stepping back from the individual pieces, a few things stayed with us.

• Materiality: Fabric weight, pile, grain, and surface finish were being discussed as primary considerations, not afterthoughts.
• Bold colour, used well: Statement pieces in deep, considered tones were used with confidence, but always grounded in something more than trend.
• Where things are made: British-designed and British-made products came up more than they have in recent years, for reasons that go beyond aesthetics. For large programmes, shorter supply chains mean greater reliability, clearer lead times, and, in some cases, a stronger sustainability story.
• Longevity over trend: The pieces that resonated most were the ones designed to last, not to impress in the short term.

Many of these directions are already shaping the specification conversations we're having with clients.

Seen something at CDW you want to explore further?

If any of these products, or the broader directions from this year's show, connect to a specification conversation you're already having, we'd be happy to help you think it through. From initial concept to procurement and delivery, our workplace consultancy team works with you across the full process.

Explore our Furniture Solutions service or get in touch with our team to start the conversation.