Office furniture trends 2025: Inspiring picks from the IE Ideas Book

Workplace expectations are shifting once again, and forward-thinking businesses are starting to reimagine their office design, not just to look better, but work better.

From flexible hybrid solutions to sustainable statement pieces, our New Product Ideas Book 2025 reveals the latest furniture innovation to help organisations boost employee wellbeing, productivity, and collaboration. 

Whether you’re an HR leader seeking to improve the employee experience or a CEO aiming to future-proof your workspace, these inspiring insights are designed for you.

2025’s stand-out workplace furniture design trends

Led by a growing need for private and collaborative spaces within open-plan environments, sustainability mandates, increasing awareness around inclusivity, and the integration of AI-ready technologies, people are expecting furniture that seamlessly blends design, functionality, and sustainability.

The emerging design approaches are defined by bold forms and expressive colours that bring energy and personality to the workplace, while natural materials, comfort, and user wellbeing remain top priorities. 

We’re also seeing a rise in modular, adaptable furniture that supports both team-based collaboration and individual-focused work. This furniture enables the use of cutting-edge technology more easily than before, elevating the employee experience. 

“The biggest shift I’ve seen in the workplace is how we design for meetings. They’re no longer stages for the loudest voices; they're spaces where every seat, whether in the room or on Zoom, holds equal power. The era of boardroom hierarchy is over. We’ve entered the age of collective voice and true inclusivity.

Clients are coming to us looking for exactly what we’ve already been building: reimagined room layouts and hybrid experiences that empower every participant, wherever they are. Because the way we meet has changed, and our spaces must evolve with it. Comfort and ergonomics aren't afterthoughts; they're foundational.

And now, as we reshape these spaces for people, we’re making room for a new participant: AI. Not as a novelty, but as a collaborator, an insight-gatherer, and a decision-making partner in the conversations that shape our future.”

Here’s a closer look at the top trends currently shaping workplace design.

Ergonomics meets elegance: The rise of next-gen task chairs

With hybrid working now the norm and many businesses calling for a return to work, employees expect comfort and support at every desk, whether it’s for a focused work session or video call.

Products like Steelcase's Karman Chair combine comfort and performance with an ultra-light frame and proprietary mesh textile, adapting effortlessly to user movement. Similarly, Orangebox's Eva Chair provides a sustainable, ergonomic solution with intuitive controls and clean lines for a modern look.

Steelcase | Karman Chair

Orangebox | Eva Chair

Flexible workstations for a fluid workforce

As work becomes more agile and activity-based, spaces must flex with it. Sit-stand desks, modular layouts, and personal focus zones are now vital for the wellbeing and productivity of the modern employee. 

The Flex Single Table by Steelcase is designed to support seamless transitions between seated and standing work. Orangebox’s Coppice Desk is a more compact solution for focused work, designed for privacy without isolation, which is ideal for open-plan spaces. The Noa Sit-Stand Desk by Benchmark is a clean, minimalist workstation solution that brings elegance and function to any space.

Steelcase | Flex Single Table

Orangebox | Coppice Height Adjustable Focus Desk

Benchmark | Noa Sit-Stand Desk

Lounge & reception spaces get a hospitable upgrade

First impressions count. Lounge areas are no longer passive waiting zones but dynamic spaces that blend comfort with utility, perfect for client meet and greets, informal meetings, touchdown work, casual coworker chats, and brand expression.

Blox by Icons of Denmark is an environmentally friendly reconfigurable seating system for auditoriums, receptions, and breakout settings, inviting employees to adapt their environment according to their needs. Similarly, Viccarbe’s Cubow is a versatile seating cube system that allows freedom of movement and impromptu collaboration.

An innovative new seating system is the Knit One Chair from Isomi. It boasts a modular, 3D-knitted textile shell that uses air instead of foam, radically reducing material waste while being adaptable. It also includes a bolt-on solid wood side table for increased utility.

Icons of Denmark | Blox

Viccarbe | Cubow

Isomi | Knit One Chair

Pods & booths power private productivity

As open-plan fatigue sets in, focus spaces are making a more stylish and fit-for-purpose comeback. Acoustic privacy and tech-friendly features are essential for concentration and confidential calls, giving teams the quiet space they need without sacrificing collaboration.

The Diggs booth by Orangebox offers improved acoustics that reduce noise distractions and give employees a more private, quiet work environment. A similar "micro-quiet" space is the Tulipan soft enclosure from +Halle, which creates a separate space for privacy without closing employees off from their open plane surroundings.

For a pod that supports both inclusivity and privacy, the Four Accessible pod by Framery offers a low threshold and foldable sofa and table for wheelchair users, and enough space for colleagues, assistant carers, and guide dogs.

Orangebox | Diggs

+Halle | Tulipan

Framery | Four Accessible

Outdoor & biophilic design elements promote wellbeing

Exposure to nature enhances mood, creativity, and cognitive function, which are key pillars of a positive employee experience. New workplace furniture designs incorporate outdoor-ready pieces and biophilic design principles to create calming, inspiring spaces inside and out.

For example, Cabrio by Extremis is a two-seater sofa designed for open-air collaboration or lounging. It boasts an adjustable soft-top shading screen and ergonomic cushions complete with a headrest and optional footrest. The Arena collection by Gandia Blasco further captures the essence of nature with its organic shapes and look reminiscent of everyone’s favourite outdoor wicker furniture set, which is fantastic for supporting outdoor individual and group work.

To bring the outside in, the Eden Planters by Sixteen3 combine biophilia and soft furnishings with large, configurable planters that can be standalone or easily integrated within seating layouts.

Extremis | Cabrio

Gandia Blasco | Arena

Sixteen3 | Eden Planters

How IE can help bring these design trends into your own workplace

At IE, we understand that sometimes, off-the-shelf solutions don’t quite fit every office space. We go beyond furniture sourcing to provide fully customised products crafted around your exact needs, helping companies like yours reimagine just what their unique workplace can be.

From strategy to specification and installation, IE partners with you every step of the way. Our expert designers, cutting-edge manufacturing partners, and project teams deliver high-performance, human-centred environments that reflect your culture and support your goals.

📥 Download the full New Product Ideas Book 2025 now or speak to our team to start your workplace transformation today.

Products listed in this blog:

1. Steelcase: Karman Chair
2. Orangebox: Eva Chair
3. Steelcase: Flex Single Table
4. Orangebox: Coppice Desk
5. Benchmark: Noa Sit-Stand Desk
6. Icons of Denmark: Blox
7. Viccarbe: Cubow
8. Isomi: Knit One Chair
9. Orangebox: Diggs booth
10. +Halle: Tulipan
11. Framery: Four Accessible pod
12. Extremis: Cabrio
13. Gandia Blasco: Arena collection
14. Sixteen3: Eden Planters