7 Furniture Trends from Clerkenwell Design Week 2025

Agile and Modular Furniture

Flexibility continues to drive innovation in workplace design. Furniture must adapt seamlessly to changing environments, whether that’s a corporate office, a co-working hub, or an event space. Having a flexible office may not be possible for everyone, but there are always flexible office design trends that most workplaces can implement.

Flokk’s Revo modular soft seating was a standout example, demonstrating how a single product family can be reconfigured for a multitude of uses without the need for repeated investment. This isn’t just about aesthetics — it supports cost efficiency, sustainability, and a more dynamic way of working.

There is growing demand for modular systems that future-proof offices, ensuring spaces can evolve as quickly as business needs change. Modular furniture can fit a variety of spaces, and is one of the easiest ways to create a flowing workplace.

Sustainability at the Core

Sustainability is no longer an add-on — it is at the core of product development. At Clerkenwell, Bolon’s collaboration with Pit2Table turned discarded olive pits into durable surfaces, while Vepa’s Hemp Fine chair showcased the world’s first fully plant-based, recyclable seating solution.

With hemp fibre, bio-resin, and reused coffee bag fabrics, Vepa’s design absorbs more CO₂ than it emits during production, creating a negative carbon footprint. Products like this represent not just greener choices, but smarter investments in long-term sustainability credentials. Sustainability, Environmental impact and Office furniture design should go hand in hand, and is often one of the first moves towards a sustainable workspace.

Equally important are brands like Orangebox, whose Material Workshop highlights how existing products can be retrofitted with new finishes to extend their lifecycle. In Copenhagen, A:gain’s surfaces made from construction waste reinforced how circular design is moving firmly into the mainstream.

For organisations, the message is clear: sustainable furniture is no longer a niche consideration — it is rapidly becoming the standard.

Continuous Life Cycle Innovation

Linked to the sustainability conversation is a growing focus on refurbishment and reuse, being able to transform workplace furniture to help it last and last. The days of ‘use and replace’ are giving way to thoughtful lifecycle innovation.

HAY’s seating systems, for example, use Velcro and button fixings to allow easy deconstruction and re-upholstery. This kind of approach ensures that products evolve with users, extending lifespan and minimising waste.

For workplace consultants, this creates opportunities to design environments that feel continually fresh, while supporting clients in achieving both financial and environmental targets.

User Experience as a Design Priority

Furniture is increasingly being designed to deliver an experience, not just a function. At Clerkenwell, Pixel Artworks’ motion-sensor installations blurred the boundaries between art, interaction, and furniture.

Meanwhile, across both London and Copenhagen, the conversation expanded into sensory and neuro-inclusive design. Acoustic innovation, mood-responsive environments, and lighting solutions like Signify’s NatureConnect, which mimics natural daylight, are making workplaces feel more attuned to human needs.

This signals a clear shift: furniture and interior elements are becoming tools to support creativity, wellbeing, and inclusion.

Colour Returns with Confidence

After years of muted palettes dominating offices, colour made a confident return. Brands such as Allermuir, Senator and MARK Product introduced bold, rich tones, while material specialists like Arte, Koza Projects and Philip Jeffries showcased colourful finishes.

In Copenhagen, earthier tones such as paprika, ochre and mocha mousse stood out, alongside playful frame finishes available in hundreds of hues.

For organisations, colour is no longer a risk, it is an opportunity. Whether aligning furniture with brand identity or simply creating more vibrant, hospitality-inspired spaces, colour helps transform workplaces into environments where people feel energised and connected.

Organic Forms and Curves

Soft silhouettes, curved seating, and ‘tub’ forms dominated Clerkenwell. These organic shapes soften the rigidity of traditional offices, creating more welcoming and human-centred environments. Using a mixture of furniture designs like this will help to add to that dynamic workspace feel, creating a space people want to work in.

At the same time, hospitality continues to influence workplace design. Chelsom’s marble-based table lamps and Glow’s hand-blown glass lighting brought warmth and intimacy to the office. Ethimo’s Folia outdoor collection reminded us how terraces and gardens can become meaningful extensions of the workplace.

In Copenhagen, Norr11’s I Am exhibition was a masterclass in shaping emotion through design, reinforcing how softer lighting and sculptural furniture can replace corporate minimalism with lifestyle-driven comfort.

Hospitality and Home-Inspired Furniture

The influence of hospitality design was unmistakable. Chelsom’s marble-based table lamps and Glow’s hand-blown glass lighting showcased how warmth and ambience are moving centre stage. Meanwhile, Ethimo’s Folia outdoor collection, displayed in St John’s Church Garden, underlined how outdoor furniture is being elevated for workplace use.

This blending of home and office design reflects a desire for spaces that feel less corporate, and more inviting, flexible, and lifestyle-driven.

The Future of Workplace Furniture

From hemp-based chairs to modular seating, from colour confidence to sensory inclusivity, workplace furniture is becoming a strategic tool for transformation.

The emerging trends of 2025 all point to the same conclusion: the office of tomorrow will be sustainable, adaptable, and deeply human-centred. It is so important to keep up with these trends, to keep relevant in an ever-expanding and growing market, and because workspace design has a massive impact on productivity.

For Sketch Studios, the role is clear: to help organisations cut through the noise of design festivals and product launches, identifying the innovations that will make a meaningful difference to their people, their brand, and their long-term goals.