August 29, 2025 — Workplace furniture manufacturer HON has introduced Confer, a mid-century-modern guest seating solution that marks the brand’s first wood guest chair in over a decade. With its inviting, relaxed posture and versatile design, Confer is a perfect addition to the contemporary office environment.
Confer is offered with arms or in an armless design and features options for an upholstered back, wood back, or wood back with a pad. Confer seating features a frame crafted from hard maple, a renewable resource. Wood scraps from the manufacturing process are repurposed to create corner blocks for the chair’s frame, while additional wood byproducts are sent to local farms to be used as animal bedding, promoting sustainability and reducing waste.
Confer was designed by The HON Company’s industrial designer David Mehaffey. With his expertise in blending functionality and aesthetics, Mehaffey sees Confer being widely used throughout the floorplate in spaces like private offices, collaborative work areas, lobby lounges, and cafés.
With Confer, our goal was to create a chair that feels inviting in any environment while being mindful of its footprint. By using responsibly harvested wood and finding creative ways to reuse and redirect byproducts, we were able to design a piece that unites comfort with a clean, modern presence and a thoughtful use of resources. For specifiers, that means a versatile chair that can function in different spaces and make people feel at home whether they’re in a lobby, café, or private office.
David Mehaffey, industrial design manager at HNI Workplace Furnishings and designer of Confer
Available in 18 coordinating wood stains, Confer complements the HON casegoods portfolio and adds a retro-contemporary style along with durable functionality, making it a versatile choice for a variety of spaces. Key features of the Confer chair include its wall-saver legs, designed to prevent scuffing when pushed against walls, along with an integrated back pull for easy mobility and relaxed arms for added comfort and support.
HON’s marketing notes that sustainability isn’t going anywhere in design, and occupants and employers are making decisions based on its integration. The American Society of Interior Designers’ 2025 Trends Outlook Report highlights that “health, wellness and sustainability remain top priorities.” HON’s Confer guest seating supports designers and clients in realizing their sustainability goals without compromising on design.
Confer addresses today’s industry and consumer demand for sustainable design through:
- The use of renewable, locally sourced, FSC-certified hard maple wood
- Waste reduction in manufacturing: wood scraps from the manufacturing process are repurposed to create the chair’s structural corner blocks
- Landfill diversion: remaining manufacturing byproducts are sent to local farms for use as animal bedding
- BIFMA LEVEL — Level 2 certification, meeting rigorous sustainability standards
- SCS Indoor Advantage Gold certification, ensuring healthier indoor air quality for users
For more specifications and images, see Confer Chair at HON.
