Is the beige age over? Airline interiors get a design upgrade

Airline seat design inspiration is evolving away from the automotive look of the 2000s and 2010s, trending more towards other spaces where people spend time instead. Matt Round is chief creative officer at Tangerine. The London-based design agency has been at the heart of seat designs all the way back to the first fully flat bed for British Airways in the 1990s. Speaking to Skift, he explains why he believes residential spaces will influence airline interior design: “Our inspiration for the next generation of airline seating is influenced by human behavior, an airline’s brand and culture, and cross-sector insights. "Our designers are looking beyond aviation, drawing from the worlds of residential and luxury interiors, high-end hotels, and even wellness-focused spaces like luxury spas,” says Round. For airlines and their designers, it’s a balancing act driven by the two-to-ten-year process from design to fleet-wide completion. They need to ensure that long-term trends are adopted quickly enough that they can get on-wing before they expire, without feeling dated halfway through the rollout. Ideally, they’ll also allow easier updates through soft products like seat fabrics and customizable trims. Some of the latter will also flow through to premium economy and economy seats.<br/>