How COVID-19 Is Shaping Design Trends
Believe it or not, the pandemic is influencing design trends.
Perhaps it's not that surprising – given how we are having to adapt and drastically change the way we live and work – that the coronavirus is already shaping how we decorate our homes, too.
A house isn’t just a place to live any more – it’s your office, your gym, yoga studio, and more – and people are looking to create homes that reflects this. So, what does this mean for the future of home design? Here's how the design of our homes could change across the coming years as a reaction to the health crisis and the need for more adaptable, flexible spaces.
EARTHY COLORS
The pandemic has impacted many interior trends, shifting away from open plan spaces and encouraging people to create purposefully designed ‘hubs’ that can offer privacy and
focus needed for work / schooling with breakout areas that provide much needed separation and relaxation. Colors which easily transcend mindsets, like beiges and greiges, are perfect for tying these spaces into one another, enabling you to still achieve an open feel, while creating designated spaces to get the whole family from morning to evening.
HOME SPAS Bathrooms have long been a space to escape to after a tough day but that desire is becoming greater. We will now start to see the importance of home spas to allow us to fully relax and de-stress. Adding a steam function to a shower area, or removing the shower all together and opting for a large luxurious bath can provide different ways to relax with water.
The main bathroom, sometimes redundant with the introduction of more en-suites, may transform into a home gym-spa space to fully maximize every square inch. Our health, wellbeing and especially mental health are all elements that our homes should provide a remedy for.
CREATIVE STORAGE We'll be seeing a more creative approach to increasing storage at home from now on. With young children, although a dedicated playroom might sound ideal, in reality toys regularly migrate from room to room. Homeowners are realizing this and taking the opportunity to
consider storage and joinery very carefully within their interiors. Low level storage units in multiple rooms – ottoman style furniture, sideboards and cabinets – means games and toys can be quickly tidied away at the end of the day without creating extra work for tired parents.
In the kitchen, maximizing cupboard space from floor to ceiling will be a key trend, as will other creative storage solutions like under bench storage and hallway storage.
HOME OFFICES Undoubtedly, one longer-term consequence of COVID-19 will be the fact that more people will be working from home permanently. The negative stigma of working from home has officially been lifted and although we’re not writing off the office by any stretch, we do see much more of a mixed approach to working going forward. This will make our shared spaces more relevant than they’ve ever been before.
Recent research has shown how, in just a few months, working from home has already had a major impact on our decor and design schemes. Limited private space to work was the #1 frustration with existing, often makeshift home office setups. So creating a private, formal workspace is more important than ever before. Requests for home office design has jumped by 40% compared to April of last year.
As life goes back to normal, many jobs will likely begin to enable remote employment. The permanency of remote jobs means people will design their home work spaces differently. As a result, we'll see more dedicated and private home work spaces, as opposed to makeshift desk setups. This may mean people move to larger homes in more remote areas to garner more space, or they dedicate guest rooms as permanent home offices.
Multi-functional spaces will also be the key to home layouts. We'll start to see the incorporation of desks and workspaces into bedrooms and living rooms as part of the norm, because even those who continue to work in an office will likely have more flexibility to engage in remote work. Creating multiple workspaces throughout the home means that two people can work from home at the same time without bothering each other.
KITCHEN REDESIGN Kitchens will become the absolute heart of the home, more than ever before. Open kitchens will be the heart of the home again, and the room used most frequently, so the importance of layout and large windows will be key, not only for natural light but for natural ventilation and view. There is a demand for larger kitchen islands with integrated seating and desk areas within kitchens. These spaces now need to be multi-functional for eating, entertaining, kids' homework or zoom calls.
Space for armchairs or an additional sofa in the kitchen will also be important. Throughout the home, large, comfortable sofas and armchairs will take precedence over smaller, daintier pieces as they need to accommodate more family members at one time.
Antimicrobial surfaces/coatings to kitchen worktops that are easy to clean are in high demand. There are certain materials that are inherently antibacterial, such as stainless steel and copper. Stainless steel fridge interiors may become more popular for this reason.
AT-HOME GYMS A private exercise space has always been an important consideration in many homes, but
the pandemic has certainly placed more emphasis on specific features within a home gym over others. For example, virtual training sessions have soared during this time, which means a good screen (which can be hidden away) is essential and excellent speakers are even more important for online personal training sessions, classes such as Peloton, and exercising with friends online.
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via LivingEtc.com
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