How the pandemic is reshaping interior design so far

Last year was pretty crazy, to say the least. Unfortunately, the new coronavirus still isn’t showing signs of stopping. But those of us who are fortunate enough to work remotely are beginning to wonder how to reshape our homes to further improve our private and professional space. This article aims to explore the trends in pandemic interior design and hopefully give you some new ideas.

Heavy-duty home offices

Working from home isn’t exactly new. Lots of people have pre-COVID-19 workspaces at home, and they were pretty much ready to take on this new situation by the time it began to enforce new rules on our day-to-day lives. However, no one thought that they’d work five days a week from home when it all began.

In the beginning, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Doing your job remotely sounds fun when you first think about it. But once it starts to become a routine, troubles quickly emerge. The thing is — the line between your private and professional life begins to blur, and it’s hard to make sense of your day.

Previously, home-designed workspaces were merely about paying bills, checking emails, and similar. Now, you have to manage to work while avoiding distractions. Moreover, you want to get a comfy chair to keep your back from arching while working on your tasks.

Remote-learning spaces

Unfortunately, adults aren’t the only ones who are struggling with isolation. Kids and teenagers also have to keep up with school and university work. However, simply putting your child in front of a screen isn’t going to solve all problems. Just like their elders, they also struggle with focus and avoiding distractions everywhere around them.

Hence, space planning is essential to make it all work. Whether you renovate their room to accommodate their needs or you find a separate space — it’s up to you. There shouldn’t be a gaming PC, console, or TV around them. Some even make sure that their remote-learning space has sound-rated doors. But that’s taking it a bit too far, isn’t it?

Of course, none of this means that they should study and keep up with their classes like they’re in a 19th-century Catholic school. Making the room appear as a prison cell isn’t something you should have in mind. You can always decorate their remote-learning space to help them focus and even relax between classes. Having lots of natural light with warm color palettes can add to their overall learning experience.

A new focus on the foyer

Unlike before, keeping your shoes on and shaking hands before washing them is a big no-no since the infection rate is so high. Therefore, lots of people are redesigning their homes to have mudrooms and foyers. With them, the visitors and homeowners can clean their hands and slip into slippers without going into the living room immediately.

Of course, this is still in the early stages since you can’t expect everyone to have enough room to make a buffer zone between the outdoor spaces and the indoors. Foyers are still somewhat of a privilege for people with big homes and enough money. However, we’re sure they’ll become more standard in the coming months.

You can make these buffer zones look beautiful as well as functional. The point is to have enough storage space for shoes, bags, and jackets. Hence, pieces of furniture with drawers will work perfectly in your new mudroom. You can also place hand sanitizers or even make room for a bathroom-like sink to wash up before entering the living room.

Biophilic design

Another common problem we all face is the lack of outdoor living. Unfortunately, going out to parks, bars, or major public events full of people is as risky as kissing a coronavirus patient on a deathbed. Since interior design trends follow people’s needs, biophilic indoors are gaining more and more traction. Let’s explain this further, shall we?

Big windows and sliding glass doors that allow the sunlight to come inside will become a big thing in the future. If you add to them floor plants and warm-colored walls, you’ll get yourself a somewhat improvised garden inside your home. Once again, this only applies to those who can afford such things, both financially and space-wise.

The whole point is to help you with mental health and relieve stress from being unable to go outside like before. A strong connection with nature will be especially important for city dwellers. Promoting relaxing colors that allow you to be peaceful will manifest in a better mental state overall.

Also, wood textures and more natural materials will come into play. The emphasis will be on an organic, more healthy look. Design services claim that this trend has already begun, and lots of people are going for this sort of look. It will grow even stronger if next winter stays as unsafe as the last one. However, we still hope none of this will be necessary.

Hotel-inspired amenities

Going on vacation seems like a dream nowadays. Most people can’t remember the last time they went on a road trip, let alone gone abroad. Therefore, those who can afford it look for ways to incorporate room-designed amenities — you know, spa-like spaces in their homes where they can at least for a moment feel like this was all a nightmarish Twilight Zone episode.

Of course, this will benefit those hard workers who can’t find peace since they feel like they’re working all day every day. Just imagine a large bathroom with spa-like qualities you can enjoy after a long day of conference calls and Zoom meetings. Wouldn’t that be great? Well, you can make it happen.

The same goes for people who have large backyards that don’t already include a pool or a grill space. You can reorganize your surroundings in a way that will help you take your mind off pandemic and work-related problems. After all, we think all of us deserve more than a couple of months off once this nightmare finally ends. Don’t worry — it will.

 

Multi-use bonus rooms

Lots of people are finally taking advantage of previously unused rooms for all sorts of new purposes. You know, basements, guest rooms, and garages are all being looked at for the first time in years. They are converting them into game rooms, spaces for watching movies that somewhat resemble movie theaters, and so on. After all, kids need all these things to not feel the pressure of the new reality.

Aside from cheap pop entertainment, some are converting spaces to suit their nerdy needs, such as reading books and comics — an improvised library for peace. Furthermore, you shouldn’t forget about working out. Home gyms are nothing new for athletic people, but now, they’re beginning to sweep households all over the country.

Lastly, we’d like to mention screen walls you can move around, depending on your needs. These see-through vertical platforms help separate open spaces and make room for new little rooms where you can divide your activities. They’re flexible for all sorts of things and can help freshen up your household. With them, you can play around like an interior decorator and reimagine your home to suit your daily activities.

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