Design Trends as a Result of the Pandemic

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The pandemic has influenced many areas of our lives these past few months. It’s not surprising that it’s also affecting the design of our homes. We are adapting our personal spaces to reduce our exposure to the coronavirus.  

Let us look at some of the biggest home design trends influenced by the pandemic.

The growth of home offices
Home offices, once considered a luxury, are now becoming more popular. Requests for purpose-built offices with systems capable of handling remote work and a professional backdrop for video meetings have grown. If you don’t have the space for a dedicated office, consider turning small closets into an extra office nook or sectioning off corners of a room to add a workspace that blends in with the rest of the space.

No-touch tech
Smart homes are growing in popularity, especially no-touch technology. Controlling lights and appliances via voice-activation helps avoid touching surfaces, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Sensor-controlled lights and taps, more commonly seen in public spaces before the pandemic, are now popular in homes. Smart systems with indoor air quality management are also increasingly popular.

Indoor air quality
The coronavirus and other germs can easily spread through the air. Spending more time at home in smaller spaces and with others has created more demand for air purifiers, ranging from stand-alone models to sophisticated smart systems. Open windows are an easy option in warmer months, but other air freshening methods are needed when the temperature drops outside. There’s a wide variety of air purifiers that may help. Many have specific designs to reduce airborne irritants like allergens, dust, and pet dander. 

Declining appeal of open floor plans
The open floor plan combines the kitchen and living space to form one big open room. Is not the best for privacy or concentration. As many people transitioned to remote work, a lack of barriers to buffer noise became a real problem. We may start to see more pocket doors used to close off open spaces, kitchens slightly angled off from the living room, and private nooks.

Bidet attachments
The bidet toilet attachment has made inroads in the North American market due to the pandemic. When toilet paper was scarce, these attachments gained popularity as a sanitary alternative. Using comparably less water than it takes to produce toilet paper, the bidet is also seen as environmentally friendly. Toilets with built-in bidets may be more affordable sooner than we think.

More storage especially in the kitchen.
During the pandemic, people rushed to stock up on food, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer. So, the need for storage became greater. Homeowners added extra shelving to pantries or overflow storage in laundry rooms and garages. We see more demand for kitchen island rolling carts that can double as extra storage and counter space.

Outdoor space is now more important
Homeowners are looking for ways to extend their indoor space to the outdoors. The front porch, for example, has become important as a place where you can be outside and connect with neighbours from afar. 

Connecting to the outdoors is important for our mental health. This is especially true for those living in apartments and townhouses. Demand for balconies, renovations opening rooms to the outside, and enlarging windows is increasing. Balconies and smaller spaces provide an important sense of calm when you add comfy chairs, plants, and water features. When temperatures drop, get a front seat to the outside and create a reading seat by framing a window with bookshelves on either side and adding a cushioned storage unit or bench in between.