How does pandemic affected our space design?
CORONAVIRUS pandemic has impacted just about every industry, including the home space and design.
Since the 2020 coronavirus outbreak began, our homes have transitioned into makeshift offices, gyms, classrooms, restaurants, concert venues, movie theaters, and more.
With many being forced to work from home, more and more people have shifted their focus towards nesting.
Home has become more important now than ever.
With so many activities happening under one roof every day, small studio apartments and large family homes alike have had to adapt to incorporate new functionality, and the way we look at these spaces is changing too.
There is so much unknown right now that we cannot control, but our homes are a space where we do have control over what we put in it, how we arrange it, and how it makes us feel."
Entryways
We became more aware of the germs we could potentially bring into our homes.
Entryways became the spot to remove face masks and set down items that came into contact with germs surfaces before washing hands.
These new habits will lead to a resurgence of mudrooms or alternate points of entry. "A place to remove shoes, jackets, or put down bags will help to mitigate germs and bacteria from entering the home.
Larger Home Office Spaces
In the future, homeowners might be more interested in larger, more defined home offices as opposed to temporary desk setups, especially as some employers enable remote work permanently.
Those living in smaller spaces, multifunctional pieces such as drop-down desks or stylish office furniture that doubles as decor can help blend a workstation into another room more seamlessly.
Private Spaces
For families isolating together, more time spent under one roof has highlighted the need for private spaces where each person can enjoy some alone time.
Families are striving to carve out semi-private spaces around the house to maintain productivity from morning to night." In addition to more formal home offices, this renewed focus on privacy could result in separate kids' bedrooms, designated reading nooks, and home layouts with distinct spaces rather than open floor plans.
Thoughtfully Designed Kitchens
Experimenting with recipes has become a favorite new hobby for many sheltering in place, which has caused a revived interest in kitchen organization and design. "The frequency of cooking and how we purchase groceries have forced people to rethink how they organize and store food, we will expect to see more orderly kitchen storage, larger pantries, and specialty appliances, such as bread machines and cold-brew coffee machines, that help amateur chefs achieve restaurant-style results at
Hygienic Surfaces Materials
In the future, kitchens, bathrooms, and other high-traffic areas could be designed with easy-to-clean hard surfaces, such as glazed ceramic tile, and materials that naturally repel bacteria to limit the spread of germs.
It's always a good idea to use naturally antibacterial surfaces such as copper and brass to keep homes (and people) safe and healthy.
No-touch technology in faucets and doorbells and increased home automation can also help reduce germs on frequently touched surfaces around the home.
Increased At-Home Entertaining
Weeks of sheltering in place reinforced the idea that home is a safe space, and that logic is likely to continue as people begin to gather in person with family and friends again. "As restaurants open their dining rooms and life starts to look more 'normal' again, I think home entertaining will be more popular than ever.
Fadi Al Nasser