Before the pandemic, homes, big or small, boasted entertaining spaces, ranging from finished basements to sprawling roof decks. Home tour videos by Hollywood stars and influencers most proudly showcased their luxurious home theaters, spas, and bars, as though a party will commence in their homes any minute.
Now, all those costly entertaining spaces seemed to have lost their purposes. Although things are starting to go back to normal, huge gatherings are still limited, and people are just as wary of inviting so many guests over. Hence, finished basements, sprawling decks, lavish home theaters, top-class spas, and exquisite bars remained unused most of the time.
If you’ve just bought or built a new home, we daresay you’re quite lucky, because you’ve dodged social media’s pressure to create a marvelous entertaining space. You can stick to the essentials and call it good, but that raises the question: What are the new essentials in this period?
The COVID-19 pandemic also left an impact on interior design trends. With work-from-home and online classes becoming the new normal, people started gravitating toward home offices and study spaces. Homeowners also developed a new connection to their living and nesting spaces, often redecorating them to practice their creativity and ease their increasing boredom.
The Home Office Phenomenon
According to Kate Lister, president of Global Workforce Analytics, a quarter to 30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021. Sure enough, the demand for flexibility in where and how people should work has been increasing for decades. At one point, 80% of employees wanted to work from home for a time at least. Thanks to the pandemic, employers are finally compelled to satisfy this demand.
If you’ve fully shifted to the work-from-home setup amid the pandemic, an efficient home office is definitely a must in your space. Fortunately, you don’t need an unused bedroom to create such a space. All you need is some extra room within your living room, closet, hallway, or just about anywhere.
An untapped wall, for example, can accommodate a floating shelving unit and desk. If you wish to make them unseen when you’re not working, you can install a sliding door, which would disguise the area as storage during your free days.
If you need a little more privacy, an empty closet will work. Adorn the space with your paint or wallpaper of choice, and furnish it with appropriately-sized furniture. Add a rug as well for coziness.
Multi-purpose furniture will significantly improve your work-from-home setup as well. They’re ideal for small spaces like apartments, wherein the storage is indispensable. Even if you don’t have an available nook within the space, multi-purpose furniture can make your home office look organized and properly-placed.
A Study Space Free From Distractions
Top distractions for online school students include television and family. If they have young siblings who aren’t in school yet, chances are you leave the TV on for the whole day, so that they won’t bug you and your older kid while you work.
If your older kid doesn’t have a dedicated study space, then the blaring TV would undoubtedly pose as an irksome distraction for him/her. Considering that toddler cartoons are typically repetitive and high-pitched, your child who’s just trying to listen to an online lecture will be at their wit’s end.
You’re lucky if you have a home library that you can modify as a study space, but if you don’t, then best confine your kid in their bedroom, where it’s surely quieter and private.
However, ensure that their bedroom doesn’t contain their video games or other things that might serve as a distraction. Give them a good-quality study desk, where they can have everything they’d need easily accessible. Treat it like a home office as well; use an ergonomic chair, adequate lighting, and ample storage. If they have a knack for planning and organizing, buy them a whiteboard or a paper calendar.
Cozy Outdoor Spaces
Because we still can’t go out as much even on the holidays, many homeowners converted their yards into an extension of their living spaces. Interior designers found themselves with more clients who wanted to set up outdoor living rooms, complete with an outdoor heater.
To adapt to this new trend, smokeless fire pits have enlarged and became more affordable. Seeing that we’d likely use them on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, now’s definitely the time to pump up your outdoor space.
Since the pandemic has changed the way we live, these rising interior design trends may be here to stay even years later. Many people have learned to adapt already, and some even found solace that they’d completely remodeled their abode into a Zen haven.
