Post Pandemic Perspective
As we set up for another wave, what is it now? 3rd, 4th? …. One of the things that this pandemic taught us was to love and enjoy what we currently have. We have learned to love our families, our friends, our lives, our home. It has taught us not to take what we have for granted and to enjoy our life because…Life. Is. Short. We are now accustomed to working from home, staying indoors and being deprived from travel. While some countries/cities are slowly easing restrictions, we can never be certain what variant will step up and force us to stay home again.
Because of this, most of us are re-evaluating our living spaces and figuring out what we need to update to accommodate the needs of the current situation. Here are my thoughts on the post pandemic/post vaccine home trends.
HOME OFFICE
Top of my list, of course, is the home office. Everyone has converted one space or another in their homes into a workspace where they can have a bit of privacy, hold virtual/video meetings while still being in a comfortable, efficient place. Ergonomics play a big role in this situation as it is a necessity to be comfortable and injury-free while working from home. Ergonomic chairs, functional desks, laptop holders can be used when setting up your home office. There are also tips and tricks on how you can set up your home workspace ergonomically, that’s a whole other blog I can write!
FUNCTIONAL SPACES
Home design is veering away from large, open-planned spaces because of the need for functional, adaptive space which can segregate working folk from playing children or the need for a multi-purpose room. Some new homes have movable walls and dividers to easily convert different rooms from a home office to a living room extension.
OUTDOOR LIVING SPACE
Since we were deprived from gathering in public outdoor places, most homeowners are upgrading their patios, balconies and decks to be more livable. Outdoor furniture are all the rage and charming patios, gardens are sprouting everywhere. Home buying trends included this aspect as well for 2020 and 2021, the need for a nice garden is as important as a finished basement.
NATURAL ELEMENTS
Speaking of outdoor spaces, once we have experienced the (mostly) indoor life, natural elements like wood, rattan, and plants have been incorporated in designing homes and personal spaces. We are craving for flora and fauna, light and natural air! I have friends who have hoarded plants and began their lives as plant parents during the pandemic. This is a good trend as plants and other natural elements help in uplifting our mental state, pretty darn great during this situation! This is also why natural hues, warm tones of camel, tan, brown, white are coming back in color trends.
HOME ORGANIZATION
If you are a mom or a single parent like me and your kids have been homeschooling most of the time, you would have realized by now how organization and storage solutions help so much in keeping everything (especially your sanity) in control. I always believed that your home should be organized and clean so you can work and live better. There are plenty of selections when it comes to storage baskets, boxes and shelves to help you better organize your stuff. Also, purge. This is the time you can do a bit of cleaning out your closets and ditch or donate what you don’t need.
BASEMENT
Because some people had to self-isolate, homeowners and homebuyers determined that finished basements are a necessity. Homeowners have decided to upgrade their basements as more livable spaces. And because of higher costs of living and this pandemic state, multi-generational living is also rising therefore the need for upgrades is also increasing.
KITCHEN
Kitchen renovations and makeovers are always top priority when it comes to home upgrades and updates. We now realized that the kitchen is the major focal point of gatherings. Most people, like myself, even work on the kitchen counter because I have perfect accessibility to coffee and food! The fact that we have a fascination for food is an understatement. We want to be comfortable in our own homes, of course, and spending more time in our personal space creates a need to upgrade our food production area to another level. Which is why homeowners are updating their kitchens into more adaptable, efficiently designed spaces, with more natural light coming in, more user-friendly configuration and with bright and light colors.
BAR
Raise your hand if you opt for a glass of wine after a long day of work! If you’re not raising your hand right now, then we are not friends! Of course I’m kidding but however you unwind after your work commute (3 feet away??) or from mental exhaustion due to tons of Zoom meetings, one of the spaces that most people are setting up is the (mini) bar. Maybe you’ve had a bar at home before the pandemic and you just need to dust it off or upgrade a bit, replace those old bar stools or buy a new bottle of whisky. Whether it’s a wine rack or fridge or a full-blown bar, I totally get it. Cheers!
These trends are here to stay, post pandemic, post vaccine or post zombie apocalypse, we will always have the need to adjust, adapt, recover, and live.
What are you thinking of if you are to update your home? Whether you are doing a simple makeover, a furniture upgrade or complete reno, I can always help you get things started…whilst sipping coffee or wine.
Photos from Unsplash and from the Author