It’s no secret that the Covid-19 has greatly impacted all aspects of our daily lives, from our work lives, to social lives, and of course, our home lives. As residential interior designers and commercial architects, our goals for our clients are always to add value to their homes and create functional and stylish environments that best suit their specific needs. The Covid-19 pandemic has massively affected the interior design industry, and has reshaped our views on how to create a sustainable work/life balance that enhances productivity and emphasizes your well-being. Since being at home is now the new normal, it’s imperative to understand how Covid-19 will affect the interior design, interior architecture, and floor plans of homes in a post-pandemic world.

Though this may be one of the most challenging eras of our lifetime, people are striving to make the most of staying at home. More and more people are now focused on nesting and creating an ideal space to hunker down. Getting creative with the design in your home helps you stay positive during a difficult time - whether you are organizing, incorporating innovative storage solutions, crafting, or infusing your home with seasonal decor. The connection to one’s home is further emphasized during the pandemic, particularly as it relates to your work/life balance. Working from home will be here to stay for the foreseeable future and a  chic and functional home office setup is key. While overall productivity is on the rise with working from home (without the hour-long commute), studies have shown that it’s been difficult for companies to bolster morale and team engagement. A great way to engage your employees is to have a bi-weekly company happy hour where work talk is off the table.

With studies showing that the viral transmission risk is much lower in an outdoor setting, having a comfortable, chic, and safe outdoor space to host social distance gatherings is a must. Heat lamps, fire pits, comfortable seating, and cozy blankets will allow you to continue to safely gather all winter long. Accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) and backyard sheds have been drastically on the upswing since the beginning of the pandemic. With more people staying at home, having a separate studio on your property is key for creating more space, providing an additional workspace, offering space for your children to play, and ultimately, maintaining your sanity. Home improvement spending, interior architecture, residential design, and interior design renovations is at an all-time high due to the pandemic and people spending more time at home. Online home design platform Houzz reported a 58% annual increase in project leads for home professionals in June. Poolcorp, an international distributor of swimming pool supplies, parts and related outdoor living products, has seen a huge surge in sales and projects this year. In a post-pandemic world, we predict that homes will have a big emphasis on maximizing outdoor space for living and entertaining. Investing in your own domestic environment is crucial to ensuring a beneficial work/life balance while positively contributing to your mental health and wellness.

Another way that the home will look different in a post-pandemic society will be the way we shop. Consumer behavior is shifting due to the pandemic and local shops, restaurants, and businesses have taken a hit because of lockdowns and closures. Brick and mortar stores are becoming much less popular, as big box retail e-commerce sales continue to surge. Exploring your local antique or furnishings shop is a great way to support local businesses while investing in quality products that stand the test of time. Heirloom-quality pieces never go out of style and there is no better time to support local artisans and vendors who are on the brink of shutting down. Ask your local antique dealer if they can curate a selection of pieces for a specific room or vignette in your home. A curated, well-edited selection of high-quality furnishings will instantly elevate your home and make it a place that you want to be in - pandemic or not.

A big trend we’ve noticed from our clients in their new builds or interior design renovations is the desire for a mudroom or a dedicated space in their foyer to disinfect, sanitize, wash their hands, and change out of potentially contaminated clothing. There is a big focus on health, hygiene, and eliminating the risk of transmission, and that is not going away anytime soon. Having a dedicated space to change your clothes and sanitize your hands before you encounter your family members is important. Designing innovative storage solutions in a mudroom or entryway will ensure that all of the sanitizing products are kept in one place and easily accessible.

Homeowners generally do not think about air filtration systems when designing and building their homes, but the pandemic is quickly popularizing HEPA filters and air filtration systems in homes, and making people prioritize fresh air intake. As commercial interior designers, we’ve created visual manifestations of some of the top fashion brands in the country, and have thought about everything from the way people walk into a store, to the way they browse the clothes, and how the brand’s storefront logo looks from all different angles. Our interior design and architecture firm prides itself on our ability to think outside of the box and develop creative design solutions that add enduring value to our client’s homes.

While staying at home and working from home will likely be in the future even after the pandemic is over, the way the home looks will forever be changed. Home is now the center of our worlds, and people are now utilizing smart design techniques and creative ways to make their homes safe and cozy while fusing a timeless aesthetic with functional design.