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Post Pandemic Design - Part 1
Apr 28, 2020 Featured, Interior Design

Post Pandemic Design - Part 1

Many of our clients have decided that this is a good time to move forward with redesigning their residential and commercial spaces.  In addition to having important “think” time, they are reflecting on a post-pandemic world where the design and use of space will be even more important. So what are we seeing as new client needs in their homes and businesses? Part 1 of our series focuses on residential design.

Overall. How we view our homes has changed profoundly.  Our homes are now offices, school rooms, gyms, food preparation/storage centers, and entertainment venues.  As the world opens up again, our comfort with being close to people will come back very slowly. In a recent poll, for example, 72 percent of respondents said they will not attend a major sports event until a COVID-19 vaccine is available. Additionally, social experiences like traveling, concerts, and theater may have less appeal.

Some experts predict that it will be at least two years before our socializing habits have “normalized,” but even then, we will act differently.  Our homes will be more important than ever, and we will want them to be havens that we love. We may also have more resources – time and money – to invest in them as we curtail outside entertainment and experiences.

Kitchens.  Cooking at home has become the norm not the exception. People are rediscovering cooking as a creative and bonding experience. That will not change for the foreseeable future. Is your kitchen designed to optimize preparing great meals? Does it incorporate the newest technology? Are the cabinets and countertops materials that stand up to wear and tear? How does the lighting and layout work for you? Aesthetically, is it a place you want to spend time in?

Home Gyms/Spas/Pools.  While many of us miss going to the gym, we have discovered that on-line classes can be very fulfilling.  In post-pandemic times, we may be hesitant about sharing close contact at fitness centers. So, we will be looking to home gyms, spas, and pools for our own use and with those friends and family we trust.   Do you have a gym with floor space to take a great yoga or Zumba class?  How are the video and audio systems?  What are you doing to keep the air purified?  How easy is the space to keep clean and sanitized? Is it time to install a pool to get outside exercise and soak up sun?

Patios/Landscapes.   The more we are required to stay inside, the more we yearn for outside.  Public parks are having record use, and health experts are worried about the ability to social distance outside in urban settings.  There has also been an upsurge in gardening and growing food.  Now may be the time to look not only at the inside of your home, but how you are using the surrounding land.  Do you want to add a patio or deck?  Is it time to have professional landscapers take a look at possibilities?  What about that outdoor kitchen you always dreamed about?

Work Space. Even when we all go back to offices; this pandemic has normalized working at home.  It has also shown us that professional and private lives don’t need to have such fierce lines between them.  We can laugh at the child who appears on the Zoom conference call or the dog barking in the background.  We have been humanized, and our homes show who we are.  That said, the need to create home offices that maximize our space, utilize the best in technology, and offer real places to do business may require engaging an interior designer. 

Customized Space for Different Family Members.  For many of us, “we are all in this together” has literally meant multi-generational families sharing space. We have discovered all the beauty of togetherness as well as the challenges.  Is now the time to create rooms that reflect your own individual interests and provide a place to escape? Do you need a special music room, crafts center or home theater?  How can you make a space where children can learn and play?   Does your home need to better adapt to an aging parent so you can keep them out of nursing facilities as long as possible?  Simply, how do you make your home a haven for all?

We are here to help. This is an opportunity to take a fresh look at your home, and we would very much like to help.  Fortunately, interior design is a profession that can be done at a distance.  A large percentage of our work is done on computers such as measuring and assessing through floor plans and photographs, presenting concepts through PDFs, and collaborating with clients via videoconferencing. For years, Sensory Six has used technology to work remotely with clients and suppliers.  Give us a call at (518) 306-1099 or email us at info@SensorySix.com

 

 

 

Photos : https://www.studio-mcgee.com/portfolio/2019/8/19/sm-ranch-house

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