The year 2024 has been bringing a lot of surprises to the world from the start of January until now. The COVID-19 disease outbreak has resulted in a global health crisis that changed how people see their everyday living and overall environment. With this, a lot of plans, routines, and our definition of normal were all disrupted. The virus is everywhere, and we can only do so much until a cure is found.
Nonetheless, the world will eventually overcome the COVID-19 pandemic in one way or another. People will then have to face a “new normal” after this life-changing event, and thus, many aspects of living will have to adapt. Part of this “new normal” will also influence our way of living. Here are five things that we might observe in our future real estate and interior designs.
Wider Spaces
Since COVID-19 mainly spreads through person to person contact, the idea of “social distancing” will also translate to properties. We might get back to having houses separated at vast distances or building high fences around our properties. Using both methods might even be recommended in the future, especially in very populated areas. Bigger land areas might also be in demand to better apply “social distancing.”
As for interior design, we might say goodbye to unique and smart cramped-up looks inside our homes. Keeping the spaces at home to bigger would be better now than maximizing the spaces’ use. This open is suggested even to those who live alone since surfaces can also be carriers of the disease. Therefore, the lesser the surfaces that can be infected, the better chance of not contracting the disease.
Less Common Areas
For the same reason as above, decreasing the emphasis on common areas might also be the norm in the future. Playgrounds and parks will stay the same, because of the ventilation, but indoor common areas are discouraged. Condominiums and co-owned establishments might also implement less number, but more expansive spaces, rooms per floor. You can have more information on condominiums in that link.
Lounges or lobbies in buildings, especially those of central offices, can design their space to put off people and employees in those common areas for long periods, such as reducing the number of available chairs. For family homes, each person ideally has their room for isolation.
Better Ventilation
As studies have found that better ventilation helps lower the concentration of air contaminants, including reducing the risk for potential airborne COVID-19, people will likely consider investing in places that will promote such an increase in ventilation. Rooftop spaces or open land areas or even real estate near beaches and oceans can be investments in the coming years. Furthermore, this will also give way for the development of elevated establishments.
On the other hand, interior designers might take advantage of styles that will utilize natural ventilation. We may see more mansions and homes that mimic the interior design of The Natural History Museum in London by Alfred Waterhouse. This museum effortlessly uses the wind force to introduce and distribute fresh air inside the building. His work serves as an excellent example of a design for natural ventilation.
Greener Styles
As for utilizing the air to fight off diseases, trees and plants are effective air purifiers. Locations in the “greener” parts of the countries, such as in the countryside, will prove to be a better choice than urban areas. Now, building establishments and houses near forests may eventually gain popularity in the future.
Besides our green buddies’ purifying powers, plants are a lovely addition to the house’s design and style. Furthermore, green – the color of life, is deemed to have healing power. Therefore, it refreshes one’s mind and decreases stress, which is even useful in maintaining high immunity. Moreover, many indoor plants, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, can be used as anti-bacterial and anti-virus substances. Examples of medicinal herbs are oregano, sage, basil, peppermint, and rosemary.
Minimalist Features
In general, future home design trends favor minimalistic features after the pandemic. We will see buildings with less bulky designs and numerous holes and corners and more flat and curvy edges. This design choice is to minimize the surface areas that might get in contact with the virus. This will also help make the disinfection of the said buildings more straightforward and more thorough.
We might see more Scandinavian, Mid-Century Modern, or Minimalist designs in the new normal for home interiors. Aside from these, styles that utilize natural lighting and avoid blinds and curtains are ideal. This is because such features make it easier to disinfect the home.
Home Offices
While most of the workforce is forced to do their daily jobs at home right now, this set-up is something that will stay even after the pandemic is long gone. Companies are starting to see the benefits of doing remote work or telecommuting. Because of the investments made for their employees to accommodate at home work, more and more organizations will opt to make this more permanent.
This means that we can expect more home offices or spaces in the home specifically for work. While work used to be separate from home, in the coming years we can see the integration of work inside the home, which we can see in the investment on office furniture and interior design choices that can accommodate multiple functions. Should you be looking for more latest interior design trends and styles, check out this article by Space Factor.
Separate home offices or closed off rooms with some soundproofing and a blank wall will be more common as more people decide to continue working from home, and investments will be made towards ergonomic chairs and equipment.
While the pandemic has certainly left its mark in interior design, that won’t stop people from designing their homes to still be cozy, comfortable, and of course, safe — whatever happens. For more trends when it comes to entertainment, technology, and the latest trends, feel free to check out more articles.
