5 home and interior trends to come from the pandemic
It’s hard to believe that the lockdown, in its many guises, has been going since March now. With whole countries staying inside and “sheltering in place”, the concept of “home” has somewhat changed, and with it, the season’s trends. We’ve taken a look at just how the pandemic has changed that perception and what customers are likely to be looking for in their next few months.
Home offices and flexible spaces
If nothing else, the lockdown period has shown customers that home needs to be a dynamic and adaptable space, able to accommodate everything from movie nights on the sofa to homeschooling and conference calls. Our homes are no longer solely places for rest and relaxation; as offices and workplaces have shut, home has also become a space for work and focus. Segmenting has become an important concept, allowing home workers clear delineation between work and rest.
Clever, hidden storage will become necessary for turning work into play at the end of the day whilst feature walls and houseplants will continue to creep into homes as video calls provide colleagues with a window into their peers’ homes.
Staying in to go out
It’s not just in work terms that our homes have had to work harder, though. With spur-of-the-moment trips to restaurants, bars and cinemas off the cards, customers have had to make their own fun from the comfort of their homes. For many, this has involved installing temporary pubs in the garden or investing in better tech, two trends that are expected to stick around.
Interior designers are predicting that more customers will install bars and more social dining areas in their homes, whilst larger televisions will make for home cinema-esque experiences. What’s more with lockdown restrictions gradually loosening, home and outdoor entertaining are set to get more important for more social customers.
Colours get comforting
Calm and tranquility are the prevailing moods for interior colour palettes, with home providing a natural haven from the outside world and the pandemic. The prevailing upcoming trends will focus on soft and calming neutrals and natural materials to create a sense of sanctuary, whilst airy and bright tones will provide inspiration and invigoration to spur on creativity and productivity in home working spaces.
Bringing the outside in
The universal love for houseplants is clearly not a new thing, but it has come into its own during lockdown. From cacti to herb gardens, people are adding greenery to their homes to bring in some colour, clean air and increase productivity. And since many of these plants are nigh on unkillable, they’ll be a solid feature in many homes for the foreseeable future.
Designing for hygiene
In the last few months, “safe” has been synonymous with “clean”, so if home is meant to be a safe space, it only makes sense that it is also a clean one. Many interior designers are predicting hygiene will become a key factor for homeowners designing their homes in the future. Things like germ-resitant materials and easy-to-clean surfaces will be in high demand, especially in areas like the kitchen and bathroom. It’s important to remember here though, clean doesn’t mean clinical and consumers are still looking for products that easily fit into a homely atmosphere.
Keep up to date with the latest home and interior trends right here on the Autumn Fair blog and on our social media channels.