As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our world, it’s become quite clear that our lives might never return to the way they were.
The first wave has given way to the second, and people everywhere have had no choice but to adjust to the new normal.
Homes are becoming multi-functional spaces, transforming at times into workspaces, schoolrooms and entertainment zones. Our indoor spaces have become the new outdoors as well, and kitchen herb gardens and terrace gardens are thriving!
With more time being spent indoors, there’s a very real need for emphasis on holistic living and mind-body wellness. A warm and happy space must factor in the physical, emotional and mental well-being of the people living there.
This is what holistic design in the new normal could look like, once the dust settles!
Open Plan Homes with Shared Activity Zones
The work from home and online schooling paradigm has changed our relationships with our homes. Spaces are being shared — and an open plan with zones that can be demarcated by movable partitions or sliding walls will be the way to go.
An important design criterion will be the requirement of creating privacy when needed, and opening up the space for the company at other times. Activity zones can have staggered timings in compact spaces, for instance, a shared room can be used as a school zone during school hours, office space in the evenings and a bedroom at night.
Emphasis on Hygiene
If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s the need to maintain hygiene! Interior designers are now looking at surfaces and materials that are easy to sanitize.
Nonporous surfaces that can be wiped clean on a daily basis, like solid quartz kitchen counters and laminated cabinets, are your safest option for a healthy home. Copper is known to have antimicrobial properties, which makes copper fittings a good option for your bathroom. Anti-bacterial paints are also available that resist the growth of germs. Avoid carpets on floors, and opt for vitrified tiles or stone floors which can be mopped with disinfectant every day.
Transforming Furniture
With compact homes becoming a growing urban trend, space is at a premium and if you’re not careful, clutter can take over. Smart furniture designers have taken on the challenge to create items that save on space and maximise functionality. The more floor space you can free up, the better.
Bunk beds, mezzanine loft spaces, clever storage solutions in hidden areas, and tables that fold against the wall or pull out to accommodate more people in a pinch are innovative pieces that make small spaces seem larger than life.
Dedicated Home Office
For the foreseeable future and given the choice, working from home might be the safer option. If your work requires you to be on call a large part of the day, you might need to carve out a dedicated home office space where you will not be disturbed by the everyday sounds around you, like the cooker whistling or your dog barking in the background!
Pick a spot where you will get privacy, and use acoustic cladding on the walls if need be. Invest in an ergonomic chair and a good WiFi package, and optimise the storage near your desk. Don’t forget a cosy chair nearby for break times!
Multipurpose spaces
Spaces inside a home are no longer demarcated for a specific purpose. You might be doing push-ups on your bedroom floor, reading in bed, working during office hours and relaxing with music when you’re free. Plan for multipurpose spaces that can take on different functions at different times.
Fresh Air and Sunlight
Being cooped up indoors all day can have a detrimental effect on our well-being. Sunlight streaming into the home brightens up your spaces and elevates your mood. Poor ventilation is also associated with low levels of air quality, and the accumulation of dampness, chemical toxins and other air pollutants.
It’s important to design spaces that breathe, and to provide courtyards, balconies and large windows or skylights that can serve as the lungs of your home.
Connect with Nature
When we lose the commute to work and school, we lose a large part of our daily connection with the outdoors. A built space that seamlessly connects the indoors and outdoors with greenery in every room, is a must to recreate that all important connection with nature.
Fill your home with indoor plants, create a vertical garden with herbs on your kitchen wall, and carve out a nesting space for birds in your terrace garden. Plants are natural air conditioners and also improve the quality of air inside and around your home.
Home Gym
With gyms closed during the lockdown—and fitness enthusiasts a bit wary of exercising in public confined spaces—there is an uptick in demand for home gyms. Once relegated to the basement or a balcony, home gyms now occupy a central spot in post Covid homes.
Choose a breezy spot where you can sweat it out, and keep your fitness quotient high! Invest in good equipment and make sure you form regular gym habits.
Covid or no Covid, holistic lifestyles are taking centre stage in a world that’s increasingly stressful and polluted. A healthy mind in a healthy body is the key to living a much happier life. Stay healthy, and stay safe!
By Dipti Das, AVP- Design, Homelane
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed are solely of the author and RealtyNXT.com does not necessarily subscribe to it. RealtyNXT.com shall not be responsible for any damage caused to any person/organisation directly or indirectly.
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