Style
Interior design in the time of Covid: How a global pandemic is changing our homes
Sep
Stylish office furniture for the home workspace, plenty of storage, garages turned into gyms and sheds converted to pubs. All the while taking into consideration how everywhere can be kept spotless. These are the new vital interior design considerations in 2020! Strange days indeed.
Until Coronavirus, 70% of the population of the UK had never worked from home before. Now, an estimated 20 million people have swapped the commute to the office for a hot desk in their home! Trips to the gym became a speed walk around the garden or a rowing machine at the bottom of the bed. Staying out of the pub? Then create your own bar at home. And don´t even remind me about kitchen-come-classroom nightmare! Hopefully the kids will remain at school so we don´t need to expand the home schooling environment. But, for many, working from home may become a long term reality. And we also need to consider the ease of keeping our homes germ-free. No one wants to live in a home with the appearance of a sterile hospital but a few wipe clean surfaces and suitable storage to keep clutter at bay are worthwhile investments.
Stylish Furniture For The Home Office
Let´s start by looking at creating a flexible workspace in your home. If you have a spare bedroom that is hardly ever used then it´s time to chuck out the bed and replace with a home office and sofabed for occasional guests.
There are a lot of pretty desks and chairs that work beautifully in the home as they don´t look too “workaday”! This rattan desk has a lovely light feel to it.
But if you need a lot of office storage space then you should look no further than this modular concoction called String…
Next you need to choose your chair. If you want to maintain a softer homey vibe then I would recommend something like this pink velvet office chair. Still extremely comfortable but feminine and stlyish at the same time.
Or you can go for a classic that works well everywhere and will never go out of style. The ES104 “Lobby Chair” was designed by Charles and Ray Eames for the Time & Life Building in New York City in 1960. The licensed version from Vitra will set you back £ 6,090. Fortunately we do a beautiful reproduction for just £ 480. Isn´t she a beauty?
If economy and hygeine are top of your list of priorities you can´t go wrong with another Eames classic, the DAW. Only £ 80 and so easy to wipe down!
Hygienic Vinyl Floor Tiles
And while we´re on the topic of hygiene it is always best to have an easy to clean floor. Carpets and beautiful vintage floor boards may be lovely in creating a cosy environment but they are notoriously difficult to keep free from germs. You certainly wouldn´t find them in a hospital would you? So, how to keep a sparklingly clean house without losing all style? Any surface that is super smooth and can be frequently mopped. Vinyl is of course perfect for this and easy on the pocket too at just £ 18 per m2.
Bringing The Fun Home
All work and no play makes Jack a very dull boy. So when you´ve sorted out your home office and ensured the place is as sterile as A&E it´s time to think about fun. The 60s were the golden era of the home bar. Remember The Graduate? The glorous Mrs Robinson in her natural habitat…
Well, you too could bring the pub into the living room, or garden shed, or wherever you have enough space! Here is a gorgeous example of a freestanding one for the home with a brass coloured metal front and a white marble top. From Maisons du Monde.
Bringing The Outside In
Biophilia has been a huge interior trend over the past couple of years and I can only see this increasing as we crave greenery around us to bring the outside into our homes. Plants also make a great backdrop for the never ending zoom meetings! Get down to your local nursery and go wild! However, if you´re really not green fingered this wallpaper makes an excellent cheat!
And that´s about it folks! I would like to offer advise with the home gym but I´m allergic to exercise so i suggest you do your own Google search on that topic! Put it in the garage is the only tip I have! Stay safe and let´s just hope this pandemic is over before too long.
