This is a continuation of the GreenRose Design Team’s predictions of how COVID-19 has influenced interior design. If you want to see Part 1, click here!
7. Secondary Refrigerator/Freezers
During the time of COVID, even going to the grocery store is a risk we have to regularly consider. To reduce those trips, people are buying enough to keep food in stock for longer periods of time. People staying at home means there are more people in your household eating more frequently, and you probably find yourself running out of food faster than before the pandemic. But more food means additional storage and for many this includes secondary refrigerator/freezers to keep food fresh for longer. At GreenRose Design, we’re designing these into large pantry spaces or the mudroom which is often in close proximity to the kitchen. We think this will stick around, especially because climate change has been increasing the need for backup storage, whether for ourselves or our neighbors.
8. Emphasis on Kitchen Spaces Again
If you weren’t in your kitchen often before the pandemic, you probably find that you spend much more time there now. Eating is a big communal activity, but it hasn’t been one we can partake in safely outside of our homes. All the times you may have gone out to a restaurant, to a brunch with friends, had a drink at a bar, or even ate lunch in a workplace. That’s all happening at home now. Even cooking shows are experiencing a resurgence of viewers, especially ones deemed particularly comforting, like The Great British Bake Off. Whatever the experience is for you, the kitchen has a re-ignited importance in our homes and will be reflected in future interior design.
9. Ultraviolet Light Component to HVAC Systems
We believe HVAC systems are included in this quest for health & cleanliness in our homes. Ultraviolet Light components, aka UV-C light might have not been something you have heard about or considered before, but UV-C lights have the ability to kill a range of micro-organisms, including a couple of coronaviruses. GreenRose Design emphasizes that UV-C equipment should become a common part of installations rather than a possible after-thought in future designs.
10. Pools & Hot Tubs
Community pools and spas do bring people together in close proximity, which means they’re not always a safe place to be. What’s the solution? Bring it home instead. Last summer, pool & hot tub sales skyrocketed and we’re about to approach another summer in a pandemic. Even with the vaccine here, we think home pools & hot tubs are here to stay.
11. Features & Crafting Rooms
Crafting has found a new life in quarantine. Not only is crafting linked to healing, but it’s also a physical act that largely forces you to take a step back from technology. We think we’ll see more handcrafted items used in interior design as a way of grounding us to our physical spaces, even as our homes become “smarter”. In fact, the increase of crafting may inspire whole rooms dedicated to it – whether this is sewing, painting, knitting, etc. For all the reasons a home office and workout room is beneficial, a crafting room provides similar benefit. It can also act as another communal space where kids and adults alike gather for an event or activity.
12. Generators
More people staying at home means more power is being used at home. And its more critical for the power to stay on. Generators are a natural back-up solution. Working from home will remain a permanent option for many employees and losing the internet & phone lines is not an option. Streaming platforms are on track to dominate movie theaters for entertainment, and more. In addition, climate change will continue to impact our living situations in ways we’ve witnessed in recent years, such as more frequent power outages. A built-in home generator is becoming a must-have in our daily life. We believe these factors will make generators a future household staple even beyond COVID.
And that concludes our 2-part prediction of the influence of COVID on interior design! We hope you enjoyed it! Next time, we’ll return with our Style Series. Until then, let us know how you think COVID will influence design. We’d love to hear your thoughts! You can reach out to us on our instagram @greenrose.design.finehomes or our on facebook page @GreenRoseNJ!
Are you thinking about incorporating any of these designs into your home? Contact the GreenRose Design Team and let us help you!
Check out the list below for all of the sources we linked to throughout this post, in order of appearance.
1. USA Today, Kelly Tyko, “Looking for a freezer to store your coronavirus stockpile? You’re not alone in being frozen out” (April 3, 2020), https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/04/03/coronavirus-freezers-sold-out-hot-commodity/2927379001/
2. Variety, Kate Arthur, “Despite Coronavirus, Food Network Has Been Stuffing Its Viewers With New Programs” (July 29, 2020), https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/food-network-ratings-success-coronavirus-1234719118/
3. The Washington Post, Charu Suri, “Not a crafter? Here’s why you should consider becoming one during the pandemic.” (May 20, 2020), https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/home-crafts-coronavirus-pandemic-calm/2020/05/19/9785e11e-9a11-11ea-89fd-28fb313d1886_story.html
4. The ACHR News, Robert Beverly, “COVID-19 Reveals Importance of UV-C in HVAC Industry” (June 16, 2020), https://www.achrnews.com/articles/143318-covid-19-reveals-importance-of-uv-c-in-hvac-industry
5. Reuters, Joan Faus & Timothy Aeppel, “Pool sales skyrocket as consumers splash out on coronavirus cocoons” (August 6, 2020), https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pools/pool-sales-skyrocket-as-consumers-splash-out-on-coronavirus-cocoons-idUSKCN2520HW
6. The Earth Institute of Columbia University, Christoph J. Meinrenken, Vijay Modi, Kathleen R. McKeown, Patricia J. Culligan, “New Data Suggest COVID-19 Is Shifting the Burden of Energy Costs to Households” (April 21, 2020), https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2020/04/21/covid-19-energy-costs-households/
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