How Will Our Homes and Design Change in The Age of COVID-19?
/In a COVID-19 world, our homes are carrying the load of so many of our needs: living, working, childcare, exercise, entertainment, hobbies, haircuts, and more. As we continue to live more of our lives at home, the design of our spaces has to shift to accommodate these new activities while still balancing what “home” means to each of us. I’ve been brainstorming many of the ways the design can change, and I’m curious if you agree or have other ideas, too!
Pandemics have changed home design in the past and they’ll shift again with COVID-19. The way we live is a reflection of our surroundings - both in socio-political climates and regional amenities. Design evolves, and I think we’re on the cusp of some new changes!
Below are ways I can imagine our homes changing. I’m not advocating for them, rather saying, “hmm, I wonder!” I also do know that most of the suggestions come with privilege - it isn’t lost on me.
I’ve been toying with lots of ideas, but then I also opened up the question, “Are you making changes to your home due to COVID-19?” to my Instagram followers and so many of you have smart ideas, so I’m adding them in here, too!
Defining Rooms
We aren’t hosting large groups, and we aren’t hosting out of town guests in the spare bedroom. These rooms are no longer shared spaces and thus can become dedicated spaces just for us. I imagine folks are getting creative to convert rooms into multi-use spaces or entirely new ones! Here are some of those ideas.
Guest rooms may become respite rooms like a music room, playroom, home gym, or media room
Dining rooms no longer hosting guests may serve as a craft room, a virtual learning space, or office
Maybe folks will swap the small living room for the larger dining room
A reader got rid of her coffee table to have more floor space - a perfect adjustment for kiddos at home
Will we start constructing smaller bedrooms and opting for larger living rooms?
Perhaps two kids’ rooms will become one so the other can become a play space?
Are we going to do away with the open floor plan so family members can have dedicated spaces?
Or, will open concept become more popular with multi-use rooms?
Garages tend to store stuff but they have potential to be converted into whatever space a family currently needs
Are the unused corners of rooms going to become reading nooks or home gym storage?
Coming To and From Home
Storing masks and sanitizer at the door is now a habit, but maybe we’ll see even more changes.
Will we construct vestibules at our front doors or add on mudrooms to create a transition space for unsanitized things?
Instead of bags and shoes in the coat closet, the tiny room will convert into sanitizing storage and a drop zone for leaving packages
Attached garages may serve less as storage and more as a place to clean things from the outside world
Instead of coming in through the front door, entering through the back door closer to the kitchen, with easier sink access, might become the new normal
I anticipate we might start plumbing small sinks at the front door for guests to wash their hands before coming inside
Hosting Long-Term Guests
Taking elderly family members out of assisted living facilities might mean people add granny flats, tiny houses, or RVs/airstreams to their yards?
Some I’m sure are downsizing. Maybe backyards will become future tiny homes for friends/family?
Energy and Air
With more time at home will more folks add renewable energy because of the increased electricity use?
Maybe now is the time to add a HEPA filter to our air filtration system
Are we going to see an increase in whole-house air conditioning systems, mini-split systems, or more advanced heating?
Perhaps remodels and new construction will emphasize cross ventilation and breezes to move air better
Screen doors and window screens may become more popular to add more air circulation
General Housing
Are folks going to leave cities and take up residence where there’s more space between homes and houses are bigger?
A follower is considering moving because rental prices are dropping as people leave San Francisco
No longer needing to be close to the office, will folks move to other parts of town or even out of the state or country?
We aren’t driving nearly as much and it has me thinking of going to a single-car family. Maybe we can convert the driveway into extended outdoor space for recreation, dining, or a victory garden
Outdoor Spaces
We know that outdoor spaces with fresh air have lower virus transmission rates, so a popular home improvement is to make outdoor spaces more tolerable and more situated for having guests over.
Bird feeders, hammocks, and simple pleasures are great ways to unwind at home
Pools, fire pits, shade, fans, heaters, BBQs, outdoor TVs/projectors, and amenities may soon feel less luxurious and more common as we move to hosting outdoors
I’m seeing more front yards with distanced lawn chairs for impromptu gatherings lately
Community is so important and I hope we can still be connected to our neighbors. Will we see more Little Free Libraries, Little Free Pantries, or other gifts to neighbors? Several of the kids in my neighborhood have displayed their art and made it available to take. Speaking of that, how will garage sales change?
We moved our outdoor sofas and lounging chairs to be 8’ apart so we can see friends/family from a safe distance, and we’ll keep them this way
Playgrounds are still closed, so will folks be adding more play equipment for kids in the backyard?
Will folks be installing more fences so kids/dogs can play in the front yard they way they do in the back?
Victory gardens are already becoming a popular response to COVID-19 as folks aim to grow food and make more meals at home
Lots of followers have commented that they’re adding outdoor dining tables, but will we see extra-long tables for people to sit farther apart? Dividers between guests on the table?
This is a great time to plant some trees to create more privacy in the backyard
Bathrooms
Infectious disease has shaped bathrooms as we know them today in such interesting ways (listen about that here or read about it here).
With the bizarre toilet paper shortage, I betcha bidets are going to become more popular
Are our residential bathrooms going to be like airport bathrooms with automatic flushers and hands-free faucets?
Our bathrooms have evolved to be pretty sanitary spaces (see the link above) but I wonder if we can go any further? Slabs of stone instead of tile with grout to clean, maybe?
Is smart tech going to go even further? Floor tiles that check our temperature? Showers that sense how much we need to scrub?
Powder rooms became popular after the flu pandemic of 1918. Will we be adding more of those to our homes, or outside of our homes? Outhouses in the backyard for guests, even?
Kitchens
We miss eating out and still do takeout, but our kitchens are doing a bit more work making lunches we’d normally get at work or school.
Are we going to outfit our kitchens with more specialty appliances or gear? Hello tortilla press!
Pantries are likely to be outfitted with more food to accommodate more meals and less trips to the store. Maybe the china cabinet with all of the entertaining gear will become food storage?
Smart faucets that turn on/off with a hand wave, or more simply, levers instead of knobs will make hand washing cleaner
Aiming to reduce trips to the grocery story and worrying about food supply, victory gardens and even indoor urban gardens are already growing in popularity
Entertainment
Enjoying family time at home, hosting friends for game night, or going out to enjoy the arts is all changing.
Without movie theaters, will folks invest in bigger TVs? Or will we get multiple smaller TVs so each family member can watch what they want in their own spaces?
Is it time to finally get that ping pong table?
Projectors and outdoor screens might become the solution for watching movies or sports with friends safely socially distanced
We moved our TV from the den to our primary bedroom, in part, because we won’t be hosting anyone to watch shows with us
Are virtual reality goggles and the like going to become our way of escaping our homes?
Cleaning
Maybe we’ll add more sinks outside in the backyard or at the front door for more hand washing before coming inside or for guests (learn more about that idea here or read about it here).
Several Instagram followers said they’ve started a no shoes inside rule
Will we quarantine jackets/gloves/clothes before bringing them in to launder?
Are we doing laundry more often?
Copper, brass, and other antimicrobial materials may rise in popularity (see links above about how bathrooms changed to be more sanitary)
Will folks move away from wallpaper, delicate fabrics, or other hard-to-clean furnishings and instead opt for things that can be scrubbed more easily? Will this make our homes look more institutional?
Home Office
How will decor and furnishings change as we continue to share backgrounds on our webcams? How serious are folks getting about high-quality Zoom calls? Will we add more lighting to our homes just for these calls (or will we get these)? Are we going to add more soft fabric materials to reduce echo in the rooms we work in?
Will we add sound-deadening panels to our office walls to keep our loud phone calls from disrupting the rest of the family - or vice versa?
Are we going to construct moving walls so we can convert half of the living room into a home office during work days? Will moving walls be a thing of the future for all of our multi-purpose rooms?
Cubicles are popular in the office, maybe they’ll make their way into the home
Or, instead of confining ourselves to a private space, some of us may set up shop in the kitchen or living room where there’s snacks or space or family
No longer commuting, are we going to take up new hobbies? Or will we listen to fewer audiobooks/podcasts/news reports? What will folks do with this time?
With folks working from home and using more internet, I sure hope our providers improve our bandwith (and don’t raise the costs!)
Home Improvement
With so many of us at home looking at our spaces, the itch to fix up is real.
Perhaps more folks will take on DIY projects because they don’t want tradespeople in their homes (my Instagram survey says 28% of followers aren’t comfortable with masked tradespeople in their home)
Instead of renovating, maybe people will move to homes that fit their needs better
With financial stress, will we be making do with less home improvements? Maybe more stop-gap improvements instead of big remodels?
No longer vacationing, family budgets are shifting. Renovations might be in the cards if those funds aren’t tied up in other financial consequences of COVID-19
Renovating a kitchen or major part of the home isn’t great during these times, believe me
Mental Health
Our spaces are so important for our mental well-being, and especially during a difficult time, our mental health is important.
In the wintertime, I bet light therapy lamps are going to be popular for boosting mood and reducing Seasonal Affective Disorder
Plants tend to make people happy and can give a sense of purpose watching them grow. Will we see the rise of lush indoor gardens?
We all respond to colors differently, so maybe we’ll see bright colorful rooms, or maybe dark moody ones
Organization and lack of clutter can be soothing so we’re already seeing folks purging things to make home more comfortable and free up storage space
Additional lights (in warm color temperatures), candles, and mirrors can make homes more comfortable during gloomy days and at night as we naturally respond to light
What are we willing to give up and what are we happy to give up during this time? Will we live more simply or work to add these previous joys to our homes?
Further reading/thinking
I highly recommend these reads for more of a historic perspective and more insight from designers.
How Infectious Disease Shaped American Bathroom Design (listen to the 12 minute podcast here or read in more detail it here).
17 Architects and Designers on How the Pandemic Will Change Our Homes Forever
The 1918 flu pandemic brought us the powder room. What will COVID-19’s design legacy be?
Remember, I’m not advocating for these ideas - I’m just sharing interesting ideas that may or may not work for different folks. I also realize many come with great privilege. I simply can’t help but wonder what the consequences of COVID-19 will have on our safe spaces we call “home.” Do tell me in the comments what you think. Did I miss anything? Were you already thinking of these things? This is such a bizarre time and it isn’t looking to go away anytime soon. Please share how you’re adapting.
