COVID-19 is teaching us that interior design matters. Work spaces, retail spaces, classrooms, hotels and hospitals—important conversations are going on right now across nearly every industry about how interiors can be redesigned to better protect our health, safety and welfare.
Creativity is always better than rules. I believe that this very unusual period of our lives will raise a tremendous movement of creativity from designers, artists, and architects.
Sustainable design is far away from “marketing” and should be respected seriously. Designers and architects will have to be more responsible about the materials they are using and where they come from.
I made a web search about how the pandemic will affect design in the near future and extracted a few interesting points, I saw most members of the industry, are talking about. Ideas are quoted and there is a bibliography at the end of this text for further reading.
DESIGN IN THE WORKPLACE
COVID-19 is teaching us that interior design matters. Work spaces, retail spaces, classrooms, hotels and hospitals—important conversations are going on right now across nearly every industry about how interiors can be redesigned to better protect our health, safety and welfare.
It is a question everyone is trying to answer right now, but one thing is certain: As more and more businesses slowly begin reopening and returning to normal operations, it will be critical to make sure workers are safe—and that they feel safe—returning to the workplace. Space planning is a central part of an interior designer’s job, and it is one of the most important parts of the conversation about how to return to work safely.
It sounds like a lot, but even though each one of us is responsible for doing our part we are not doing it alone. This is a team effort that includes designers, owners, employees and maintenance staff, all working toward a common goal: Creating a safe workplace environment that is as welcoming as possible.
DESIGN AT HOME
Living Room
“Suddenly, the living room has become grand central. We’ve been creating more spaces within the living room that are very much like Victorian parlors. There’s not just a coffee table and a drink table, but there might also be a game or snack table. The sofa can have lots of pillows for just being comfortable when watching a movie. There’s a space where an adult can take a call while their child is on their laptop or iPad nearby with headphones, and another member of the house can be off to the side doing their own thing. Studio living is in one space now. The living room is finally taking center stage again.
Master Bedroom
All of the beautiful sitting areas we’ve created in master suites (for clients) are finally being used. Creating a master suite with a sitting area for your client. When parents have young children in the house, a bedroom with a desk of a sitting area can be the perfect getaway where you can have zoom calls with guaranteed silence. Couples can also enjoy some quality quiet time during the day, away from vacuum cleaning noise or children playing. For this reason, it is ideal to have the office within the master bedroom.
Pocket Doors
People will still gravitate towards open layouts, because they love that big ‘aha’ room, but pocket doors will offer the alternative to separate areas again and enjoy privacy in all the main shared spaces.
Scott Hudson, CEO of Henrybuilt. “There isn’t going to be a lot of surplus capital to work with for most companies, so product development may slow down. But designers thrive in constrained situations like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the best work done in a long time happens in the next couple of years.”
Katie Saunders, founder of Pop and Grey, a brand design and strategy firm for interior designers, thinks people will want to invest in their residences more than ever. “The post-COVID client will be more attuned to flaws in their homes after spending such a long time locked up in them,” she says. “Suddenly the little annoyances they’ve overlooked for years will become big things that must be fixed now—and they’ll be willing to pay a premium to have it done right.”
Roy Caro Cohen
The Picturalist
Bibliography:
Lindsay Tan teach interior design in Auburn’s College of Human Sciences.
Heide Hendricks of the award-winning design firm Hendricks Churchil
Franklin Azzi
Architect/Founder, Franklin Azzi Architecture; MAISON&OBJET Designer of the Year – September 2020 Edition
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