How coronavirus is changing home design trends
'Home design is now being reimagined in order to integrate the work-study-life balance post-COVID'
The coronavirus pandemic will have a lasting impact on future real estate and design trends.
Ample food storage space, dedicated Zoom rooms for video conferences and more touchless in-home technology to curb exposure to germs on surfaces are just some of the ways homes will be reconstructed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, industry insiders suggest.
Bigger kitchen spaces with more food storage, spaces to host Zoom calls and outdoor greenery are some trends real estate broker Orit Gadish says are here to stay post-pandemic. (iStock).
"Home design is now being reimagined in order to integrate the work-study-life balance post-COVID-19. With kids studying remotely from home, and the transition for professionals to work from home, we are naturally evolving with the need to adjust our home life to accommodate this new lifestyle," Orit Gadish, a Los Angeles-based real estate broker and owner of Geffen Real Estate told FOX Business.
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"People are getting comfortable with this new lifestyle and some will want to continue this way, working from home, and home schooling their children," Gadish added.
Indeed, people are spending more time at home than ever even as cities ease stay-at-home orders as businesses and offices start reopening. Purchases for home improvement items increased 71 percent since last month, according to data from market research firm Rakuten Intelligence, proof that Americans are investing in their work-from-home spaces to create a separation from work and their personal lives.
"People are getting comfortable with this new lifestyle and some will want to continue this way, working from home, and homeschooling their children,"
Whether it's a makeshift Zoom conference room, ample food storage space or a nook for Peloton bikes, here are interior design trends that are here to stay post-COVID-19.
Touchless tech
Homeowners are already starting to invest in gadgets that minimize contact with surfaces that tend to harbor germs, like automatic toilet flushers and motion-sensor garbage cans. And Gadish says hands-free fixtures like keyless entry-based systems with voice and image recognition will likely also be installed in more homes.
"Hands-free fixtures will become the standard, and not the luxury," Gadish said.
Zoom rooms and quiet spaces
As more people continue working from home despite office reopenings, Gadish says prospective homebuyers can expect rooms or areas of homes to be outfitted for Zoom chats and video calls.
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“[Expect] dedicated work areas for each adult and dedicated study space for each child with powerful Wi-Fi," Gadish said.
And if a separate room isn’t available to dedicate to workspaces like a home office, expect to see more built-in bookshelves that can serve a double purpose for storage and a sleek backdrop for conference calls.
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Gadish also says the open-concept floor plan trend could become extinct with the need to have separate space to block out sounds from the TV in the living room or cooking in the kitchen while taking work calls.
With more people cooking at home, more pantry space is going to be an attractive amenity for prospective homeowners, Gadish says.
Ample storage space
Whether it's turning closet space into a pantry or building out an island in kitchens for extra counter space, Gadish says homeowners are needing more room to store kitchen cookware, canned goods and ingredients consumers have stocked up on during the pandemic.
With more couples cooking from home, extra kitchen space like islands and pantries will be in demand post-pandemic, brokers say.
“More food storage space is needed as the pandemic has caused lots of hoarding and there's a need for larger pantries to store foods for longer periods of time,” Gadish said.
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The trend has already taken off in tiny New York City apartments. Brokers have begun dedicating areas to "work/Peloton areas" for at-home fitness equipment like stationary bikes as more people get their sweat on at home, the New York Post reported.
Outdoor gardens
The number of people who have started to grow their own food has skyrocketed since mid-March causing a seed shortage for some of the country's biggest producers. And with that, gardening and outdoor greenery will continue to sprout up in backyards, Gadish says.
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"With more time on their hands, consumers want to get out and be active outdoors in an environment that's safe, like their yard," Gadish said.