Having spent much of 2020 and the first few months of this year unable to leave our homes very much; there is new hope, optimism and a renewed energy for the future as our lives begin to open up again. Of course, with every new chapter comes the opportunity to have a clean slate and we suspect that, as with ours, your home feels like it needs a refresh now more than ever. 

The chances are that you’ve been staring at the same four walls for over a year at this point and at the very least some minor tweaks would be welcome. Though maybe a full makeover is actually required; taking influence from the fashion world or even more closely to how you now use your home. As with anything in design, there are new one emerging based on necessity and this new world we find ourselves in seems to change by the day. So whether you’d like to take your home to the next level or repurpose a room to meet your new needs; we have the inspiration for you. 

A More Multi-Functional Home 

Throughout the past year or so, the home has become much more for everyone that occupies it and multi-purpose rooms seem to be the new norm for many people. This is especially true of the open-plan living concepts that many people have adopted over the past few decades. Our homes are now not only for sleeping, eating and relaxing but they are also where many of us work, exercise and even enjoy our free time in a very different way to before the pandemic. 

As a result, multi-functional design has become more important than ever in our homes. For example, your office chair may need to be both comfortable enough for long days at work but also aesthetically pleasing enough that it could double as a dining chair. Something else that has begun trending again is Asian-inspired decorative screens that help break up open spaces and create rooms for specific activities. This creates a private space that isn’t entirely closed off from the remainder of the space.  

A Statement Office Space 

Working from home is perhaps one of the biggest changes faced by Brits in the midst of the pandemic and many worried it would lead to reduced motivation. However, studies have shown that workers are more productive when working at home than in the office and this has led many businesses to make working from a home a permanent option for many people. The occasional use of the kitchen table has turned into the requirement for a dedicated space for a functional home office. 

We are seeing the home office transform from a purely functional space into something much calmer. This has resulted in greater importance being placed on the ambience and mood of the design of our home offices. This helps to create a sense of separation between working hours and family time. The goal is to create a space where you can work from home and not an office where you sleep. This is why creating a smart, presentable and highly functional room that sets a different tone from the rest of your house is important. 

Setting The Stage For Zoom Calls 

This working from home has inevitably led virtual meetings on platforms like Zoom as common as phone calls and as a result many people are placing great importance on their background. Many people have taken to creating aesthetically pleasing backdrops to their office or living spaces. This can be elements like a well-hung artwork, pops of colour, good lighting, some light greenery or stylish objects varying in size and colour. 

Lighting is perhaps the most important aspect in creating this look and many have gone towards softer lighting as that is the most flattering on screen. This can then be accented with interesting objects and books as well as brightly painted walls or framed artwork. The walls of our offices are becoming much more similar to TV sets than traditional walls have been in the past. In some cases, they are as we continue to see news reporters and interviewees “Zoom” in to their broadcasts. 

Laid-Back Living 

Of course, your home isn’t all about the office space and the increased time spent at home is becoming much less formal. Where people would have dining and entertainment spaces, they now have much more laid-back living arrangements. This more relaxed way of living means that materials and finishes are following suit. Where many may have ventured into glam decor in the past, more organic choices are being made with natural woods, industrial metals and unfinished stones. 

There is also an emphasis on comfort and usability rather than preciousness in more homes these days. Many people are making heavy use of textured fabrics like suede and wool for upholstery pieces which creates rounder and softer furniture. In addition, the new neutrals include ivory base tones with hints of rust, pink, beige, mustard and burnt orange. These create a much more liveable home and are much more fitting to the extended we spend in them. 

Blending the Inside and Outside 

Speaking of the tendency towards natural colours and materials; many people are leaning towards bringing the outside indoors and confusing the transition between the two. This can mean greater use of glass or replacing entire walls with sliding doors to give the feeling that nature in coming inside. This also gives access to more natural light which helps the home feel more spacious and less claustrophobic – something many of will appreciate. 

Harmonious dialogue between the inside and outside of the home has become much more important to people. While having an effect how how we let the outdoors inside, it has also affected the choices that are made outside the home too. For a long time outdoor furniture was often an afterthought but more and more we are seeing people choose pieces that reflect the styling of the interior in their outside spaces.