COVID-19 has drastically changed life as we know it. As we gather ourselves and move towards a post-pandemic world with hope in our hearts, we have to admit that there are many things that will be forever changed in our lives as a result of this pandemic. It is likely that working from home will become normalized, our children will have wider options and new ways to learn, telecommunication will reach new and higher realms and we will probably wash our hands more than we used to.

In this article, we look at likely ways interior design, in general, will be affected going forward. Interior designers are inherently creative problem solvers. Therefore, the future of interior design looks quite promising from here!

Before the pandemic, home offices were considered a luxury rather than a necessity. Even if we brought some work home, they were done in makeshift workspaces such as on the floor, lying on the couch, or perched on the breakfast bar in the kitchen. Now that most of us are working from home full time, dedicated office space has become a necessity to increase productivity and also to look professional in the numerous video conferences we have to do. Therefore, future houses will likely have a dedicated space for working, as well as proper study spaces for children who are doing remote learning from home.

Shared spaces are an important part of any home, giving you the chance to spend time and make memories with your loved ones. Perhaps one of the only silver linings, when the pandemic enforced lockdowns and confined us into our homes, was the extra time we got to spend with our families. However, while squeezing into the couch and sitting on the floor for family meals was fun at first, it is not convenient in long term. This would mean more prominent, comfortable, and spacious shared spaces in family homes in the future. Other than living rooms, larger kitchen breakfast areas, and dining spaces, there will be dedicated shared places for a family to sit together and spend time.

Soft and neutral colours on the walls have been the norm in residential spaces since a light-coloured atmosphere helps keep things neutral and peaceful to come home to after a long and tiring day. However, with more people working and learning from home, the designers are likely to be bolder and more daring when it comes to selecting colours for the walls. They will go for more vibrant and vivid colours to add life to rooms, creating fun and living spaces rather than staying safe with neutral colour palettes. There will also be more use of wallpapers with bold and beautiful patterns.

There is only so much time we can space in the confines of walls, when you are spending more time at homes. When interiors are designed to spend evenings and nights, the attention to outdoor spaces tend to lack. With the new normal of spending the daytime in your homes, there will be a trend of enhancing outdoor spaces such as balconies and patios to be used regularly during the day. Home offices and dining areas in the balcony and study tables in the backyard patios rather than inside bedrooms are a few fun examples of enhanced outdoor spaces.