The coronavirus pandemic had forced much of corporate America to work from home. Stuck inside all day, many homeowners found that the flaws in their home’s interior design—once so easy to ignore—are now crying out for a makeover.
Industry reports now show a powerful last year for the interior design sector, with revenue growing to $16.1 billion in the year 2020, in spite of overall effects on the global economy.
Even those stuck inside expensive, luxurious apartments have recognized that their ornate and stylish interiors are not exactly conducive to full days of remote working, a prospect that now has luxury interior designers reimagining what an indulgent interior could look like. New York designers Meshberg and Clodagh are noting a shift in at-home design, from the extravagant and ornate to the functional and comfortable. Here are 5 trends that the designing pair predict will be the future of luxury interiors.
The Double Pantry
During the pandemic, people adapted to larger and less frequent grocery hauls and to preparing more meals at home. These shifts have led to a newfound need for ample food storage space.
City-dwellers have traditionally considered a large kitchen a luxury, being able to depend on easy access to restaurants, grocery stores and farmers’ markets. But at-home dining has become a necessity during the coronavirus era, a shift that might leave a lasting impression.
Interior designers are now seeing a spike in demand for double pantries, which give homes a second storage area for all that additional food.
Antimicrobial Materials
There’s been increased interest in using antimicrobial materials in frequently-touched surfaces. Copper, like its brass and bronze alloys, is not an inhabitable surface for microorganisms like COVID-19 germs. Fittingly, there has been a recent rise in demand for copper doorknobs and handles.
Krion, a less expensive alternative created by the company Porcelanosa, has become a highly-popular material for such surfaces. The antimicrobial material imitates the texture and feel of stone, but lasts much longer. Furthermore, Krion’s toughness makes it more durable to the use of heavy-duty cleaning products, which makes it a dependable material for surfaces in hotels or other public spaces that must be constantly disinfected.
The Mudroom
Large, two-story foyers have become a popular fixture of modern design, but they often amount to underutilized space in the entrance area of a house. Now, an old-fashioned feature is staging a comeback in the form of the mudroom, which allows people to take off layers and shoes before tracking anything else into the home.
A good way to ensure that guests remove any unclean garments before entering the house is to set up a barrier directly in front of the door, creating space to disinfect and store outerwear. You can beautify this functional area by hanging artwork or welcoming signage.
Outdoor Space
This year’s biggest trend is, without a doubt, a renewed emphasis on outdoor spaces and bringing elements of nature into the home. With so many trapped indoors for weeks on end, access to even a hint of the outdoors has become desirable.
Expect to see more home herb and vegetable gardens, more plants within the home, and more furnished patios and balconies. In luxury industrial design, there is a clear trend towards vertical gardens or green walls. Fire pits and outdoor dining areas will also become more ubiquitous.
Sanitization of Outside Air
Buildings that feature central air-conditioning are now embracing technologies that can sanitize the air before it’s pumped into the building. Some innovators have experimented with infrared technology to neutralize germs before they are circulated indoors, and forecasters predict that air purification systems of all sorts will gain popularity as pollution and climate change become more palpable plagues in modern cities.