What Covid-19 Has Taught Us About Our Homes

Mother Earth has sent us all to our rooms to think about what we've done… and we've been contained in our homes for quite some time now! But as we adjust to the freedoms of level 3 and beyond, we shouldn’t necessarily be in a rush to get things back to the way they were before. Our values have shifted, our habits have changed, and our homes should also adjust under that influence.

Here are some reflections on what Covid-19 and the lockdown period has taught us about our homes, along with our predictions on how Kiwi homes are likely to change in future. 

Closing the door on open plan:

Connected, yet separate spaces are often more practical than completely open-plan ones.

Kiwis are very attached to the idea of open plan - but in reality, a fully open entrance, living room, kitchen and dining space is not a practical set up for most families. After many weeks confined to our bubbles, we’re realising that sometimes you just need a big old wall - or at least degrees of separation that allow people to do their own thing.

‘Broken-plan’ living is a more flexible alternative which we’ve touched on before. Broken-plan (or split-level) designs utilise freestanding walls, mezzanine levels, sunken living spaces (when sites allow it) and other design features to provide spaces which are connected without being unnecessarily open. Don’t underestimate smaller changes either - colour, materials, and lighting can do a lot to provide pockets of privacy and coziness.

Home as the new office

The home office is about to be a regular fixture in our lives … give it the love it deserves!

Covid-19 has created the most dramatic disruption to office working culture in our lifetimes. Companies across New Zealand have been forced to embrace remote working and the technology that supports it. When the virus recedes, these companies will have to reconsider whether office-bound work is necessary, and will likely develop a healthier relationship with flexible working.  

With this significant shift at hand, we need to re-evaluate the home office. For many, the home ‘office’ is a desk against a wall, relegated to a forgotten corner of the house, surrounded by a mish-mash of items that have no clear place. If working from home is something you need to be equipped for, this will not do! 

Consider what works best for your working style; a quiet separate room, or a nook in a more open living area? Think about placement carefully and creatively - consider pulling the desk away from the wall and having it placed centrally for example. Make the space inviting with a calming colour scheme, and cosy touches you might normally save for a living room… and, it sounds obvious, but you have to love the chair you’re sitting on… otherwise, you’ll never sit at your desk.

Outdoor Living

Think about your outdoor space more creatively to maintain your well-being

Kiwis are blessed with a big ‘backyard’ - most of us are never far away from a beach, lake or forest. But with many of those options out of the question during lock-down, we’ve been forced to reckon with our own backyards. Despite outdoor living spaces being key to maintaining our well-being, they are often an afterthought.

We now have a good opportunity, and good reason, to think about outdoor spaces more creatively. A great approach is to make choices that extend the usable living space of the home and connect it seamlessly to the surrounding environment. Think louvered roofs, outdoor fires, or multiple decks - providing options depending on the occasion and weather. 

Smaller choices are significant too; is there enough colour and texture to look at? Are we designing a space we have the ability to maintain?  Do I have the perfect spot to enjoy a cuppa? It’s about creating those simple, everyday pleasures we now have a new appreciation for.

Your ‘Ideal’ Self Doesn’t Exist

Don’t design a house with your ideal self in mind … you’ll only waste money.

Lots of building companies sell the idea of a ‘dream home’ … it’s easy to get carried away and begin planning it with your ‘dream self’ in mind. The version of yourself that cooks for large crowds (if only you had a bigger kitchen), cleans more regularly (if only you had more time), and enjoys hours spent tending to your veggie garden (if only you had more energy). 

The fact is, most of us have had nothing but extra time and energy on our hands over the last month - and we probably weren’t the version of our self we anticipated. This isn’t bad news - in fact, it’s great that we now have a better understanding of how we truly use our spaces and time on an everyday level. 

When designing a new home, or rethinking your current one, get honest with yourself. How much use would a second oven actually get? Are mosaic tiles a sensible option if I don’t want to be cleaning them regularly? Should we plan to landscape the garden ourselves, or is it smarter to budget for a contractor? Make decisions based on how you are most-likely to live, not how your ideal self would live!

Carrying on the conversation …

It’s easy enough to find a building company that will build your dream home, delivering your requests, without question, on the notion that ‘everything is possible’ (for a price). What you actually want though, is to work with people who make a real effort to understand your lifestyle and help you make informed choices.

It’s time for us to begin thinking about using how we can use this crisis to rebuild and produce something better. We’re planning on using our new understanding to build smarter not harder… and we’re excited about where this re-imagining could take us. As always, if there’s any way we can help, get in touch using the form below.