By Aatika Manzar, Founder Director at Aatika Manzar Designs.
We are living in a moment of big changes, the growing need of spending time indoors has impacted the way we function, exist & have simply lived our lives in these tough times. All these changes have significantly affected & reflected a deep change in the interior designing concept & how the industry works. With the change in taste & preferences that brew up, people have modified their visions and are loving new-age designs in their homes or workspaces. With everything happening inside the home, people understood the growing need for a change in design & it shifted towards adding bright & vibrant hues to lift the mood & have a lively appeal.
Apart from recreating interior spaces for home, it has been seen the restaurants, bars & cafes are redesigning themselves and are adapting to the reality of new normal. Creating space that provokes joy, a sense of community & security is now the cornerstone of design & is in a new spotlight. Post-pandemic people want to go to the place that brings magic, a heavenly experience & can lift their minds & spirits. Outdoors became the new indoors for restaurants, converting parking areas, sidewalks & rooftop dining.
Thus, COVID 19 Pandemic has changed our ability to work from home, and it is obvious this COVID life has drastically affected & influenced interior design in today’s time. Here are some contemporary designing trends interior designers are planning to go with post-pandemic-
- There are many ways this pandemic has changed the world around, if there is one thing which we have never even thought would even happen was our approach to work. Bringing the office to your comfort zone & calling it “work from home” was something difficult to start. But now this home office is the eternal part of our life and people are more inclined towards making their office looks more aesthetic rather than being just so professional and formal. A wonderful backdrop that is engaging can be perfect for your zoom sessions,multi-functional smart storage units, ergonomic chairs is the fabulous little way to design & decorate the work area on a budget.
- A New Focus on the Foyer-Foyer is an open area in the house that leads to drawing rooms & dining rooms and is the first space your guest gets to look, so everyone wants their entryways to look beautiful, attractive & engaging. Post pandemic there is a change in people’s choices & preferences and the entrance hall is grabbing new attention. A memorable foyer can be your one-time chance & an amazing opportunity for you to sweep off your guest. A warm wood floor, a bouquet of blooms, statement mirror, bold painting, ornately tiled can surely set the tone for the rest of your home.
- Biophilic Space- Sustainability and self-sufficiency are two words commonly used during this pandemic. There is a shift towards creating a home environment that emphasizes comfort & wellness. Now the new areas or high buildings will be designed in a way that directly attracts one with nature & greenery. Paints, fabrics & decorative accessories that mimic nature like earthy beiges, garden greens can easily connect one with home interiors & nature exteriors. Creating an alluring patio can be a great source for you to invite your friends whereas live plants, spider plants can be an excellent way to bring the beauty of nature indoors.
- Unwinding Outdoor Home Areas-When restaurants, bars, cinemas were closed, spending all time at the home with your family was the only way to find a great time of relaxation & a source of entertainment. Due to this, we saw people start digging into some unique interior concepts to make their home outdoor space more comfortable, modern & stylish. Be it a fashionable lounge to relax, Plugin Hanging lights, conversation sets for small spaces in your home, classic dining sets are the best fit to host brunch outside or cook up a BBQ for family & friends and have a safe, secure time with your people.
- New-age Restaurants evolves post-pandemic-Post-pandemic, the future of restaurant looks way different from what it used to be. As the restaurant industry is ever-evolving and dynamic, bringing new design trends is of no surprise. Restaurants are exploring various changes in their layouts,open-kitchen are now booming and gaining people’s trust, new-technological advancements ie QR codes or scans are widely used as they allow to have orders or transactions contact-free.
- Pandemic has turned the restaurant industry upside down, many restaurants are taking strides to keep up with their customer’s expectations and likings. There has been an urgent need for sanitization & social distancing which lead to the closure of indoor dining with the change in the look of restaurants’ interiors & exterior dining spaces. This is when we see a new culture of outdoor dining coming forward. Using plexiglass dividers in between tables and counters came in being. The owners are focusing on reshaping, redecorating & revamping their outer area into a beautiful space full of lights, decorative accessories & comfortable furniture. These open spaces are a good source to host small events, theme parties too.
- Drive-thru again becomes popular, people who are not comfortable inside in the restaurants can comfortably enjoy the meal inside their cars. Post-pandemic we can see restaurants are ready to invest in the lanes for easy drive-thrus.