Swiss architect and designer Aurel Aebi, co-founder of atelier oï alongside Armand Louis and Patrick Reymond, brings a tactile, storytelling approach to design. Visiting Manila for the Louis Vuitton Savoir Rêver exhibition, Aebi shared insights into their philosophy and process, demonstrating how everyday objects can transform into elegant, functional art pieces. At atelier oï’s studio […]
Updated Upgrades: Designing Home Spaces in the Post-Pandemic Era
After over three years in quarantine, it might be time to update your pandemic-era home designs to align with current trends. While it feels like ages since the start of the pandemic, your home might still reflect a quarantine mindset. You likely still maintain a dedicated place for remote work and studying. But as we transition into a post-pandemic world, it’s time to rethink how our spaces can be more than just functional. Here are simple interior design tips to style five key areas in your home in the post-pandemic era.
Holistic Hoffice
To boost your productivity at home, first consider the right location when updating your home office. If you can, pick a spot near a window to benefit from natural light and ventilation. Bonus points if it comes with a relaxing view.
Next, invest in ergonomics. Choose an adjustable chair and a sturdy desk fit for longer work hours to improve posture and allow you to freely move in your workspace. Smart storage solutions can help tidy up your space and keep it distraction-free.
Don’t forget to have easy access to electrical outlets so you can plug in your electronic devices. And with the rise of hybrid setup, having a good amount of lighting is also a must, especially during video conferences.
And if you want added privacy for your workspace, you can create partitions using bookshelves or other furniture to separate your hoffice from other areas in your house.
Multifunctional Spaces
Home lifestyle constantly changes. And whether it’s pandemic or not, having multifunctional space in your home provides flexibility to adapt to your ever-changing needs. Think about how you can quickly turn your living room to a home gym and convert it back when you want to chill and watch movies again.
For starters, you can place a multifunctional room anywhere in your house. Just make sure that it is spacious enough to cater to, well, multiple functions.
Lightweight and modifiable furniture are the best options to update this space since you often move things to design it accordingly. Ottomans with built-in storage, foldable chairs, and small coffee tables are some of the best picks.
And yes, you also need maximized storage spaces unless you want to mix all your stuff together. Dedicating storage for each function of the room prevents it from becoming too overwhelming. Speaking of overwhelming, you’ll have to put up dividers too. Aside from creating organized partitions, it also provides temporary privacy and flexibility for future room arrangements.
The Foyer as a Buffer Zone
The foyer is your buffer zone between the outside world and the sanctuary of your home. It can be a drop zone for food and package deliveries, and as a sanitizing area to keep dirt and germs from entering your living space.
Updating your foyer with a shoe rack, as well as hooks for bags and outerwear, minimizes clutter and reinforces cleanliness from the moment you step inside. And to fully satisfy your pandemic-induced germaphobe habits, having tile or water-resistant floor laminates make cleaning hassle-free. Placing a few low-maintenance plants also helps in improving air quality and controlling humidity to ward off mold growth.
That means you can still keep this high-traffic area ready for welcoming guests or just help you leave the outside world behind.
Outdoor Spaces
The pandemic might have taught us to embrace indoor living but that doesn’t mean spending time outdoors is outdated. Whether it’s a patio, veranda, deck, or balcony, outdoor spaces are extensions of your living area. With the right add-ons, it’ll be just like the old times when you finally want to go semi-outside.
Of course, weather-proofing is essential in outdoor spaces. Starting from the furniture, better if you resort to durable plastic, metal, or wood for chairs and tables. Awnings, shade sails, and umbrellas are perfect additions as well if you don’t want harsh UV rays or gloomy weather ruin your skincare.
You can also show off your biophilic side by surrounding these places with plants. Because can you really reach the peak of updated outdoor relaxation without a sense of nature? Additionally, string lights, lanterns, or solar-powered fixtures complete that outdoor ambiance you’re craving for even until the sun sets.
Make Your Bathroom a Home Spa
Gone are the days of using bathrooms for crazy intense hygiene and frequent stressful handwashing. In the post-pandemic era, you can integrate stylish smart options so you can have a more relaxed and elegant bathroom me-time.
Build your own indoor spa by incorporating air diffusers and natural light, or warm artificial lights as an alternative. Installing ceiling speakers is optional, but if you want your bathroom to give off the perfect zen ambiance, go for it. Ventilation, even through windows or exhaust air systems, prevents moisture from building up. You can even opt for smart storage spaces because your bathroom needs to have it all.
And if you still want to spoil your hygiene obsession, upgrade your bathroom experience by including enhanced hygiene features. Worry no more with potential contamination with touchless fixtures like sensor-operated faucets, flushers, and dispensers. Choosing antimicrobial materials like quartz for countertops, toilets, and showers also make surfaces safer from unwanted germ spread.
The COVID-19 pandemic indeed transformed our way of indoor living. But you don’t have to get stuck in that same old function of your house. These spaces created during those hard times can still have relevant purposes today. With a few tweaks and reimaginings, your home is always ready to adapt to any conditions and circumstances.
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Given the busy schedule of Dr. Aivee Teo—juggling the beauty care of top celebrities and offering free consultations and minor cosmetic surgeries in various barangays through her Beauty Beyond Borders program—it is no surprise that she views her home as a refuge and a space where she can spend time with her family. With the […]
Am I?, the second exhibit of up-and-coming artist Poula Sitjar, finds itself reckoning with the way expectations from society affects us and our perspectives in life. The artist specifically comes to this from the perspective of a woman, with all the contrary pressures and expectations put upon women in modern times. Feminism and the continued […]
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