NEWS

The lockdown trends that are here to stay

September 16th, 2020

Following our look at the changing priorities among homebuyers that have arisen as a result of spending more time at home, this month we thought we’d have a look at the trends that first arose during the lockdown period and look set to stay with us in the long-term.

Remote working and separate spaces

It goes without saying that working from home has surged in popularity even as social distancing restrictions have lifted, making it easier for households to enjoy a better work/life balance, avoid long commutes and spend more time with the family.

As highlighted in our last article, research shows that a significant proportion of homebuyers are looking for properties with a dedicated home office space or with the potential to create one.  According to Pinterest Trends, following significant spikes in searches about working from home back in March, searches for ‘home office ideas’ have continued and reached high levels again in August[1].

Interestingly, according to research carried out by Rated People, this move has also seen attitudes to open plan living change, with a 350% increase in those looking to put walls back in and create separate spaces at home, compared to 2019[2]. With households spending more time inside than ever before, combining working habits with home and family life, it’s no surprise that many are looking to escape to a dedicated space to focus on work.

So with this trend looking like it might be here to stay, our steel screens provide the perfect solution when it comes to creating individual spaces within a home, maximising space and maintaining natural light.  For homes with more traditional floor plans, where rooms are separated by corridors and can sometimes lack natural light, adding steel doors or screens can also create a more ‘open’ feel, whilst keeping that separation between rooms.

Home exercise

Another key trend that developed during lockdown is the rise of people exercising at home. With many gyms closed for extended periods of time and restrictions on venturing outdoors during the peak of the pandemic, people looked to home gym equipment, digital classes via Zoom, social media or apps and even took up new activities altogether.

For many, particularly those looking to continue working from home as much as possible, the main appeals of home exercise are the convenience and potential cost savings.  Have a look at this inspiring example of a home gym and swimming pool within a private residence in London.

Conscious cooking

Another result of spending more time at home was a rise in people taking to the kitchen, whether to jump on the lockdown bandwagon of baking banana bread and sourdough, or just generally putting more time and effort into the meals they were creating.

It is likely that with people continuing to spend more time at home from now on, it is likely that this reconnection with the kitchen will continue.  And if this trend has spurred your imagination as far as your kitchen is concerned, have a look at some of these stunning examples featuring our steel windows, screens and doors below. For more kitchen inspiration, have a look at our recent article on kitchen extensions.

Kitchen

Have you got a project in mind and need help bringing it to life? Contact our team today and we’ll be happy to help.

[1] https://trends.pinterest.com/?country=GB&terms=home%20office%20ideas  

[2] https://www.ratedpeople.com/blog/the-rated-people-home-improvement-trends-report-2020