Home design and building trends we'll leave behind post-coronavirus

From working from home to homeschooling during the pandemic, our four walls quickly became offices, schools, cinemas, restaurants, parks and everything in between.

Meanwhile, many companies – including Twitter – have said they will allow some members of their workforce to continue working from home “forever” if they choose. Many more are expected to follow suit, with flexibility and work-life balance thought to become key to a happier workforce.

With a revolution in the way we think about our homes and what we need from them, designers, renovators and architects are taking note about how this will translate into what buyers will be looking for post-pandemic.

If you’re renovating, building or thinking of selling you might want to consider flexible home-working spaces, exercise and schooling areas, energy-efficient features, outside space or at least a home that has a nice connection with the outdoors.

1. Single-purpose spaces

It will come as no surprise that when restrictions came into force, searches for “small offices”, “garden offices” and “desks” went up significantly.

It’s now becoming crucial for homes to have multi-purpose rooms with dedicated workspaces or spaces that can easily and quickly be reconfigured depending on the time of day.

“Many people now want to increase their time at home, relaxing, working and exercising. So, our dwellings need to be even more functional and versatile in their design,” says Armstrong.

“They need to facilitate the whole family being home for longer periods. That means more ‘zones’. These zones need to be flexible and functional, enabling family members to find their own space for whatever activity they’re doing.

“Kitchen areas, now more than ever, need to facilitate cooking, socialising, dining, working and homeschooling (where kids screens can be supervised),” says Armstrong.

2. Turning things on manually

Smart homes where processes are automated and things are contactless were already on the rise pre-COVID-19, and it’s likely they will become more widespread in a post-pandemic Australia.

From smart taps to smart kitchens, cleaning robots to virtual assistants like Alexa and Google Home, contactless homes will become more in-demand to avoid contact between people and surfaces in order to keep homes tidier and more hygienic.

So if you’re thinking about the finishing touches on a new build or upgrading things in your home, think about automation and going contactless where possible. However, Armstrong explains things like automated doors will be expensive to add and there are some options that are more budget-friendly.

“Home automation systems driven from a smartphone will reduce exposure to high touch areas,” he says.

“These can be easily implemented and retro-fitted to our existing homes. Likewise for automated taps.”

3. A garage or shed will no longer be just that

If you really want to up the resale value of your property, you might want to consider the addition of a flexible-use garage, shed or even a granny flat. The key is flexibility.

“When designing garages, make sure they have plumbing for water and waste,” Armstrong says.

“That means if you or a purchaser wants to use it for something else, the infrastructure is already there.”

So think about what you want to offer and make the necessary renovations.

“Build in a window on the northern side to facilitate winter sunshine should someone decide to turn the garage into a home office, gym or yoga room,” he adds.

“Just doing the framing alone will ensure it can be easily transformed in the future.”

4. A sustainable home is no longer enough

Post-pandemic, simply ensuring your home is sustainable and efficient on energy will no longer be enough. Welcome to the age of the “healthy home”, where sustainability, quality of space and health-conscious materials will all play an important part.

While energy efficiency will still be top of mind, especially if we’re spending more time at home where the cost of bills is likely to go up, things are not going to stop there.

Low-VOC paints, open-plan spaces that free the mind and eco-friendly, antibacterial building materials are some examples of how this trend could manifest in the home.

Some companies have already begun to focus on antiseptic materials to prevent the accumulation of bacteria on surfaces. Take the cotton sheets with zinc oxide nanoparticles and materials such as Krion from the Porcelanosa Group, which are said to be aseptic and easily cleaned.