Will the Coronavirus Change Interior Design?

Could my kitchen, which has open sight lines to the living room, yet doesn’t feel completely open become the new normal in open space design?

If you read the business news, you know there are lots of articles out there about how the Coronavirus will change the way we work—beyond the way it’s changing our lives right now. It’s changing the way I work (keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram this week for more news). Along with changing the way we work with clients, I’ve been thinking a great deal about how it will change the way we design.

I have been asking myself: will open concept floor plans become a thing of the past after COVID-19?

For as long as DBK home has been in business—quite frankly much longer than we’ve been in business—many clients have requested open floor plans. This phenomena is not confined the Jersey City and New York City metropolitan areas I serve. A look at design magazines shows the open floor plan is popular with homeowners around the country.

Now, with families and couples confined to their homes for the past few weeks— and likely to be staying put for the next month—people may find themselves longing for some separation. It’s understandable to want to get a way from your spouse or your children (or both) for a bit, especially when you aren’t accustomed to being together all day, every day. At the same time, social distancing has people missing their friends, family who don’t live in the same household, and their colleagues. Virtual dinners, and happy hours, and game nights give us a new appreciation of the time we spend with the people who matter to us.

When we can gather together again, we need open spaces in which to congregate with those we love. To replace the virtual parties with gatherings—big and small—to host dinner parties, have friends over for drinks, to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions, and simply be together sharing joy together.

Although it may not be the end of the open concept, it may signal the start of an era of pairing the open design people love with consciously created separation as the home flows from one space to the next. Instead of removing all the walls, we may keep large portions of walls open. The new open space may evolve into keeping a kitchen, living room dining room configuration as an open “great room” while keeping other areas more private or tucked away, like a playroom nook, a sunroom, or an office.

Some of my recent projects—including my own home, Ps Sugar Box—are a great example of what I am talking about. My kitchen, the opening photo in this post, has open sight lines from the kitchen to the front living room without feeling completely open, and the family room space is tucked away. To see what’s happening in there you have to move around the corner.

Another example of open, but not completely open, the apartment featured here on the blog earlier this month. The dining room and kitchen are fully open to each other, although the living room, family room and a game room are all off-shoots of this hub, you can't quite see or access without going through a doorway or around a corner. Check out Simply Striped Updated Kitchen for more photos of this gorgeous space. Clearly, some designed separation is a good thing.

Project Chelsea has great open space with a conscious separation flow. The galley style kitchen is pulled back, but the multi-purpose dining and entry space is completely visually open to the living room. It feels cozy and roomy at the same time.

We will always have the privacy of our bedrooms and bathrooms, however now we might be more thoughtful about redesigning our family and communal spaces.

How are you feeling about your current home concept with all the time you’re at home now? If you are thinking about making a change, we can help. To schedule your free discovery call, click here.