An Interior Designer's Guide to Creating Your Perfect and Efficient Home During COVID-19
And just like that, everything we know changed in a week due to the Coronavirus. We’ve had to change the way we work, the way we shop, the way we socialize, and more.
I know I’ve personally felt the effects- lots of facetime to parents, children, and grandchildren, thinking outside the box as to how to serve my clients, and much-needed downtime to think and plan.
So in an effort to provide some kind of relief to all of us, I thought I would share my ideas on how to make our homes (that we are now spending way more time in) serve us in new ways as we adjust to the current time, and perhaps return to the foundation of how I believe our homes were meant to serve us.
Creating Your Perfect and Efficient Home During COVID-19
During this challenging time, our home has suddenly taken on many different roles. It is now our office, our children's school as well as our place of rest and relaxation. It may take a little creativity to design these needed spaces to serve us.
A Place for Work- Creating a Home Office
For those of you who aren’t used to working from home, it can be quite a new concept! I
have always worked from home and wanted to share with you what I have found to really be
helpful for me...even more so now that my husband is working from home as well. When creating a space for work, try:
Making it free of distractions in a designated place that you enjoy, perhaps a favorite spot in your home...next to a window if possible.
Add good Lighting
Comfortable Seating
Try to surround yourself with a few of your favorites: books, art, and accessories to beautify your space.
Getting dressed for the day. Dressing always makes me feel better and helps me tackle the tasks at hand (especially when I throw on my favorite lipstick!)
Planning your day/your week and try your best to stick to your plan. Try tackling your hardest task first. It’s always such a great feeling to be able to scratch that one hard task off the to-do list!
Have a time every day to start and a time to stop.
A Place for Refuge-Creating a Peaceful Environment
Up until recently, we had multiple places to escape, whether that be the gym, the office or social gatherings. Despite this, I have always felt that one's true place of refuge should be our home.
With this worldwide pandemic before us, now more than ever, each one of us is realizing where our true place of restoration is.
What makes a home a place of refuge?
Is your home aesthetically pleasing? Giving you "all the feels" of rest, refuge and relaxation?
If you're currently not feeling like your home is your haven, here are some ways to change this:
Start with your bedroom. Your bed. The simple task of making your bed every day, since it's the biggest object in the room, will alleviate stress as well as providing you with the feeling of accomplishment.
Pretty sheets, blankets, and a few lovely throw pillows can turn an entire bedroom into a beautiful space you can't wait to escape to.
Pick up in the morning and the evening. There are few things in life we can control but one thing we can control is the order of our homes. Making it a priority to keep our house picked up and organized can help to reduce so much unnecessary stress especially with what's going on in the world right now.
Sometimes it's the smallest things that make a big difference. Think about what is most calming to you or what makes you happy. For me, I love meaningful, pretty accessories, books, fresh flowers from my yard and the scent of my favorite candles. Small details can make your space clean, fresh and relaxing.
A Place for Play-Creative Outlets
As much as we need to work and rest, we also need to spend time having fun and being creative. It can be quite difficult being confined to our homes and having to practice social distancing. However, that doesn't mean we can't get creative and use our home for play and creativity.
Think about what is enjoyable to you and your family:
Love to cook or bake? Grab your cookbook and try a new recipe. Share with neighbors or those in need.
Create a craft room or designated play area just for children. Set up in the garage or patio and let them get messy with purpose.
Now that the weather is nice and Spring is here, it's a great time to plant and freshen up flower boxes, beds, and pots. Being creative with plants and flowers outdoors can liven our moods, give a sense of accomplishment and freshen up the exterior of our homes.
Projects that you always wanted to tackle can be a great way to work together as a family and build memories- it one of the best things we can do at this time.
This Coronavirus crisis is revealing much about where and how we prioritize our home's environment. I hope this post has offered some encouragement and tools to make your home a haven not just in the midst of a global crisis, but always.
If you have any helpful tips on how to make your home serve you during this time, share it with us in the comments!