The way we live, work, play, rest, create — you name it — has changed dramatically in the last year. At one point in time, many of us didn’t have the time or energy to give our homes the attention they needed, but times have changed, and for the better. Welcome to a new era of reevaluation. A long-awaited epoch of considering what fuels us, what no longer serves us, and respecting the mind-body connection that originates under our very own roofs. With firsthand insights from the real estate biz, our team got together to detail how we — as a society — have no choice but to reassess the way we dwell within our digs.
The boundaries are getting blurred.
You know what we’re talking about. How the kitchen has become a place to host Zoom meetings and cook up a full family feast. Or how the living room has become your yoga studio and the kids’ play area between virtual history classes. With versatile, flexible living undoubtedly here to stay, now’s the time to extensively reevaluate how we function at home.
Collectively, we’ve developed a tendency to work in open-concept spaces where everything blends together, but we’ve also had over a year to learn that this all-purpose approach is doing less for us than we were originally led on to believe. As we enter the summer of 2021, it’s imperative to differentiate rooms again as separate, distinct spaces with clear functions. So that stand-up desk you have in the laundry room? Caput. Find or create a space for work and ONLY work.
Technology is making it all too easy.
Sounds a bit paradoxical, right? Well, listen closely. Uber-smart technology has grown hugely intrinsic to everyday life, but it’s time we step back and look at the bigger picture of how this affects us at home. First off, humans need connection — which is clearly something that’s gained even more importance in the pandemic — so when technology interferes and breaks up that need, it negatively impacts our inherent internal code.
Think of it this way. There’s an app for pretty much everything these days — turning on the lights, unlocking the door, switching on the kettle. Sure, it’s quick and easy (and definitely has a certain cool factor), but nothing will ever replace the physical sensation of doing it yourself. These small, seemingly ordinary tasks are vital to who we are as humans, so as we move forward in an increasingly digital-driven world, be sure to consider how technology influences your fundamental self at home.
Design directly affects our happiness.
Design probably means a whole lot more to you now than it did a year and a half ago. Spending more time at home, we’ve had the opportunity to recognize which spaces need some serious work and what we can do to flip the switch on our interiors to make us truly happy — and even healthy. For example, it’s been said that cooking is the new commuting, offering a much-needed respite from work during the day. But this constant activity in the kitchen has probably made you reevaluate the space, right? What was once a status symbol, an area that you’d show off to guests during Saturday dinner parties, is now an area of the house that nourishes the mind, body and soul around the clock.
And the bathroom? It’s evolved into a haven for self-care, rather than just a place to wash up before and after a day on the job. Overall, it’s crucial that we take this time to reconsider the spaces in which we live so they can offer us the inspiration, productivity and spiritual sustenance we need at any certain point during the day.