How has Covid changed your dream home design?
Architects and urban designers around the world have been experimenting with a range of post-pandemic inspired home designs to decide what trends might endure beyond the lockdown era. We’ve seen everything from dedicated quiet spaces and contactless delivery vestibules being touted as the next big thing – but what are South Australian homeowners looking for in 2022?
The Barnaby House is a display home in North Carolina that has been designed with plenty of post-pandemic features – such as quiet spaces hidden behind bookshelves…
Study nooks to home offices
The demand for a dedicated home office is on the rise at the expense of the once popular study nook. As more people have a hybrid working schedule moving forward, a dedicated home office has become a focus for new home buyers. “We’ve seen the full-service home office become more of a necessity, and we’ve seen a few designs come through where the office even has a small ensuite off to the side,” says Luke Biggs, Miravale’s Senior Land Consultant.
The Springfield Hamptons display home by Rossdale Homes on display at Miravale has space for a dedicated home office.
Re-thinking our open plans
We love our open plan living spaces, but home schooling and working from home during the pandemic has made us realise that sometimes having a quiet place to escape to is important also. More homes are including ‘flex’ small rooms with multiple uses. These spaces can be defined by moveable walls or smart partitioning, creating truly flexible quiet spaces.
The Kidman design by Burbank on display at Miravale features a stunning open plan living area, along with a small quiet space just off the family room, plus two living areas and four bedrooms.
Bigger backyards
As we’re spending more time at home, many of us are looking for bigger backyards. “We’ve definitely seen an increased demand for larger lots with room in the back yard given covid constraints, however with current market trends many families are also scrutinising their discretionary spending and budget conscious buyers are looking to create spaces so that fun times can be had at home with the family. Bigger back yards, larger alfrescos and larger games rooms are becoming more important at Miravale than a separate home theatre. More clients are looking to fit a pool into their forever family home, with more time at home justifying the extra expense,” said Biggs.
The stunning Mondrian design by Gallery Living on display at Miravale is designed around a central courtyard and pergola, allowing plenty of light and ventilation into the home.
Sustainable star-ratings
As people are spending more time working from home and consequently using up more energy – homebuyers are increasingly more willing to invest up-front into more sustainable designs with better energy efficiencies over the long-term. 7-star NatHERS is the new gold standard for energy efficient homes, and you can download some of their free sample home designs to get some sustainable home inspiration…
You can download CSIRO tested free home designs from the NatHERS website for sustainable home inspiration.
Contactless delivery at home…
Most of us are shopping online more than ever. From groceries and parcels to dinner deliveries – a dedicated vestibule at the entrance to your home is a rather old-fashioned feature that is making a contemporary comeback. With video monitoring doorbells – a delivery driver can simply ring and leave your parcel inside, securely out of the weather for your return home. Plus this space – also known as an ‘arctic entry’ – can also help to keep your home warm in the colder months by reducing heat loss as people come and go.
Entrance vestibules are a fantastic way to ensure secure, contactless delivery at home.
