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THE PANDEMIC IS CHANGING OUR HOMES

As weeks stretched into months, we shifted from survival mode to more permanent adaptations

AALIYAH HARRIS

In the frantic early weeks of COVID -19, we bulk-bought printer paper and gym equipment, pasta and toilet paper: staples and stopgaps intended to get us through a few weeks of lockdown, which turned into a few months. Meanwhile, designers busied themselves developing high-tech products that could help us brave this frightening new reality — everything from 3D -printed, handsfree door handles to wearable air purifiers to picnic blankets encouraging social distancing.

But as the pandemic wore on, consumers began thinking past mere survival toward how they could turn their living spaces into sanctuaries rather than bunkers. Our homes weren't just shelters from a deadly pandemic, we began to realize, but needed to be galleries, restaurants and spas too.

From inflatable hot tubs to antique wicker baskets, here are a few of the most unexpected items we've bought during the past year or so, as well as some pandemic design trends that look likely to last:

DISPLAY CABINETS

Whether it's because our living spaces have become video backdrops or because our obsession with houseplants has continued to bloom, glass display cabinets are all the rage.

Ikea's metal- framed Rudsta was released in February 2021 and was soon all over Instagram, where users dotted their shelves with plants, ceramics, candles and barware. Similar models by other brands have been a reliable presence on the pages of design magazines and websites.

If these are a bit too indoor-greenhouse for your taste, small-drawer “apothecary” cabinets are also back — a clever way to tidy away pandemic clutter.

WEIGHTED BLANKETS

Weighted blankets were developed to help people with ADHD, autism and anxiety sleep better. But they've become mainstream in recent years and surged in popularity

during the pandemic.

Sleep expert Stephanie Romiszewski, director of Sleepyhead Clinic in the U.K., says that's hardly surprising — she has noticed a sharp increase in sleep problems since COVID-19 began: “Naturally, getting less light, getting outdoors less, changes to your entire lifestyle (and) environment. And not

going to work is going to have an impact on your sleep.”

Experts suggest choosing one that's about 10 per cent of your body weight.

NATURAL DESIGNS

Given the hazards of the outside world, many of us have tried to bring a touch of nature into our

homes. Those lucky enough to have gardens splurged on plants, bulbs and bird baths. Even people without outdoor space experimented with assembling indoor herb gardens or hanging fronds of eucalyptus in the shower (and, yes, more houseplants).

So-called biophilic design is a major trend in architecture and has filtered down into homeware too, with green, blue and sand-coloured paint palettes becoming popular and a renewed interest in wooden surfaces and finishes.

HOT TUBS

As public swimming pools, spas and saunas remained out of bounds in many countries for months at a time, the craze for inflatable pools and hot tubs has lasted. At the height of the obsession last summer, Reuters reported that some U.S. consumers, frustrated by long lead times and forced to holiday at home, were fashioning DIY pools from metal livestock tanks.

PIZZA OVENS

With indoor socializing banned, it's hardly surprising that many of us splashed out on garden furniture, patio tiles, fancy barbecues, patio heaters and fire pits.

Perhaps more unexpected is the boom in outdoor pizza ovens, as the appeal of sourdough starters and lockdown cooking began to wane.

COTTAGECORE

Cottagecore — the fad for countryside style, from Laura Ashley-esque florals and ruffles to wicker baskets and tea served in antique china — became popular on Tiktok and Instagram in 2019. Think no to sleek marble fixtures and grey colour palettes, yes to dried flowers, gingham checks, handcrafted furniture, quilts and candles.

Even limewash is back: Used to decorate and protect plaster and stone for millennia, this limestone-based paint has become omnipresent on interior design Instagram. Harper's Bazaar has noted its ecological and non-toxic credentials, and points out that with the right primer you don't even need to have ancient plaster walls to get an antique, weather-worn look.

HOMES

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2021-06-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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