Wellness Continues to Trend in Design, Post-Pandemic 

 

The pandemic changed so many things about our lives. Wellness leaped to the forefront of our daily living both at work and home. Often times, work and home being one and the same. As a result, several different trends in the home and building industry shifted noticeably during the pandemic. The trusted experts at Houzz published their 2022 Summer Survey this past month, with the overarching theme pointing towards wellness-related design trends. The survey, which you can download here, qualifies site searches during Q1 of 2022 and compares the results to findings from Q1, 2021. Here are a few of the notable findings from their report:

Wellness Outdoors

 

A standout specific to the increased awareness of and emphasis on wellness at home is a focus on outdoor living, with hot tubs on decks showing the most significant uptick at 130% increase in the last year. Ongoing research has proven that spa-like experiences offer multitudes of health benefits including stress relief, pain relief, muscle relaxation and recovery, improved sleep and several other cardiovascular improvements. Add to this an outdoor infrared sauna and you’ll never want to leave the house again.

 

Statement Lighting

Making improvements to lighting improves health and wellness in a variety of meaningful ways, which has been made obvious as more and more professionals are working from home. Poor lighting has been connected to eye discomfort, headaches – including migraines – fatigue and even cases of anxiety being in front of a computer all day in poor lighting. Proper lighting throughout the home can alleviate strain making working from home a little less stressful.

 

Barndominium Design

 

Also called “barndo” design, the style is exactly what it sounds like – a barn that has been converted into a living space. This type of design is affordable, energy efficient and low maintenance – all things that make life easier for homeowners and their well-being in their private space. Over the last year, according to the survey, “Barndo” design searches increased by 154% and barndominium-inspired kitchen styles rose 138%.

 

Style Statements

 

This report shares that style statements like Japandi fusion aesthetics have increased significantly in popularity – Kitchens at 104% and bathrooms by 229%. You may be wondering, “what the heck is Japandi?” and according to design retailer Vevano Homes, “Japandi interior design brings together the elements of Japanese and Scandinavian designs to create a home environment where beautiful simplistic functionality reigns and a connection to nature is essential.” Functionality and nature connections – often called biophilia – are both hallmarks of wellness design.

 

Pandemic-Inspired Trends

 

It’s instinctual to want to keep your home clean and safe, especially when you’re spending more time there and even more so during a pandemic. That being said, the report found that chair seat covers are up a whopping 429% and simple adjustments like updating small spaces to support health and wellness in the home are not too far behind. Minor shifts include adding a home gym to avoid studios but maintain a healthy lifestyle or adding pocket doors or retractable walls to provide quiet when needed for mental health time-outs.

Which of these Summer Survey findings resonates the most with you? How did you create a wellness-inspired space during the pandemic? We’d love to hear from you. Shoot us a note at Shawn@draperdna.com