The global pandemic has seen millions of people confined to their homes all around the world.
Here in New Zealand, those extraordinary two months early in 2020 appear to have impacted significantly on the way we use our homes and the way that we view them, in general.
Tradespeople have been working frantically ever since, trying to keep up with public demand for their services. Many of the calls for new jobs are based on ideas hatched during lockdown, when Kiwis had ample time for contemplation and, in many cases, were able to save significant amounts of money with shops, bars, cafes and restaurants firmly closed.
The biggest demand is for up-graded kitchens, with designers facing a flood of new work, much of it from homeowners who took up serious cooking during lockdown and now want to upgrade.
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Adding extra storage is often part of the brief, inspired by the need to keep supplies handy for if or when there’s another lockdown. Many people also want to make a spot for small appliances such as bread makers, having developed a sourdough passion while stuck at home.
Laura Heynike, director of Pocketspace Interiors confirms that new kitchens are increasingly taking the place of overseas travel.
“They are very much at the top of the list with our clients right now. It’s sometimes quite challenging finding extra storage, but in many cases we’re able to utilise the space which often sits empty between the top of the cabinetry and the ceiling.”
Adding a home office is top of many Kiwi's renovation lists after last year's work-from-home pressures on space. Photo / Getty Images
Not surprisingly home offices are another growth area as a lot of Kiwis continue to work from, a huge change that looks set to become permanent for many of us.
Laura Heynike says that setting yourself up on the dining table is fine in the short-term, but it isn’t a viable long-term arrangement – especially as regular family sit-down dinners and entertaining friends at home have also come back into vogue during this pandemic time.
She says that converting a bedroom to an office is easy if you have that space available.
“We recommend putting in a pull-down bed, as well as a desk and shelving, because that way the room will still have a dual function. As a guest bedroom it might only be used half a dozen times a year, while you’ll potentially be using it as your office most days.”
She says that people without a spare bedroom are having to be clever and incorporate study nooks in their kitchens or even their lounges for themselves or for school-age children whose studies need to be supervised. Many are even undertaking garage conversions, that Heynike says helps to make a clear work/home distinction.
“Even linen cupboards, in hallways, can be transformed into a nice home office. But we don’t recommend trying to fit a remote working space into your bedroom because we all need somewhere to switch off.”
Because the weather during the March to May level 4 lockdown last year was very mild, Kiwis also spent a lot of time in their own gardens – emerging with ideas for improving that space as well.
Auckland landscape architect Mel Robinson says that she began getting busy as soon as lockdowns ended, and she noticed that people were wanting to recreate the tropical resorts they were unable to travel to.
“If you can’t get to Fiji or Rarotonga, this is the next best thing.”
She says that staying at home also increased interest in gardening in general.
“In particular, there’s a move towards growing edibles – and also, because people are entertaining at home much more, they’re extending the deck, putting in a spa pool or installing louvred roofs.”
