How the pandemic has us rethinking sustainability at home

We know, we know – you’re probably keenly aware that the past year has been, well, different. While we could start counting off the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has changed society, potentially forever, we’re going to cut to the chase.

Over the past 12 months, the general population has spent more time at home than ever before in our lifetimes. This single pandemic-induced behavioural change has dramatically created a laser focus on wellness and sustainability within our homes.

In March 2020, before we had any idea just how long we’d be in lockdown, everything froze. People froze their home improvement projects, their social lives, their office life, which than morphed into work from home life.

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But when the dust settled and people realised we’d be in this – this being not only the pandemic, but literally our homes – for the long haul, perspectives changed, and actions were taken. Namely, people took note of their immediate surroundings and went to work improving them.

Renovating in the wake of a major crisis isn’t a new phenomenon. Whenever there’s danger outside, people cocoon where they feel safe, which is typically their homes.

The same effect is happening during the pandemic. Rather than spending money on travel, shopping or dining out, people are investing in home renovations – particularly in high-quality ones that impart a sense of wellness into their lives.

As it pertains to the home, wellness is traditionally found in the creation of sanctuary-like spaces, often in bedrooms or bathrooms. But during the pandemic, renovators are taking the concept of wellness even further.

A study by Harvard Medical School shows surrounding yourself in nature creates a calming effect. And there are some studies that show that in having natural products in your home that mimics nature can reduce stress levels.

That’s one of the reasons attributed towards an increase in demand for natural wood flooring over the past year.

But people aren’t only installing wood floors for their aesthetic anymore, but also its environmental benefits. It’s actually a carbon-negative building product, not just carbon-neutral.

Beyond incorporating natural materials into their spaces, homeowners are also finding a sense of wellness in creating efficient and effective organisation systems as rooms become multi-purpose to accommodate work-from-home and learn-from-home culture.

People have turned their garage into a home office that is also a granny flat that could be rented when they eventually go back to the office. And where a home owner wasn’t willing to lose their garage completely, some turned section of their garage into a home gym.

Even though consumers are willing to spend on high-quality, modern renovations these days, they’re still quite conscious of budget, particularly as wage growth is less-than-stellar right now.

This translates to consumers focusing on the intersection of affordable yet high-quality options for home renovations. To save money, home owners are favouring green renovating, repurposing, and architectural salvage.

These kinds of home trends, both in wellness and sustainability, aren’t likely just a pandemic fad. There’s a good chance they’re here for the foreseeable future. The trend is definitely gravitating towards higher quality, longer-lasting, more sustainable materials.

People are no longer seeing their house as a place to crash and keep their stuff. They’re seeing it as an extension of themselves. What they’re putting around their bodies is becoming just as important as what they put in their bodies.”

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This article via Design Milk does not constitute advice; readers should seek independent and personalised counsel from an appropriate trusted adviser that specialises in property, a tax accountant and property or interior design specialist.