Rethinking home design for modern times

The coronavirus pandemic changed our world forever in more ways than one. It changed how we socialise, our work and most significantly our homes. For the first time in modern history, the vast majority of the population was locked downed in their homes every day for months on end instead of going out to work.  

Lessons went online and shopkeepers did too.  Places of worship livestreamed services and office meetings happened via internet on our computer screens. All of a sudden, home became more than a home. It was no longer the place where we retired in the evenings to sleep. Home became the office, the gym, the place of worship and the school, among others.  

If the lockdowns taught us anything about living, it is that the modern home must become a lot more utilitarian than the traditional home. The home of today and tomorrow must serve more purposes than just a place where we live. Here are a few house design ideas that are musts for the modern era.

Home office

It is increasingly becoming necessary to include a home office in the home design for the modern times because people, more than ever before, are more likely to work from home today. 

Design architect Simon Peter Kazibwe notes that more and more people are feeling the need to include an office in home designs just so they do not have to spend money renting office space. While the office is a place where you sit to work, it can also be a place where you host business meetings, he says. 

“Someone might mistake the idea of a home office with a study. The two are different. A study is a private space inside the house, only accessible to family members. The office, however, is a place where people can be hosted strictly for business. No mingling with the family,” he says.

He adds that this new feature can either be detached or semidetached, just as the guest wing in a home. It has its own entrance and utility spaces separate from the family spaces.

Outdoor integration

Incorporating outdoor spaces such as patios or decks to indoor spaces such as the living room, kitchen and even bedroom is a great way to not only have an aerated home but also a home that is full of natural light. But even more importantly, this helps you to extend your living area and provides opportunities for relaxation and entertainment says Kazibwe.

“This is usually achieved through the use of large sliding glass doors, which, when open, seamlessly merge the outdoor spaces with indoor spaces. This can prove beneficial both for your physical and mental health. Less confined spaces that are full of natural light have a way of relieving stress,” he says.

Smart technology

If anything can define modern living and the future, it is smart technology. Smart home technology is not only convenient, it also tends to be energy efficient. And because of this, it is only wise that smart technology is incorporated in the home design of the modern era. 

“One of the reasons to consider smart technology when designing your today is that very soon, this will be the only option on the market. The other reason is that it is convenience to operate your security system, for instance, from your smart phone. This applies to so many other things such as fridges, TVs and smart lighting,” he says. 

Kazibwe adds that while some of the systems may still too expensive today, prices will go down a few years down the road and having this at the back of your mind is a must.

Open floor plan

Open floor plans have been gaining popularity over the last few years. The layout promotes better air flow and interaction between rooms, making the home feel more spacious.

This is important for the modern home because as we start to spend more and time at home rather than at some downtown office, this will promote better living, notes Cissy Namaganda, a property developer.

“An open floor plan makes home more spacious and this important if you are going to be spending more time at home as is the case today. A house plan that allows the kitchen to seamlessly merge with the sitting room and the balcony promotes more free movement, mental clarity and less stress,” she says.

The less walls there are in the home, the more space is created which makes hosting visitors easier and the homeless cluttered, notes Namaganda.

Emphasis on health and hygiene

People today, especially urban dwellers, are living more sedentary lifestyles than ever before. Modern transport has ensured walking is kept at a minimum while technological advances in farming, construction work and other physically demanding jobs have ensured people use less and less of their muscles. For this reason, health complications have increased and caused people to be more health minded than ever. 

Today’s home designs are tending towards awareness and prioritisation on staying healthy and ensuring homes facilitate this. 

Designs that facilitate more airflow in the home are getting more and more popular, and soaking in nature while at home has never been more important. 

“More and more people are starting to incorporate health and wellness spaces in their homes because they stay home more. Many of then never returned to office or have a hybrid work schedule where they spend more time working from home than away.  They therefore, have enough time for gardening and growing their own food, which is essential in promoting their health,” Namaganda says.

Pantry and smart storage

This is a small room or closet normally near the kitchen that comes in handy when you don’t want a cluttered kitchen. It is where food, groceries, pots and dishes are kept so the kitchen can remain spotless and clutter-free at all times. Including a pantry in a home design ensures  the kitchen becomes more spacious and beautiful. It is also perfect in open floor plans because all the kitchen tools will be hidden away from those seated in living room. 

Namaganda notes that the pantry is a must have in today’s home because it helps keep kitchen cabinets to a minimum and increases space for other things like deco. 

Kazibwe says other than the pantry, other smart storage options are available today such as hidden compartments or under-stair storage, to maximise space and reduce clutter in every room of the house.

Clean, simple lines

Kazibwe says that modern homes need clean simple lines because they communicate simplicity and simplicity communicates functionality. The technology to crease aesthetic clean lines all over the house are more available today than in the past and not taking advantage of this is intentionally letting yourself be left behind. 

“The use of glass and metals such as aluminum in construction has made clean lines possible in regular homes. Technologies such as gypsum make it easy to create clean lines that give the aura of classic elegance to the home,” he says.