The New Direction of Interior Design

As more and more of us find ourselves working from home or distance learning, we are finding that our functional needs within our homes have changed. We had become a nation of wide-open concept homes so that we can be more communal, but that all changed when suddenly we found ourselves with the need to distance ourselves from one another or close a door to have a private zoom call. The way we live within our spaces has changed drastically within only a few short years, and we are finding the need for rooms to serve more than one purpose. The Pandemic and Social Distancing have given birth to the Multi-functional space.

While attending KBIS (The Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) in Orlando this year, I began noticing how manufacturers were pivoting to keep up with the new direction we have begun heading in. Everything from Multi-functional spaces to self-care to more variety of options to personalize the spaces that we are now spending so much time in. Here are some of my biggest take-aways from companies that attended KBIS 2022.

Signature Kitchen Suite

Convertible Refrigerated Drawers

Refrigerated drawers have been around for a while, but Signature Signature Kitchen Suite has designed a drawer that converts from refrigerator to freezer with the touch of a button. These Multi-functional drawers open up a range of possibilities as to where and how they can be used.

Having the drawers pull double duty as fridge and freezer can free up space by eliminating the need for both. Think outside the box and these drawers could be placed in just about any room in the home. Who wouldn’t want a drawer full of cold beverages in the game room or theater room? Ice cream snacks in another?

With 6 temperature settings, you can go from produce to seafood to beverages to ice cream in an instant.

Mr. Steam

Steam Showers

Self-care is more important than ever and taking time out to relax can improve everything from our mood to our overall health. Did you know that steam can relax sore muscles, help alleviate allergy symptoms, relieve stress, improve circulation, burn calories, improve performance and help to clean your skin?

If you’re building a new home or remodeling an existing one, why wouldn’t you include steam in your shower?

Mr. Steam also has options for Aromatherapy and Chromatherapy for the ultimate luxury steam experience. A little bit of Eucalyptus oil in your steam shower during allergy season would have you ready to head outdoors in the morning.

The steam feature can be used separately or in conjunction with the water from your shower system to warm up the shower on cold winter mornings.

I think steam showers are on their way to becoming the norm in residential bathrooms as our bathrooms serve as our sanctuary, and our place to get away from the world and relax and rejuvenate and not just a place to get clean.

Nobilia

European Kitchen Furniture

Here in the United States, we tend to think of cabinetry as something permanent, but in talking to one of the Reps for German cabinet manufacturer Nobilia, I was shocked to find out that in Germany cabinets do not stay in a home when you move out. That’s right, whether you rent or own when you leave, you take the cabinets with you just like your furniture. This is why Nobilia calls their cabinets Kitchen Furniture, and not just cabinetry.

In considering this concept it began to make a lot of sense to me and I began to see the various applications for this sort of thinking. As our families grow and our needs change, wouldn’t it be nice to have your kitchen be able to move and adapt to your lifestyle changes?

I was impressed with the quality, variety of finishes, and accessories this company offered as well as some features such as glass-sided drawers and interior lighting that you would find in a much more expensive cabinet line.

Compac Surface

Quartz

In a time of hand sanitizer and face masks we are all looking for ways to eliminate our world of germs. Spanish company Compac Surfaces has come out with their Technological Quartz which is extremely durable, beautiful and unlike natural stone is non-porous, so germs can not get inside or grow on its surface. Imagine your kitchen and bathroom surfaces free of germs! Resistant to scratching, water, heat, humidity and dirt, this material is both beautiful and durable.

Available in 38 colors!

I think back at how my own needs have changed within my own home since March of 2020 and the pivots I have made personally to adapt to our new and changing world. It’s nice to know that there are manufacturers out there who are paying attention and listening to our needs to enable us to create those Multi-functional spaces, or that Germ-Free, Self-Care sanctuary. As a designer of peoples most personal spaces, it gives me the opportunity to personalize not only the aesthetic of a space, but also the way the space functions not just now but to anticipate changing needs in the future.