How Covid-19 has affected our dream home wish list

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

With the current Covid-19 pandemic changing the world as we know it, we\’ve seen many behavioral trends emerge showing how we\’re adapting to our new way of living.

As Australians move in and out of lockdown, many people and families are getting through the day to day rollercoaster by getting back to basics in the home (anyone else on their hundredth loaf of freshly baked banana bread?!). But how is Covid-19 changing our lives when we look at it with a long-term lens? 

Porter Davis Homes Queensland \’World of Style\’ Interior Designer Janelle Miles, has noticed changes in the way new home buyers and builders are approaching their home plans since the outbreak of Covid-19, with trends emerging that show many of their customers are building a new home taking active steps to future proof themselves.

Let there be light

“We\’re all spending a lot more time indoors than we\’re used to, and more customers are now craving large, airy spaces. A great way to bring light and air in a double-storey build is with a void, which works to bring in natural light and opens up a room to create more space, without actually needing to expand the size of the floor space.”

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

Janelle adds that Porter Davis Homes\’ customers are also increasingly choosing dramatic voids to create a sharp contrast between the main living areas and the rest of the home. “The living room has now become the sanctuary, and we\’ve seen customers put more thought into how to turn their living room into a beautiful space that their family can retreat to at the end of their day,” she says. “This helps create a mental disconnect between work or school and life, which is so important now that we are not necessarily physically leaving our offices at the end of the day.”

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

Study and work zones

Office workers and students who regularly commute to work or university have now had their lifestyle significantly impacted by the increase of the work/study from home movement. “Never before have we had so many conversations with our customers about \’study zones\’ and \’work zones\’,” explains Janelle. “No longer is it enough to simply pop a desk in a bedroom. In fact, many of our customers would prefer to move away from this completely to ensure they aren\’t cooped up in a single room all day.”

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

When it comes to creating a dedicated work or study space, Porter Davis Homes have seen customers opting for these to be on the ground floor, but removed from the central hub of the home. “This enables each family member to have their own space, while also being able to take time out and socialise with others when they need a mental break,” says Janelle.

Inclusion of \’nooks\’ 

“We\’re also increasingly building small \’nook\’ off areas in the kitchen or lounge, where customers can keep a laptop set up for any \’after hours\’ school or office work, or to pay bills and do other life admin.

These nooks allow children to do homework while their parents cook, or allows parents to do work in the evenings without having to remove themselves and go to their home office.”

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

Dual-purpose rooms

Another trend Janelle says that the Porter Davis Homes design and build team has noticed is that customers are wanting to get more out of their rooms. Rather than creating a room for a specific reason, they\’re creating multi-purpose rooms that can change from day to night, to cater for different needs. “For example, we\’re now building rooms that might be a study zone during the day, and easily converts to a home theatre at night and on the weekends.”

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

Creative use of space

“A trend we weren\’t surprised to see is more customers wanting larger blocks of land, so they can have gardens and increase the amount of outdoor space they have at home,” says Janelle. “Unfortunately, modern development blocks are usually limited in land size. Due to this, we\’ve also seen an increase in demand for double story homes to make the most of their grass space, and we predict this trend will continue.”

Porter Davis Homes customers are also getting creative with the space they\’ve been given. “Some are opting to close in outdoor terraces upstairs to create a space where they can separate themselves from the hub of family life,” says Janelle. “We\’ve seen this especially in those working in corporate roles, who need a quiet and private space for confidential business calls and to ensure their children don\’t pop up in the background of their zoom call.”

Porter Davis Homes Covid-19 house design trends

Visit the Porter Davis Homes website to see the full range of beautiful homes they build for families and first home buyers across Queensland. For more information about Porter Davis Homes displays visit: porterdavis.com.au/visit-us/display-finder/

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