When Spain declared a state of alarm (estado de alarma) on 14 March in response to the COVID-19 crisis, our routines were forced to change, and that brought us closer to our homes and everything they can offer. The hashtag #YoMeQuedoEnCasa (“I’m staying at home”) soon appeared.
How many of us have had to improvise a study in the kitchen, dining room or living room, only to have an important work video call interrupted by family members, children or outside noise? Our homes inevitably reconfigure themselves and adapt to new needs, and we start to become aware of what we like and what we don’t, what is practical and what we are missing.
All of this feeds back into improving our homes: you begin to notice the shortcomings, and when normal life returns you will probably want to improve your own home.
What would our dream home look like? How can I improve my property? What do we ask of our homes? Here are a few ideas for renovating your home after lockdown.
1. MULTI-PURPOSE SPACES
We have realised how important it is to have a place to carry out our tasks. However, our homes are not always large enough to devote a room to each activity. That is why it is important to create flexible, open-plan spaces that can be divided up at certain times so that they can be used for several things at once.
The Rincón de la Victoria house by Klicstudio, which you can see on our website, is an example of this flexibility. The room can be divided as needed by means of a large sliding door that either separates the spaces or brings them together.
Our homes increasingly have more open, connected rooms to give a greater sense of space, but we rarely stop to think that these spaces could be transformed and made independent of one another over the course of the day. It is becoming ever more necessary for a space, however open and uncluttered, to be divisible at certain times so that it can serve several uses at once.
We are talking about creating more versatile spaces. For this kind of architecture it is also very important to give each space a specific purpose: working out what each corner is for and which is best for working, for resting or even for exercising.
On the other hand, if you have a small bathroom without direct daylight or ventilation, it is a shame not to be able to make use of the light and fresh air from the bedroom for those activities that do not require privacy. This project is an example of that strategy.
2. THE IMPORTANCE OF ORIENTATION AND LIGHT
Anyone thinking of buying a home will now factor this key parameter into their decision. After this period of reflection, which has shown us all the shortcomings of the place we live in, greater value will be placed on the size of certain rooms and on in-between spaces such as terraces or galerías (glazed balconies).
But it is not only the light from outside that matters: the light inside our homes also becomes a key element in enhancing the quality of our spaces. Different atmospheres can be created by placing low-level light points rather than high, general lighting, allowing different scenes within a single room.
3. IMPROVED COMFORT
Comfort, thought through down to the last detail. As we spend more time at home, we look for higher-quality building services so that we can carry out all our activities there. Now we realise how important it is to have good kitchen extraction, proper air changes and so on.
This is a unique opportunity to get to know our homes and learn to improve what we have with what is already there, to explore, to experiment with the elements and to play with change.
