The year 2020 has been quite the roller coaster of events, uncertainty, and disruption to our lives. With everything going on, it begs the question, "How prepared are we for the next pandemic, disaster, or catastrophic event?" I know this isn't the most fun topic, however I am going to integrate interior design ideas with this post, so keep reading!!
As interior designers, our clients usually see us as the people who are going to make their homes prettier; this is very true, but we can also add several layers on top of just looks. These layers include functionality, multi-purposing, sensible layouts, high grade material recommendations, therapeutic elements, color psychology, and so much more! We see our homes as a place to enjoy living, being with family, entertaining guests, working, sleeping and relaxing, but what about safety and survival? Will this event in our history change the way we design homes in the future? I am certainly thinking about these ideas that I did not really give much thought to before. I feel that as a designer, having these skills and recommendations to bring to your clients attention is something to consider.
Here are 4 ways to integrate key survival and preparation strategies into your next home design project!
1. A Surplus of Firewood: Check out this awesome design that makes firewood a part of the "look"! For the survivalist: having a surplus of firewood is always highly recommended, especially if you live in an area with colder weather. You never know when the power or gas could be shut off, therefore depending on our fireplaces for heat. When the firewood becomes a part of the design, you can always visibly see how much wood you have, and when it's time to get more. Keep it stocked up!
Designed by Taylor Design Studio, I had the pleasure of assisting with renderings for this project!
2. A Fully Stocked Pantry: It is recommended by many sources to have a 6 month food supply on hand. This is usually in the form of canned foods and non-perishables. Check out these fabulous and huge pantries, both designed to keep you organized and fully stocked! I think organization is key when designing a pantry, it's more than just shelves. Hiring a personal organizer would be a great way to step up your pantry game even more.
Both designed by Clark & Co. Homes
3. Basement or Guest Living Quarters: It's always great to have plenty of space for guests, but have you ever thought about a guest who needed to stay long term, unexpectedly? Maybe there was a house fire and they lost everything, maybe just a friend who needs a place to stay until she finds a house of her own, a parent who needs to move in.. so many reasons. And until recently, this reason did not ever enter my mind: Someone in your household who is sick and needs to quarantine from others in the home. Not all households have the room or ability to house this type of space, so an even better option would be an area that can easily convert to a guest living space.
Basement designed by Simons Design Studio
4. Backyard Oasis: If you have the space in your backyard to plant a garden, you should utilize that land and get growing! We planted a vegetable garden this summer, it feels awesome to grow our own food and know that we can provide for ourselves. We also have other plants that can be used for their therapeutic and healing properties, like aloe and lavender. I used to buy flowers just to make my yard pretty, but now I think about how that plant could be useful while also offering up a beautiful landscape!
Check out this beautiful setup by Fest Farms Handmade + Homegrown
As always, thank you for reading my blog, I hope you found this post to be helpful and enjoyable!
xo,
Staci