7 Ways the Coronavirus Has Changed the Way We Decorate Our Homes

“The garden design aspect of my business has gone through the roof,” says Wilkniss, who’s based in California. “For a lot of people, that’s their only real connection to the outside world right now.” And through these outdoor projects—be it full-blown landscaping or a tiny container garden—many people are finding a passion for boosting their curb appeal (or just growing their own fresh herbs to cook with).

4. The Need For A Dedicated Workspace

Your laptop balanced precariously on the edge of the sofa was fine—when you were working from home a couple days out of the year. But if you’ve been working from home (or you’re considering a career change that would allow you to do so), a home office starts to feel crucial. “It’s frustrating for people to have to clean up at the end of the work day and reset each morning—you’re never settled,” Fire says.

It’s a sentiment Wilkniss echoes: “You could put a small desk at the top of a landing of a staircase, or place a pedestal table and chair in your living room, just as long as you carve out a space for your work.” As someone who’s been working remotely for 12 years, she also adds a caveat: Just don’t set up an office in your bedroom. Seeing all those papers (and remembering your miles-long to-do list) “can impede your ability to sleep and relax,” she warns.

Fire has been an advocate for sustainable living for years, and amid the pandemic, she’s seen an increased interest in it from her clients as well, whether that means installing solar panels, repurposing old furniture or investing in more durable décor. Part of it seems sparked by a desire to be more self-sufficient; the other part a result of increased free time. “Now that people are at home more, they have more time to read up things and research what they buy,” she says.

6. The Desire To Brighten Things Up

When you’re in the same room all the time, you start to notice how the natural light shifts throughout the day—and realize you could really use a new lamp or two to brighten things up. Wilkniss suggests having three sources of light in every room: overhead, ambient (say, sunrays streaming in through a window or a floor lamp) and task (as in a reading light or table lamp). If things seem dark in an area, do a quick audit—you may just need to rearrange a piece of furniture to have a more enjoyable space all day long.

Now that your Amazon, Etsy and Dermstore deliveries are becoming more regular, you might be tempted to create a designated spot to house those boxes. Fire has seen more clients start to design their porches with that in mind, and to meet the demand, more companies are designing parcel lockers and mail boxes with built-in compartments for that very purpose.