Changing our living room to look like an office

Statement art as a backdrop for video calls, pot plants and dressing tables…. these are just some of the things we’re investing in, as we adapt further to working at home.    Over half of UK office employees expect to work at least three days a week from home in the future, according to a report just published*, and we’re adapting where we live accordingly.

Research, commissioned by retailer John Lewis, says open plan living is going out of fashion, as Brits attempt to accommodate home working.    Instead of embracing communal living spaces, a trend which started in the 1970s, people are now creating separate zones in their homes for different activities including work and exercise.   They also want a place to call their own – it doesn’t matter if it’s a cushion on a window sill or a comfy chair in a hall,  one in five people have created a space where they can spend time alone.

Sometimes it’s the small touches that matter the most – in its Flexible Living Report 2020,  it’s seen a 419-per cent increase in sales of pot plants!   Dressing tables have seen a similar upturn (up 400 per cent) and bunk beds sales are up 60 per cent with one in five people saying they have had to work in the same room they sleep.

Aston spoke to Wil Law, interior designer to discuss the research in further detail and the impacts of working from home.

Photo by Glenn Carstens Peter on Unsplash