Ever since I began considering a career path as an interior designer, I have always been interested in its potential applications as a virtual service. Undoubtedly, COVID-19 has changed and impacted our priorities and approach toward life. The interior design field was no exception from the rest of the world. Many jobs were lost and a number of projects were put on delayed or canceled. However, it has forced us to become aware of space utilization, economic impact and safety by utilizing existing technologies. We are experiencing innovation in our field.
The trends can be described mainly in three categories – 1) a partial remodeling in one’s dwelling, 2) 3D floor plan, 3) virtual furnishing. After the stay-at-home order was placed, a house has become a critical space for comfort, protection and efficiency. Many decided to set up a home office, remodel a kitchen, reorganize closets, or even dispose of items as per Konmari’s danshari concept. Spending more time at home makes you think about the means to maintain productivity similar to working at the office as well as to offer the comforts of home. Installation of acoustic materials to eliminate noise, purchasing a desk, an ergonomic task chair, or an office booth are a few examples. It seemed home remodeling companies were busy regardless of the world’s depressing trends.
The second and the third types of projects produced new opportunities, not necessarily to seasoned designers but even to young ones. Traditionally, real estate agents took care of these tasks of showing properties to potential buyers or renters. A staging company typically was hired to set up rooms to bring appeal to a home so that buyers were able to imagine their new life and furnishings. However, given physical showings were prohibited due to COVID-19, demand for 3D floor plans and virtual furnishing presentations have increased in use due to necessity and likely to remain popular.
For many years, rendering (a process of creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of a proposed architectural design) had been used in a limited manner for large projects since it was often hard to rationalize the cost and time. In the last few years, technological advancements have broadened the audience of users and improved the level of communication with clients. Clients are better able to visualize and modify their ideas in renderings compared to a designer’s sketch with material samples, which required clients to use their own imagination. I am very excited to be able to offer these services and bring to life my client’s ideas and dreams in an infinite number of settings.