The Covid-19 pandemic has provided many of us with a chance to catch up on some domestic chores – and among the most eye-catching trends is towards homebrew interior designs. Rather than involving an outside party, homeowners are instead putting the time and energy into learning the ropes themselves and coming up with an interior that precisely matches their needs.
With the help of social media, those amateur designers have been able to show off their creations – and the results have been surprising.
Among the most impressive pioneers of this activity has been Bea Levanche, a twelve-year-old girl from Kent who’s been putting the rest of us to shame.
According to her mother, Susie, she’s decorated the utility room, the stairs and an office, and picked up some impressive handsaw and power-drill skills along the way.
Is this the future?
While lockdown won’t last forever, the skills that we decide to pick up while we’re confined indoors will be with us for a while, and it’s likely that many of the interior designers of the future will get a taste for the activity during 2020.
Of course, sharing content via social media isn’t a new practice, and it’s likely to become even more significant in the future. And it isn’t just the rooms themselves that go into a great social media post – it’s the composition of the image and the accompanying text that’ll cause a snap to gain real traction.
What projects are easiest to tackle?
If you’re looking to revamp a part of your home, then it’s usually best to start with something small, and then take the lessons you learn into the next project.
Simply rearranging the furniture might be enough to get the ball rolling; the addition of a new mantelpiece, wardrobe or dressing table might provide just the inspiration required.
Do we really need experts?
All of this might be enough to make professional interior designers a little bit nervous.
But they probably don’t have much to worry about – while people have been achieving great results on their own steam, these results have required quite a bit of dedication, perseverance, and, above all, time – which won’t be quite so plentiful once the lockdown is lifted and some semblance of normality has once again reasserted itself.
Where can I look for inspiration?
Manufacturers are naturally keen to encourage this sort of activity, as it gives them a chance to showcase their wares during the lockdown. If you’re looking for inspiration, then you might check out Cox & Cox’s top-ten favourite rooms, as voted for by the Great British Public. Included here are living spaces, bathrooms and bedrooms, all revamped in a diverse range of original styles.
However, the overall winner was a home bar designed by Emma, who says “The idea came from my love of entertaining.
The bar sits right in the middle of the house and opens out into the back garden, making it the perfect location for hosting”. It just goes to show, we really can transform our homes with a bit of imagination.
