The post-pandemic home

At the mercy of the global pandemic that hit our shores in early 2020, Australia experienced loss and uncertainty, waves of closures, rolling lockdowns and constantly changing rules and regulations. The pandemic left an imprint on our mental, physical and financial wellbeing, and it changed our relationship to our homes and the way we design and decorate our spaces. With restricted opportunities for travel and socialising, our priorities pivoted and the focus became hyper-localised and personal.

For those lucky enough to have a place to call home during this time, private dwellings represented security and a buffer for anxiety. “The pandemic has changed the way we live in our homes more than any other event in recent memory,” says Lauren Li, the founding director of the Melbourne interior design studio Sisällä. “Pre-pandemic, we may have never really thought about how our homes make us feel when we’re just hanging out, or maybe we only tidied up when visitors dropped in. Now, it’s all about you and how you want your space to make you feel.”

Under government-mandated stay-athome orders, private dwellings became the central hub for work, rest and play. The functionality of each room was put to the test, and homeowners became painfully aware of each