Interiors and home office: reality and opportunities

Suddenly, in a matter of weeks, the COVID-19 health crisis made remote work a reality that was necessary for the survival of global and family economies and, thus, a priority when it comes to thinking about how to design interior spaces.

The aggressive nature in which we have had to insert our work lives into our private homes, while also quarantining and cohabitating with the entire family 24/7, has made it clearer than ever just how much the design of interior spaces impacts our personal, family, and professional balance.

A report from CaixaBank Research asserts that, during the recent quarantine, the percentage of the active Spanish population working remotely went from 8.3% to almost 30%.

In Germany, it went from 12% to 25% (source: German Ministry for Labor and Social Affairs - BMAS), and in France, from 7% to over 25% (source: Institut d’études ODOXA).

The classic, rigid structure of domestic spaces leaves little room for spatial reorganization and, in most homes, this has made it hard for people to find an empty corner that meets their requirements, such as having natural light, to be able to concentrate for more than five minutes. On a positive note, in many quarantine cases, it has also been proven that working remotely is both possible and effective, without undermining productivity.

These facts, alongside the determination of all kinds of social actors to minimize a potential new health risk, encourage companies and employees to organize this new normal around teams that work from home at least part of the time, as long as their position allows it.

So, working remotely is going to become a part of our new reality. A new way of living at home, one that incorporates a professional component, requiring specific conditions that promote professional productivity and family enjoyment.

Aware of their extensive experience in the creation of flexible spaces, KLEIN wants to share this knowledge to provide real solutions to needs that have arisen in this new chapter.

This is all about promoting the ability to easily reorganize your home, with the goal of creating a room dedicated to work, one that allows you to isolate yourself and concentrate without taking space away from living areas once the workday is over.

Mobile partitioning allows you to effortlessly and temporarily restructure interiors as needed. With wood, glass, or metal KLEIN sliding or folding systems, we can separate without dividing, play with natural light, and promptly reallocate the use and function of a given space.

This multiplies the existing square footage, which is never enough, giving it different uses. We give meaning to forgotten corners, integrate unused passage areas, and divide overly large spaces for most of the day, allowing them to be enjoyed in full when the family is relaxing together.

Implementing imaginative, flexible connections between rooms to enhance natural light is another way to revalue that unused storage room that could be made into an office.

Whether in new construction or in renovations, implementing sliding or folding doors or partitions from this new perspective could make all the difference. Because one simple movement changes everything.