The pandemic has been a catalyst for home improvement, and one throughline in almost every update planned for 2021, architects and decorators say, is a sharp demarcation between work and relaxation spaces. "People want their offices to be offices, and their playrooms to be playrooms," says Damian Samora, a principal at Ferguson & Shamamian Architects in New York. "The make-or-break post-Covid is people being able to spiritually and mentally survive by having their personal life and unplugging." That can mean leaving tech in the home office, though it runs counter to trends companies have been flogging for years. Smart appliances have become omnipresent: Miele makes a Wi-Fi-enabled dishwasher; a line of LG washing machines comes with an app that lets you do laundry remotely; Samsung's new app-connected Al-powered vacuum cleaner has sensors that can distinguish between a chair leg and a toy.
展开▼
