Inside story

Back to the walls

Could our love affair with open-plan be coming to an end? Jessica Doyle asks whether separate rooms could be just what the modern home needs post-lockdown

When it comes to home design, trends have a cyclical nature. Colours, patterns and materials come and go, and what was dated only a few years ago can suddenly feel right for now. This year, following the fundamental lifestyle changes that have come about as a result of Covid-19, the usual decorating trends have seemed rather irrelevant as practical considerations have come to the fore, and thus it is the turn of the humble interior wall to swing back into fashion.

After years in the wilderness, while we knocked through rooms with abandon in thrall to the perfect all-in-one, lightfilled living space, the wall is starting to seem quite a good idea after all – as anyone who has tried to work at the kitchen table with a computer game in one ear and someone else’s Zoom call in the other will probably attest.

In fact, separate living spaces have been making a tentative comeback for several years. ‘Many homeowners who took out walls over the past decade or so have realised that, as perhaps their children started to get older or they took on more hobbies, more separating zones were needed,’ says Sam Mcnally, co-founder of design practice Echlin (echlinlondon.com).

So could we start to see a more traditional layout on homeowners’ wishlists? ‘As we continue to spend more time at home, I am sure we will see hints of a return to the Victorian-style home, with its hive of little rooms reflective of a time when formality and privacy were paramount,’ says interior designer Deborah Bass (baseinterior.com). However, she adds, ‘I don’t see this completely overriding the open-plan approach, which suits our modern, casual lifestyles so well.’

It may be a little too soon to sound the death knell for the open-plan layout, but there’s no doubt that, for many, priorities have changed. ‘It’s too early to say what the long-term effects of Covid-19 on home design will be,’ says Mcnally, ‘but lockdown has reminded us that there is a very fine balance between wanting room to breathe and wanting peace if you have a houseful. It could prove to be a major catalyst.’