The entire world experienced the impact of the pandemic, and industries, businesses and individuals alike were forced to adapt and face a new way of existence in a world unknown.
Industries such as retail, transport, travel and hospitality were hit the hardest by the lockdowns and travel restrictions and this created a knock-on effect on the sectors that were supplying these industries.
Worldwide, companies and people learnt to adapt to a new normal for almost 2 years and even today as we begin to return to our normal everyday lives – there are everlasting effects from the pandemic that will stay with us for many years to come. One of those effects is the heightened focus on hygiene, especially hand hygiene, and the importance of our health and wellbeing.
At LIXIL Africa, we have always focused on enhancing hygiene and overall wellbeing in private homes as well as in public spaces, and we had already developed a range of innovative and technologically advanced products that catered to this focus ahead of the pandemic.
We observed that these products that were typically dominant in the commercial sector and public spaces prior to the pandemic, swiftly experienced an unprecedented demand in private home spaces and increasingly in commercial sectors. Our hygiene-optimised products such as touchless taps and bidets quickly became a necessity instead of a ‘nice to have’.
Hygiene in the home
A prominent consumer has emerged from the pandemic. A consumer that wants to have control over their health and wellness and a consumer with an increased interest in their environmental footprint. Our consumers want access to the best in hygiene products and innovative technology in their homes, and this includes their kitchens and bathrooms.
The touching of surfaces has been unattractive to consumers, where more people are disinfecting handles or switching to touchless tap options that make use of infrared technology to minimise any cross-contamination and spreading of germs.
The heart of the home
The kitchen has become the centre of the home space, a place where the entire family and even guests gather while drinks are served and meals are prepared. The pandemic further dissolved the borders between the kitchen and living room to become a central space in the home – during lockdown meetings were held in the kitchen, children completed schoolwork and all of our meals were cooked at home.
Open plan kitchens that were prominent before the pandemic continue to be a focus in new home design. Concealed kitchens which neatly tuck away the kitchen appliances and meal preparation items behind sleek sliding cupboard doors enable the open plan kitchen to serve as a functional part of the home without the clutter or chaos that can be felt in a family kitchen. These kitchens also enable multi-functional spaces in smaller homes and compact apartments.
The kitchen tap has taken on a significant focus in the home kitchen with varying colours and finishes for trend worthy aesthetic appeal as well as innovative functional properties. Hands-free kitchen taps such as the GROHE SmartControl have enabled hygiene and water saving abilities in the kitchen, whereby users are able to switch the water on and off with the touch of a button. There are no levers that need to be touched or handled, you can even activate the water flow button with your elbow or wrist should the need arise.
As Patrick Speck, LIXIL Leader of Global Designs states, "solutions such as our foot control allow home cooks to experience a hands-free operation, very convenient while having messy hands."
Bathroom sanctuaries
While the pandemic increased the consumer’s focus on health and wellbeing, it also unmasked the importance of mental health and wellbeing. Consumers have begun to source intelligent solutions to care for their physical and mental welfare and the bathroom has developed a new meaning for homes.
The pandemic forced people to seek refuge within their homes, and a trend of the home as a source of retreat and calm from a chaotic outside world continues post-pandemic. Bathrooms have gained new meaning in the home space where they have transformed into a personal oasis of wellbeing, a sanctuary within one’s own home.
Rising living costs have also led to more consumers being unable to afford luxury spa treatments and weekends away, and people in general have recognised the benefits of ongoing selfcare practices. Long soaks in the bath tub or invigorating and luxurious showers as a form of personal care have led to a rise in the demand for luxury hygiene products such as GROHE Spa.
Open plan bathrooms have turned to a home spa focus, where this unified place of rest has become a relaxing experience for body, mind and soul after a long day.
Multi-generational homes
The pandemic saw the rise of the multi-generational home. Families with aging relatives who were staying in assisted care were suddenly isolated from their loved ones and many made the decision to bring their elderly family members into their homes.
This trend of multi-generational homes has remained post-pandemic as young families have found benefit with housing their elderly relatives and community living.
We have noted a distinct demographic change with regards to the aging society. Our purpose to make better homes a reality to everyone, everywhere, comes into play with our universal design concepts which aim to improve the quality of life for all people regardless of age, gender or disability.
Sustainability
Consumers have become more conscious of their environmental footprint and how their habits within their homes impacts the planet. We have seen an increased demand for products and brands that improve their lives, their physical and mental wellbeing, whilst enabling them to care for the planet.
GROHE EcoJoy and GROHE Blue are two technologies that reflect our commitment to the environment. GROHE EcoJoy reduce the water flow rate to just over 5 litres per minute with the use of an aerator which offers the a makes use of intelligent technologies that restrict water flow rates and conserve energy without sacrificing on experience. GROHE Blue provides filtered, chilled sparkling and still water direct from your kitchen tap, which eliminates the need for bottled water and in turn helps to conserve water and reduce plastic within the environment.
“For the bathroom, touchless products with sensor technology are ideal for this scenario, and they also support reducing water consumption”, claims Patrick Speck.
How LIXIL is adapting to the post-pandemic landscape
At LIXIL, all of our product developments are human-centric, designed with purpose to improve the consumers’ household and lifestyles. Our hygiene-enhancing solutions and touchless technology for both the bathroom and kitchen are examples of specific requirement-led designs developed to enrich the end users lifestyle.
Universal design concepts to help elderly people remain independent for as long as possible, and differing tap lever variants to cater for people with limited motor skills.
Our objective is to design products and solutions for people, when and where they need them. We constantly engage with clients and consumers to gain their unique insights and to anticipate their future requirements as well as collaborate with six in-house design studios worldwide.
Anticipated kitchen and bathroom trends
At LIXIL we work with one of the world’s most precious resources, water. We are constantly enhancing our products through innovative technologies to enable us to provide our consumers with heightened kitchen and bathroom experiences whilst using less of this precious resource.
The once solely functional rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom will continue to expand into comfortable places of respite within the home. Consumers will continue to adapt and upgrade these spaces according to their personal tastes, designs and desires.
Multi-generational homes continue to grow in popularity, and co-living and co-working spaces which help cut back on rising living costs are on the increase. These adaptions in living and public working spaces will drive a requirement for deep understanding to people’s habits and inclusivity to ensure that LIXIL caters for all and every consumer.
Touchless technology will play an important role in enhanced hygiene solutions: "with the increased demand for hygiene, we understand that to minimise the risk of spreading germs and cross-contamination, we need to avoid contact with any surface as much as possible." – Patrick Speck – Leader LIXIL Global Design