In the world of interiors, there’s been a marked shift in how we use our homes. We’re calling the shots now—not tradition.
- Bistro-style banquets are replacing boring breakfast rooms, formal living spaces are being transformed into intimate, custom cocktail lounges.
“I love the shift because it reflects a deeper desire to truly use every inch of the home,” Cheryl Luckett, Principal Designer of Dwell by Cheryl, tells Scoop.
- “For years, many homes included spaces that were more symbolic than functional, rooms people felt they were supposed to have but rarely used.”
In some ways, COVID showed us the possibilities of what home could be—when home home had to be everything.
“When people could not easily go out to restaurants, cocktail bars or hotels, they began recreating some of those experiences at home,” Cheryl says.
- The world opened back up, but the impact remained. People began expecting more from their homes.
On the surface, an at-home cocktail lounge seems indulgent, and maybe it is, but it’s an honest reflection of a return to hosting and the era of hyper personalized design.
- Our homes are for looking and living—and today’s clients aren’t compromising on either.
Take banquette seating, for example. “It naturally creates a sense of intimacy and encourages people to linger, much like your favorite neighborhood café. It also makes great use of space while still feeling relaxed and inviting,” Cate Gutter of CWG Design says.
- Her clients are loving intentional bar moments, too. You can mix a cocktail, display glassware and create a little ritual around gathering—a blend of utility and personal gratification.
Cheryl is seeing it, too. Her clients are requesting lounges, game rooms, libraries and bar spaces “that feel very much like what you might experience in a boutique hotel.”
“I think it speaks to a broader desire to make the home feel richer, more personal, and fully aligned with how people want to live,” Cheryl says.
Cheers to that!
