{"id":476751,"date":"2026-02-13T06:23:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T06:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/476751\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T06:23:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T06:23:16","slug":"designers-see-growing-demand-for-tech-free-spaces-amid-social-media-ban-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/476751\/","title":{"rendered":"Designers see growing demand for tech-free spaces amid social media ban for children"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Proudford, her home provides the \u201cluxury of being able to dip into some technology when \u2026 it\u2019s needed\u201d. It also provides escape from particularly rural challenges.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt can take you away from those troubles that sometimes exist in farming and droughts and worrying about stock and things,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Proudford\u2019s room, and overall renovation, picks up on key features of the so-called analogue home. It celebrates craftsmanship and has tactile features like vintage light switches. Books and handmade artworks and garden views are featured.<\/p>\n

There are sofas around a fireplace, for \u201cpeople to catch up\u201d, said Proudford.<\/p>\n

Interior designer Elise Croker from Croker Design Studio<\/a>, the company behind the reimagining of Woodford, said warm, low-level lighting was key to the design, including table lamps and wall sconces.<\/p>\n

\u201cPriority number one was their rest and reflection,\u201d said Simon Croker, principal and registered building designer at Croker Design Studio.<\/p>\n

Over the past few years Elise has seen \u201ca real interest\u201d from clients wanting spaces for music, yoga studios and pottery rooms.<\/p>\n

Parents are seeking home designs encouraging less screen time as attitudes towards tech change, underscored by Australia\u2019s landmark under-16s social media ban<\/a> which began in December.<\/p>\n

The American Society of Interior Designers recently released 2026 Trends Outlook Report said concerns about technology\u2019s impact on children was intensifying, \u201cfuelling renewed demand for screen-free environments, in-person connection, and spaces designed to support mental health and real-world social interaction\u201d.<\/p>\n

Trias, in inner Sydney, works with many families, McMaster said, with some trying to be more conscious about screen time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve definitely noticed a shift in the way that they\u2019re wanting to plan and organise the home to keep devices out of key spaces,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething we\u2019ve been seeing and talking about a lot with our clients is introducing study spaces that are outside the bedroom.\u201d<\/p>\n

People wanting more tech-disconnected homes, McMaster said, was about allowing the home to be a \u201cprivate and restorative\u201d place with a focus on natural materials and furniture that ages and is \u201cenriched by use\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A Trias design. Some families are trying to be more conscious about screen time.Credit: Clinton Weaver<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a space to shed everything and to \u2026 leave the detritus of the day behind,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cPeople are yearning for opportunities to just reconnect in really simple ways \u2013 so through conversation, through cooking, through enjoying an activity together.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Melbourne, the Plus Studio-designed R.Iconic two-tower development reflects changing tastes on a grander scale. The first stage, with about 500 dwellings, was launched in 2020 and included work-from-home spaces.<\/p>\n

But for the second tower, R.Evolution, which is under construction, Plus Studio director Ian Briggs said there was \u201ca concerted effort to provide that ability to work nearby, rather than within your apartment\u201d.<\/p>\n

Recently, the developer, Melbourne-based R.Corporation, asked Plus to remove study spaces in some apartments and replace them with fireplaces and bars, said Ivona Golubovic, an interior design associate at Plus Studio. There will be a sensory reset room, with soft lighting and sound-absorbing soft furnishings.<\/p>\n

At Woodford, reconnection is a daily occurrence. Proudford said everyone at the house breaks at 9.30am. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe stop and we have some morning tea and we sit around a table and we talk, you know, we joke, we laugh,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a pausing point in the day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For Proudford, her home provides the \u201cluxury of being able to dip into some technology when \u2026 it\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476752,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":{"0":"post-476751","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476751"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476751\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/476752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}