COVID has caused an actual boom in our business. It sounds terrible to say, but it’s true. We’ve never been busier. Because everyone is forced to stay home/ work from home/ learn from home people are really seeing their homes, and the faults in their homes, in a new light. And I think that this year of misery will cause people to rethink how they want their homes to function. We all PRAY that this never happens again, but if it does, we all want to be better prepared to be able to have our houses not only provide extra comfort and happiness through design and decor, but most importantly through how it functions for us as well. And that means that some rooms that have gone out of fashion in recent years thanks to the HGTV “open concept” obsession, will be back in favor. Here are some that we anticipate designing more of in 2021:
SEPARATE LIVING AREAS
Yes, an open kitchen/ family room is GREAT for everyday, but when you need to separate for different Zoom calls/ meetings, homework, playtime, etc it can be a downright nightmare. Also, having your bedroom be the only retreat for privacy for working from home can mess up your sleep cycle (you know how they tell you your bed should only be for sleeping and….) Open concept means you can see everyone, which as a mom is great, but it also means you can see EVERYTHING- messes included. I think we’ll be seeing a little more division between spaces in homes being built.
THE OFFICE
Seldom found in any homes that aren’t downright palatial, the office is going to make a HUGE comeback. A lot of businesses have figured out that employees can work from home almost as well as in the office, so I think we’ll be seeing more job with telecommuting options. Which means that you’ll need a room dedicated to work. Our new house has a small office and I’m pretty excited about it! It’s super important to be able to shut a door and close off “work” at the end of the day. And sitting on your bed working on your computer all day is so bad for your back.
KIDS STUDY AREAS
I think playrooms will have more space sectioned off for desks and homework/study space. Wouldn’t you LOVE to have a space where all the kids papers, books, projects could live that WASN’T the dining room table??? It also helps kids stay focused and not easily distracted by what other members of the family are doing. There’s a landing nook at our nerw house I can see becoming something like this- it’s TINY, but you don’t need a lot of space, just well planned space.
THE DEN
A room just for YOU. If you have the luxury of an extra small room, making it a special space to escape to is IDEAL- a modern day “sitting room”, if you will. I know this is a dream for most, but in larger home I think we’ll be seeing this kind of space pop back up again.
OUTDOOR SPACES/ SUNROOMS
A few folding chairs in the driveway got us through “careful” socializing in 2020, so more thoughtful outdoor spaces I think will be big this year. Also, swimming pools. SO MANY pools going in around here!
What’s the one thing about your home that COVID brought to your attention, good or bad?
Photography by Michael J. Lee and Sarah Winchester
