A house is now more than just a home base. Our dwellings have become a sanctuary for work, play and relaxation now more than ever. So, it’s natural to want to invest our energy into customizing our living spaces. After a year of spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Homeowners developed a renewed interest in remodeling. Last year many of the projects initially were smaller in scope, but the home improvement trends are changing as homeowners are planning more home projects and are going bigger with their renovation plans.
Homeowners are increasingly undertaking larger remodeling projects, including expanding and rearranging floor plans as they look to increase their home’s functionality. Necessity is one factor driving the remodeling boom. Americans have been forced to use their houses more and differently. The rising desire for large-scale projects is prompting homeowners to move away from DIY jobs and hiring professionals to do more robust renovations.
Customizing Space
Homeowners are spending less time knocking down walls to open up shared areas, and more time transforming “flex rooms” into dedicated spaces. A flex room may be an unused bedroom, an extra living space, or an un-purposed basement room. You can make it a “day to day” flexible space that can serve multiple functions or you can go all-in on a special-purpose room that you customize. A flex room gives you options; it might mean adding a home office or home theater, for instance, or transforming a nook into a space for distance-learning.
Giving Rooms a New Life
One trend that emerged is giving rooms a new function resulting in a fresh makeover or focus on the use of the space. The pandemic continues to teach us new ways to maximize the uses of the space that we’re spending time in. Giving rooms a new life has provided families with additional space dedicated to enjoyment and relaxation, away from the work at home environment and focusing solely on post-work leisure. With more hesitant gym members, more people have begun working out at home hence the need for an exercise room or recreational space. In the absence of movie theaters, more homeowners have created the theater experience in their current living areas or utilizing other spaces in another area of their home.
Work-From-Home Sanctuaries
With more and more workers taking up remote positions in a post-COVID world, there is a larger increase in demand for live/work-space renovation, whether that’s the transformation of current bedrooms and bonus spaces into offices or the addition of purpose-built home-office structures. The focus is on creating functional spaces that can double for both living and working purposes, such as built-in furniture that can be hidden away or used for work and storage, or improving sound insulation in existing walls and areas to create a calm environment for work.
People will spend more time and effort in designing a unique working space to maximize their concentration, motivation, and productivity. Things like location, colors, decorations, and furniture have a big effect on your mental and physical state. In fact, bright lighting has been shown to make people happier, and ambient sounds help people focus.
Extending the Indoors into the Outdoors
Creating a comfortable outdoor living space that is an extension of your indoors will continue to be popular with 2021 home renovations. Having a natural flow between the indoors and outdoors with features like large sliding or folding glass doors allow for the option to let the outside in, and vice versa. Drop-down screens on the porch to help with mosquitos, outdoor heating lamps, outdoor fireplaces that create warmth, and cozy couches will extend your relaxation into the cooler months.
Creating a Bathroom Oasis
How often have you escaped to your bathroom this year with the sole purpose of quiet alone time? With the right features, a bathroom can help reduce stress. Homeowners who renovated a master bathroom are now more likely to rely on their new space for rest and relaxation. It’s time to start saving up for renovations as large as soaking tubs and steam showers, to smaller upgrades like aromatherapy shower heads and bathtub fillers that can hold a cup of tea or glass of wine.
Lasting Impact on Home Use
Whatever we learned from living through this pandemic, it will have a lasting impact on how we function together as families. This experience will also have a profound impact on how we maximize the uses of the space we’re spending time in. Families deserve to have homes that make them happier, healthier, and more productive. But regardless of the trends, your style and tastes will make the living space inviting and your family members happy. For most homeowners, home improvement means continuous improvement. There’s always another project around the corner. It’s important to have good partners in the quest to improve your home. If you have a home remodel or renovation in mind, please give us a call and let’s make it happen.