During the last year, our homes held our sequestered world in spaces designed for pre-pandemic days. The idea of remodeling took on an urgency that could not be realized while the lockdown kept people apart. As our lives return to what some have dubbed the “new-normal,” the desire to redesign our home environments remains strong for many.
True, over the last several decades, home design has encompassed more amenities than your 1950s ranch style homes envisioned, like hobby rooms or entertainment rooms. However, the pandemic forced our living environments to double as work and schoolroom in addition to workout space, gaming center, meditation room as well as a space to share family time, rest, and recharge. That’s been a tall order. While homeowners know what has not been working in their current floor plans, they may need help with long-lasting solutions.
Questions, questions…
How do you take an open floor plan and make it work for the needed home offices, separate from a quiet room for the kids to study? What do you want to do with your exercise equipment? Where do you go to grab a quiet moment between meetings to practice your meditation, with your partner participating in a Zoom meeting and your kids unwinding with a loud video game, after Zoom school? The kids will certainly be going back to school soon, but the work from home offices could be a permanent fixture. That means overlapping time with the kids home in the afternoon, while both parents may still be working.
The challenge for architects and homeowners alike is to re-envision a current home configuration and design the best layout without being left with a truncated, claustrophobic space. This can mean anything from a basement or garage conversion to a home addition, if land space allows, or perhaps even a second story. The possibilities will depend on the home’s location, your family’s living needs and your budget. Your architect needs to understand how you want your new home design to meet those needs, without breaking the bank.
Wish list
The pandemic raised our awareness about the importance of maintaining our mental and physical health. Having a space that serves your lifestyle needs can play a key role in keeping you grounded. Make a wish list. Take the time to jot down your thoughts, share them with other household members and see where you agree or lack consensus. This can help save you time and provide a clearer picture to your architect of why you feel you need certain modifications.
Your architect can help you decide on the best materials and designs to improve the acoustics of various spaces. With everyone sharing the space at home, families became acutely aware of how easily some sounds carried from room to room, making concurrent activities difficult at best and crazy making at worst.
Energy concerns
The San Francisco Bay Area is not immune to the climate changes affecting our planet. That’s why many homeowners are increasingly aware of their energy footprint. They want green building materials and designs that mitigate the need for more energy draw. That can be a tall order, when homeowners have experienced a steep rise in energy bills based on home schooling, working from home and streaming entertainment. Renewable energy and greater energy efficiency will continue to be a priority.
Many won’t embrace the old modalities
Headlines tell us, significant numbers of workers are willing to quit jobs that demand a full-time return to a corporate office building. We’ve seen the alternative option of working from home while supporting a high degree of productivity. The extra time, not taken up in a long commute, means many workers are asking for a hybrid model of home office and corporate office.
So, the “new-normal” continues to evolve and the demand for expanded options for post-pandemic remodeling continues to be in high demand. This is a great opportunity for homeowners and architects to re-shape our world.
If you are curious about what your home might become in this post-pandemic environment, call AplosGroup today at 415-450-9504 x700 (Marin) or 707-241-4944 (Sonoma) to arrange a complimentary design consultation or press the button below to send an email. Your home can be the workplace you embrace by day and the welcoming entertainment spot for friends and neighbors by nights and weekends. It’s all in the design.