Staying a Step Ahead With Housing Trends in a Changing World

The global pandemic has changed nearly everything about our day to day lives, including the way that we’re looking to design our homes going forward. As the months drag on, it’s become increasingly critical to rethink the way that we design and structure our homes in order to satisfy the new priorities in our lives that have been brought on by Covid-19.

We are now thinking about our homes in a way that we’ve never considered before. While, traditionally, a home may have included flex space for occasional office work, education, or gym sessions, these are now omnipresent functions that need appropriate design contemplation. We have been forced to think much more critically about social, open environments opposed to cordoned off rooms built for privacy. Organization is more important than ever as we spend more and more time at home and of course, cleanliness is the number one item on everyone’s mind.

While there is no way to know what our lives will look like after the pandemic, we have certainly changed the way that we live and it’s important to consider all these changes as they apply to custom home design.

The Work From Home Lifestyle

For many people, the biggest change brought upon us by the Covid-19 pandemic is the move from a downtown office to a home office. Many of us already had a small desk, perhaps in a spare bedroom or in the corner of the kitchen, that was a perfect solution for the rare afternoon or evening of business that had to be done from the house, but that simply won’t do when we’re working 40 hours a week from home. The dining room table should be used for dining, not board meetings, and an office chair shouldn’t be an extra dining chair dragged in from another room.

A lot more consideration is now going into designing a home with a comfortable, quiet, and ergonomic work environment. Constructing a home with a small room that is specifically used for work is critical for many families. The key is placing the room in a part of the home that is relatively quiet, being certain that there is natural light to help keep you awake and inspired, and structured with space for a comfortable desk and a quality desk chair.

Going above and beyond, many homeowners are considering acoustics when building out home offices. Video conferencing is the wave of the future, so you’ll want to be sure everything sounds as good as it looks when you’re on calls with clients. A well insulated room is also a great addition for when your children have virtual music lessons or Spanish classes with a group of rambunctious kids.

Be Active At Home

Another major effect of the Covid-19 pandemic is that our workout routines are moving more dominantly into our homes. In the past, we may have had a few weights in the garage or a rowing machine squeezed into the corner of the owner’s retreat, but we now want more permanent locations for our at home gym setup.

On top of physical activity, our children are home and in need of space to get out some steam. They might be working on an art project or they could be involved in an online classroom session and a well designed home will have a space where this is productive for them, and for you.

When living, work, education, and activity is all jam packed into a single family home, arranging the layout so that your kids can get their homework done, you can go for a ride on the Peloton, and your spouse can partake in a conference call, all at the same time is extremely important for total productivity.

This is why we’re seeing design move in a direction that provides for private, sectioned off space for multipurpose living.

The Not Quite So Open Floor Plan

The greatest architectural trend in home design of the past twenty years is the open floor plan. We love the open floor plan ourselves at Schumacher Homes and our homeowners do as well. A home is meant to be a shared space where a family can be together and friends can feel welcome. The open floor plan is robust. It gives a truly communal feel to the home, connecting the kitchen with the living area. It makes the most of square footage, allowing air to flow and even a small home feel grand and spacious.

But, it’s hard to deny that people are considering going back to the older blueprint trends where spaces are more well defined.

While home owners love their open floor plans, with more time spent in the home and with a more diverse array of activities being performed simultaneously, some families are considering floor plans that section off the kitchen, dining, and living areas so that they can be used for various functions without intruding upon other people’s concentration and livelihood.

Do we see this as the end of the open floor plan concept? Certainly not. But even adding movable space dividers or arranging the plan so that there is slightly more isolated space is being considered by families that need more time separated while together.

Outdoor Living Space Provides an Escape

People have begun to lean more heavily on their outdoor living space during this new-normal. While a patio might have been considered a bonus before Covid-19, while sheltering in place, our patios have become a haven of fresh air and openness. They are a moment to relieve the stress of being stuck at home all day long.

Wrap-around porches where you can stretch your legs or take a seat with a good book at the end of the day are becoming increasingly more exciting for homeowners. Back patios built for al fresco dining are being used as a relief from the indoors where we’re spending all of our time. Dinner under the stars allows a literal breath of fresh air and a moment away from the house that is now also the office, the school, and the gym.

Making a Clean Transition Through the Mudroom

Tracking dirt and bacteria into our homes is of utmost concern right now and the need and use of a transitional mudroom is dire. Designing homes to have a pause between the garage and the home or within the entryway at the front is key for many families.

More and more people are looking for a small space to remove their shoes, hang their dirty jackets, or even wash their hands before entering a home and contaminating it with germs from wherever they’ve been. We’re seeing a shift from using entryways just for storage or laundry into these transitional points of a home for a quick sterilization.

No-Touch Accessories and Antimicrobial Counters

The pandemic has taught us to be more concerned about bacteria, which isn’t a bad thing at all and likely a trend that will stick around. We’re seeing a trend sweeping through kitchens, bathrooms, and other parts of the home where changes can be made to keep things more touch-free, and generally cleaner.

Within kitchens, the use of antimicrobial surfaces is increasingly important. Quartz or even porcelain tiles not only look great, come in a variety of shades and colors, and add character to your kitchen and bathroom. They are non-porous materials so they are well equipped to remain free of bacteria when properly cleaned. In addition to countertops, using stainless steel, copper and other similarly fashioned materials for appliances and finishes is becoming more popular than it already was for similar reasons.

Modern technology is also gaining momentum in the kitchen and bathroom as a means of keeping things clean in a world that’s been changed by Covid-19. Touchless faucets, which may have seemed like a gimmick last year, are now in high demand. Same with touchless toilets and even bidets, which also alleviate any concern over a toilet paper crisis!

We’re expecting a much quicker adoption of everyday devices into smart home technology. At the moment, most smart homeowners primarily love the integrations of their thermostat, locks, and speakers, but we’re seeing a trend towards more menial tasks being shifted to our robot friends. Asking Alexa to turn on the oven or fill up a perfect 16oz pot of water isn’t just fun - it cuts down on how many items you need to unnecessarily touch items while working within your custom kitchen.

Organization Is Everything

Closet space has always been an important feature in any home, but as our families are using the house in multiple new capacities, the ability to organize is more important than ever before. Cutting down on clutter and creating a happy house is a trend that is leading people to devise new ways of arranging their things. Cabinetry, closets, and furniture is being utilized for far more than clothing and dishes as we move forward, past the pandemic, and use our homes for a variety of activities. We’re planning homes with space and organization top of mind to be sure that they can be comfortable and warm, even if it is also an office, a gym, and a pre-school.

In Conclusion

As we move to stay cleaner and safer within our homes and begin to use space in new ways, custom home design trends are changing. There is a move to design homes to account for work from home lifestyles, increased home gym routines, education and children’s play space, and overall organization and cleanliness. While open home plans are still as popular as ever, there is a move to add a bit more functionality while maintaining a sense of openness and community.