06 Apr Homes Are Changing Due to the Pandemic

As one would expect, the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s far reaching implications is big news these days.   Amy was recently interviewed three times about how residential interior design is changing due to the pandemic.   Here’s our roundup of those recent articles: read on for some insights on the changes we’re seeing in the residential interior design realm.

Sunday, March 28^th  2021, Philadelphia Inquirer

How do homeowners continue to adapt their space as pandemic restrictions come and go? Read about that in the Philadealphia Inquirer, here >

You can read about a spare bedroom that became a workout studio, a rooftop patio outfitted for socially distant gatherings, and a kitchen breakfast nook that became a kids’ study for our lovely clients, the Burzycki family.

When Tracy Burzycki reached out to us early in the pandemic, her dining room was just not cutting it as a home classroom for her three young kids.   We were brought in to help clear out the clutter in the breakfast room, which we did by creating built-ins in the adjacent mudroom to more efficiently house shoes and supplies.   And then our mission was to convert the breakfast room to a dedicated kids’ study, with book and art supply storage, a chalkboard wall, a window seat, and a custom table by Stable Tables.

Now that the kids are back in school, the space is still used at homework time, and during the day, husband Steve enjoys using the desk himself.

Photo: The Philadelphia Inquirer –  STEVEN M. FALK / Staff Photographer

Thursday, February 25^th 2021, Jewish Exponent

The Exponent contacted us, as well as a couple of other designers, to get a sense of what trends we’re seeing as a result of the pandemic, and the universal verdict was….drumroll please….FUNCTIONAL SPACES! View Article > 

Amy thought that home offices would become a huge component of new project requests– people who are looking for productive and comfortable space to work, where they can have some acoustic or visual separation from the rest of the family.  But, funnily enough, we are fielding more requests for finished basements than we are for home offices.   In other words, let’s put the kids somewhere closed off, instead of the grown-ups.    As the Exponent writer put it, “when one party needs noise and the other needs quiet, it seems the squeaky wheel is getting the grease.”

However, the majority of our requests have to do with updating the interior design of the home more generally. People are spending a lot more time at home so they are noticing worn surfaces and beat-up furniture.   Furthermore, the disposable income that might have been previously spent on travel, eating out, or sending kids to an expensive summer camp is being redirected to fixing up the home.   As Amy told the paper, “These aren’t necessarily projects that address a specific pandemic need.   It’s more just, you’re finally prioritizing them.”

Amy noted that storage is a big deal in kitchen and bath design (more food in the house, more toilet paper) and that lots of people are doing away with formal dining rooms in order to pick up some of that kitchen storage space.   Although none of us are entertaining during the pandemic, it’s made many people realize they weren’t entertaining in a very formal way before either – if that dining space can be put to better use as an extension of the kitchen, why not go for it?   We did that in 2020 for these clients whose interior renovation project we featured in a recent blog post. View Project Spotlight >

Photo: Rebecca McAlpin

Sunday, January 3^rd 2021, Philadelphia Inquirer

Many folks new year’s resolutions include tackling home projects that will make their lives more comfortable.  This is especially true during a pandemic, when we’re all spending so much more time at home.   To address this desire, the Philadelphia Inquirer real estate section rang in the new year with a piece on “Improvements to Make Now” to change your life at home.  View Article >

The designers who were interviewed all agreed that paint is a quick way to freshen up your interior, and Amy went one step further, suggesting peel and stick wallpaper options that make it easier than ever to install and then switch it out down the road.

View project blog post >

Do you have insights of your own about how you’re using your home differently now that you’re spending so much time there?   Please share with us in comments below.