We all work from home now...
Is your home working for you while you’re working from home?
Our homes need to be re-worked to support us during this crazy time.
With Covid-19 rampaging through the world, “Safer at Home” is changing our routines and keeping us all home from work and school. A lot of us are now faced with the daunting task of re-imagining our homes to serve even more functions than ever before.
The Redfin writer Mike Cahill asked me to give a quote about what trends I think will end in 2020 and what trends I think we’ll see more of going into 2021 (you can read his excellent article HERE). I answered: Being at home through most of 2020 has confronted everyone with the reality of how the function of their space (or more often, don’t function) for themselves, their family, and/or their lifestyle.
“I think what’s OUT for 2020 is designing spaces with aesthetics as the primary concern. What’s IN for 2021 (and hopefully forevermore) is designing spaces from a humanistic perspective that puts an emphasis on user experiences like excellent space planning and appropriate material selections for ease of maintenance, and allowing the design to take shape ergonomically in a way that also highlights the client’s aesthetic tastes.”
Should you really re-design your space while we’re all going through this disruption to what we’re used to? Is more change really the best idea? For the answer, I came up with this easy survey you can take:
Add one point for each of the following scenarios you now need to figure out in your own home:
- Home Office(s) - Add one point for each individual home office space you now find yourself needing.
- School - Add one point for each child in your home right now.
- Sanctuary - Add one point for each person in your home. Everyone is going to have different requirements for what makes them feel most comfortable, safe, and supported.
- Recreational Facility - Add one point for each person in your home. Again, I doubt you’re all going to agree on what constitutes proper recreation right now.
-And more! - Go ahead and add, like, twenty more points. I’m going through this too, with two kids age 5 and 2.5, and I can’t be expected to list more than I already have without losing my train of thought.
Okay! Add up your total. Is it more than zero?
Congratulations! You need to redesign your space at least a little bit, to make this time easier on yourself and everyone else in your home.
There is a lot of new functionality we need from our homes right now. It is going to be a little different for everyone. Embrace it! Be honest about what you want and what you need. You deserve great design and your home should be supporting you now more than ever! Our homes must change with us during this crisis. Our lives are not static, and our spaces cannot be either.
“You deserve great design and your home should be supporting you now more than ever! Our homes must change with us during this crisis. Our lives are not static, and our spaces cannot be either.”
I would love to consult with you to create a tailored plan for your needs in your space. Use my scheduling page to set up a time for us to FaceTime or Zoom. A design expert who really cares about helping you get your space the way you need it for everyone in your home is just a few clicks away. Let’s get started!