Once considered optional, home offices have become necessities. StyleCraft Homes presents the flex space in one of their models as a dedicated home office. (Photo courtesy Stylecraft Homes)
Over the past year, our homes have evolved to accommodate the many facets of our daily routines. Rather than simply serving as a place to lay our heads, they have morphed into rotating venues where we live, work, learn and entertain.
Unsurprisingly, much of this is due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced many families to spend more time at home. In April, an estimated 51% of Americans were working exclusively from home, according to a poll conducted by Gallup. In August, the Census Bureau reported that 93% of households with school-age children were participating in distance learning.
In response, the growing work-from-home economy has transformed amenities traditionally thought of as optional — like home offices, flex rooms and outdoor living — into necessities. Open-concept layouts and large kitchens remain popular and have proven to be essential for families looking to stay connected in isolation.
1 of 2
A craft room with multiple workstations in the PerrinCrest Custom Homes’ Homearama show home (Photo courtesy Perrincrest Custom Homes)
2 of 2
The open floor plan in this Short Pump condo “provides a melding of rooms without walls,” says Realtor Patrick Brady of Napier ERA. (Photo by James Haskins Photography)
Home Offices
Having a functional workstation became top of mind for professionals making the transition to remote work. “Professionals want separate offices because they can’t be in the same office at the same time,” says Jeff Tunstall, owner of CraftMaster Homes and PerrinCrest Custom Homes. “They might be on Zoom calls and can’t have interference. It’s the same thing with the kids. You want to have them in a workplace where they can actually function and work.”
Buyers looking for homes in the resale market echoed some of the same desires. As lifestyles changed, “a lot of wants turned into needs,” Napier ERA Realtor Patrick Brady said.
“A lot of people wanted a dedicated office space, but did they need it?” he explained. “Well, no, but if they had to do some work at home, they wanted a dedicated room to put a desk and a chair in. That turned into a need because companies were having people work from home.
Flex Your Space
Instead of devoting one room to a singular use, Kathryn Catherwood, director of sales and marketing for StyleCraft Homes, says homeowners are moving toward flex spaces — multifunctional rooms that can be adapted to meet the ever-changing needs of the family.
This seems to especially ring true for parents of school-age children, who often have to work double duty to keep up with their tasks while monitoring distance learning.
“Right now, the No. 1 thing for a homebuilder to get right is ensuring that their homes feature spaces that are versatile, whether they need to be used for telecommuting, homework or play space,” Catherwood says. “A space that’s used as a virtual classroom today can easily be converted to a spare bedroom tomorrow.”
Living Large
With new builds, buyers have become more interested in larger homes with upgraded features — from gourmet kitchens to larger family rooms with vaulted ceilings. For Scott Sleeme, president of Mitchell Homes, there was an estimated 20% increase of the average square footage of homes they sold year over year.
“People want large open areas within the home, where families can gather without feeling too close or walled in,” Sleeme says. “With entire families all at home together for large portions of the day and night, it’s reasonable to begin to feel claustrophobic.”
This also extends to the outdoors, where homebuyers are opting for bigger yards, screened-in porches and outdoor patios.
A Finished Product
While confined within four walls, homeowners have been inspired to take on new and forgotten redesign projects. In their 2021 trend report, Modsy, an online interior design platform, said 69% of people redesigned at least one room in their home in 2020. Traditional and modern farmhouse designs remain popular in the Richmond area, according to Melaine Kliewer, an interior designer at Ethan Allen.
“Everybody has been stuck within their home, looking at nothing but unfinished projects and old furnishings that they’ve wanted to replace,” Kliewer says. “They haven’t been doing all of the normal things that would take up the budget, so they have all realized that maybe it’s time to start getting the home improvements done.”
Kliewer suggests investing in a quality piece as a starting point for new projects. “That starts as a building block to mimic and design everything off of that core piece,” she explains.
Family First
Tiara Holloway, owner of Vivacious Interior by Tiara, noted that communal spaces like living rooms and dining rooms have become more important in times of isolation. “When everybody actually comes and congregates together, they’re coming to the family room, they’re coming to the living room or they’re coming to the dining area to eat together,” Holloway says.
For Holloway, the key to durable design is getting at the foundation — updating floors, appliances and fixtures — and then focusing on adding personal touches that speak to each person in the household and make it homey.
A Prediction
Without the need to frequently commute to an office, homeowners may continue to move away from city centers to opt for more space, predicts Alice Johnson, broker for River City Realty and Investments.
“A lot of people have opened up to buying houses on the border of the city and suburbs in order to get the house that they want while still being close to any of the amenities they need,” she explains.
Johnson also foresees smart homes becoming more popular — with systems that feature updated internet speeds and remote-controlled thermoststats, lighting and home security.
