Our houses are not just a roof over our heads. They are homes in which we build families, memories, and lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of our homes has been highlighted with lockdown orders. The need to love the space you live in is a fact that millions of Americans have learned, as evidenced by the surge of people buying new homes.
After spending over a year in some form of lockdown, it’s clear that our homes need to suit our lives in different ways than they ever have before. “Normal” life may not be coming back any time soon, and we must adapt and improve our spaces to allow us to live happier lives even while quarantined from our families.
New Hobbies and Routines
Of course, the number of harmful changes that has come with COVID is undeniable, but there have been some good ones as well. For example, people are taking on new hobbies, learning new skills, and sharpening old ones. With all the extra time we have, it seems many of us are taking advantage of them.
Without the luxury of our favorite cafes or coffee shops, many are learning to be their own barista with home espresso machines and milk frothers. Others are taking up artistic skills or moving their gym workouts to a home exercise routine. Whatever it is, our homes were not designed with this amount of activity in mind. Below are some of the areas of our homes that could use some improvement, thanks to COVID-19.
The Desperate Need for a Home Office
We’ve all seen those hilarious videos of zoom meetings gone wrong. With kids screaming in the background or husbands walking out in their underwear, many of us have learned that we need a home office, pronto!
The most convenient way to create a home office is using a guest bedroom. They aren’t getting used for guests now anyway! Not only will you need a dedicated office, but things like soundproofing, wifi reception, and comfortable furniture is a must to create a fantastic space to work.
However, this isn’t the only way. If you don’t have a guest bedroom, you can transform a corner of the master bedroom or the basement into an office space.
Basement Use and Misuse
Whether the basement of your home is finished or not, it’s likely not living up to its full potential, especially now. You may have sent the kids down to the basement to play during COVID workdays. This probably brought up some ideas on making the basement a kid sanctuary with games, chalkboards, and crafting areas.
Basement remodels are some of the most satisfying projects. Turning a once unusable space into an area that will soon be the kid’s favorite place in the world will change how you use your home. However, they can quickly become overwhelming. We’d love to help turn your basement into a useable space for your family. Soon, you might even get through a zoom meeting without any interruptions!
The Need to Be Outdoors
Many American’s were not lucky enough to have backyards to enjoy nature while in lockdown, but those that were are now looking for ways to improve that outdoor space. Since the 6-foot rule works best while outside, having a back yard seating and entertaining area was sometimes the only way to see our families. While sitting that mandated distance apart, families started noticing improvements and changes needed to be made to their outdoor spaces.
Things like a paved sitting area, outdoor furniture, lighting, patio or deck coverings, and even outdoor kitchens are all ways to improve our outdoor spaces’ usability. However, without proper paperwork or a professional designer at your side, this can be a demanding project to take on alone.
We’ll be covering each of these topics in more detail in future blogs, but we’d love to hear what areas of your home you wish to improve, thanks to COVID-19. Do you wish your master bathroom had more luxury fixtures in it for home spa days? Does your kitchen need more storage space for ice cream makers or fancy coffee machines? Comment below or contact us now to get started on your COVID-inspired home remodeling project.
