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How the Global Pandemic Has Made Us Rethink How We Live in Our Homes

Before COVID-19, we slept in our bedrooms, cooked in our kitchens and ate in our
dining rooms. After March, followed by months of isolation, our homes became
our offices, gyms, daycares and entertainment. We are using our homes and
living spaces differently now and probably appreciating those areas like never
before.
I guess you could say that the traditional home has been reinvented and
transformed from a conventional place for rest and relaxation to a multifunctional
and multifaceted living, working and learning environment. A recent survey by
Lending Tree found that two-thirds (67%) of consumers now desire a home with
amenities and features they didn’t previously consider. The 3 most popular are: a
yard (27%) to enjoy more outside space not shared with others, a bigger kitchen
(18%) to accommodate a shift to cooking and eating more at home rather than
eating out, and an office space (16%) for remote working as well as distance
learning.
The work from home trend was growing before the pandemic, due to improved
technology and connectivity. Then there was COVID-19 which has made those
trends more prevalent and almost the norm in some areas. Couple that with
students learning online, many families are finding themselves crowded around
the kitchen table or staking out various nooks around the house to work from
laptops or tablets. Hence the rethinking of many rooms in our homes.
Builders and designers are on board focusing on functionality, efficiency and
comfortability as the world redefines its relationship with their home. Here are
some of those trends:
1. Cozy Coastal anticipates consumers craving an escape from reality and
opting for a space that feels like a vacation. Areas in the yard and porches
that give a relaxed vibe that people look for when the world gets too
stressful. A “beach house” look adds to that feeling of getting away and
colors to help create an ultimate retreat from the world.

2. Living Well focuses on the fact that staying healthy is top of mind for most
of us. Consumers are spending more time in their homes so they are
craving healthy home features and products. Homebuilders and vendors
are promoting safer paint, healthier air and cleaner water in new homes.

3. Organized and Orderly reflects the time homeowners had while in isolation
to devote to finishing abandoned Marie Kondo type organizational projects.
Then there is the latest binge-worthy series called “Get Organized with The
Home Edit” that has inspired viewers to want tidy and orderly homes.
It will be interesting to see how the pandemic really will transform how we use
and see the rooms in our homes. What about you? Will it be a change in color to
give you serenity from the world? Will it be a bigger kitchen? Bigger yard?
Outside living? Organized closet? Products to keep you and your family healthy?
Time will tell how 2020 will shape 2021 in our homes.
Sources: Alabama Association of Realtors, HGTV, Rismedia, AZ Big Media