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New Home Design in the Age of COVID-19

home renovation

New Home Design in the Age of COVID-19

Expert Opinions from Bay Area’s Top Remodeling and Construction Specialists

Amid the current coronavirus global pandemic, global shutdowns, shelter-in-place orders, and virtual work or study lifestyles are the new norms in most homes. It is unclear if this short-term recalibration will have long-lasting effects. However, it shines a spotlight on the way we may modify our future living and working styles. The construction and remodeling experts at Flegel’s discuss the emergence of a new home design in the age of COVID-19.

Likely Trends in New Builds Beyond 2020

Our current situation is one that most of us have never experienced or expected. Almost overnight, our homes are multi-tasking as offices, classrooms, gyms, and more. You may have started using your guest bedroom, mudroom, dining table, or even a stairway landing as your new work-from-home spot. Your video calls may be giving others an intimate view into your home, with background activities that include bouncing kids, barking dogs, or even a pajama-clad spouse or parent.

The current health crisis may lead to a greater acceptance of and adaptation to work-from-home and learn-at-home scenarios. This means, you may have to look at your home in a new light with different expectations of what your living spaces could and should do.

Here are the top 4 new home design trends that are likely to emerge in the age of COVID-19:

  • Greater emphasis on indoor-outdoor living: With limited access to outdoor activities and social gatherings, you will be spending many more waking hours in your home than ever before. This would generate a pronounced need for natural light and better access to outdoor landscapes for enhanced livable spaces. It could also translate into addition of more windows or sunroofs, building sunrooms, and reimagining livable spaces as indoor gardens.
  • Critical balance between open and enclosed spaces: If people are more homebound, they will share space with the entire family for longer periods of time. However, this can only function effectively when the interior spaces are fluid and functional to accommodate multiple needs and tasks. While the kitchen, living, and dining spaces may continue to feature an open plan layout, there will be a substantial increase in allocation of private, enclosed spots. The key will be in carving out comfortable, open spaces, while delicately balancing the need for seclusion.
  • High demand for designated workspaces: It seems quite likely that many people will continue to use work from home or telecommuting options, even after the global pandemic ebbs. This will boost the demand for designated home office spaces that provide modern conveniences, along with adequate privacy and seclusion. The importance of smart storage will also increase. People will seek clever ways to conceal household or personal items, especially in compact homes where a separate, enclosed workspace is not possible.
  • Energy conserving designs and materials: While there is already a growing number of people seeking eco-friendly and sustainable home designs, the demand for energy-conserving features may further skyrocket in the age of COVID-19. Air filtration systems, solar panels and battery charging stations may become a must-have in many homes.

Bay Area’s Top Contractors Deliver Efficient New Age Homes

At Flegel’s Construction Co., we have decades of experience in building new homes, as well as construction consulting. Our innovative architects skillfully design spaces around your living, eating, play and work requirements, while our talented craftsmen deliver these spaces to your exact specifications, on time and on budget. We stay abreast of the changing trends in designs, and building materials and codes, while also keeping an eye on future needs of customers.

Check out some of the custom homes that we have constructed across the Bay Area.

Want to discuss and plan your new home design in the age of COVID-19? Schedule a consultation and contact us online.

COVID, home modernization, Living in Place, new home building

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