Guest blog by Gabby Koontz, CKD, CAPS a designer with Classic Kitchen and Bath located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
I asked Gabby if she could share with us some of the ways homes are being renovated after a year or remote working and homeschooling. Here are some ideas she shared:
2020 trend spotters were clearly claiming a top trend to break down walls and create a hub in the home where open kitchens and living spaces for multi-generation living existed in respect to enhancing togetherness and especially for downtime from work and school.
Fast forward to early 2020 and things changed dramatically with the need to transition to working and schooling from home and having separate spaces to be functional and organized.
Certainly, kitchen and bath remodel interest rose with homeowners staying home more and pondering projects. But the home office and home school desk set up quickly rose to the top of the list. As did home organization options.
We are now looking at closets, food pantries, and spaces under staircases in a more focused light.
Designers and homeowners are working together to take a wire shelving closet food pantry and transforming it into a butler pantry with closed storage and countertops inside the closet. Also, where a desk space in the kitchen from a remodel done in 2000 was getting filled back in with more cabinets now is transforming back into a mini desk/ office area to keep kids nearby as they log into a Zoom-held classroom. Food pantries and closets seemed disastrous or un-organized and special pull-outs and dividers were top pinned wish list items.
An example of a butler pantry might be outfitting a small 3ft closet with open base cabinets with roll-outs and a solid countertop to set larger countertop appliances away and out of sight. Shelving or wall cabinets above allow for closed-door storage should that closet door remain open with a pocket door.
Now we are scrutinizing spaces under a staircase and near the kitchen to add wall-mounted countertops and writable surfaces for a desk and chair for schooling purposes.
Pull out organizers, back-of-the-door storage, and custom shelving grace digital idea books to gain space and organize clutter.
Maybe even a shaker farmhouse style will evolve for our traditional markets more quickly to a modern or even contemporary “less is more” look to keep up with the need for less clutter and stress.
But looking at existing spaces for function in a new light as we adjust to being home more and the desire to create new looks for aesthetic nourishment will be a catalyst for change in an exciting way for 2021.
