Coronavirus prompts some to redesign homes
This spare bedroom I call my “home office” needs work — as in made bigger — because after almost eight months of working from home, and Zooming to the rest of the world, I feel cramped. But expansion is really impossible.
My “man room,” the sunroom, has never been manlier, as in smokier, because I'm not going anywhere else these days where cigars and pipes are acceptable. It could use an air filtration system that works better than propping open the outside doors to create a breeze during an ice storm.
But that's not really feasible.
If I were in the market to build a new house, would I want more space for working, and playing, at home? You bet. Curiously, though, a couple of home plan designers report some, but not a lot, of people thinking the same way because they're spending so much time at home because of the coronavirus.
“It hasn't been overwhelming or anything, but we have done some customs lately for more than one client that was wanting a larger study/office because they are working primarily at home now because of the virus.
There have also been some discussions with some clients about work rooms at home for homeschooling,” said Rick Chambers, owner of Fillmore and Chambers Design Group Inc., 6901 N Robinson Ave.
In Edmond, designer Don Hildebrand said he hadn't seen any demand for coronavirus-related house plans, but he's ready.
“I can't say that we have had a request to design a home for anyone specific to people starting to work more from home. I can see that if the trend continues, which I can see happening, that the location of the study may change in relation to the living area of the home,” said Hildebrand, of Don Hildebrand Home Designs, 1701 W 33rd St. “We have a few plans that the study is located toward the rear of the house and not by the entry, which as you know is the typical location for one.”
Yes, unless it's for meeting clients or something, I've never really understood the appeal of a study or office at the entry, unless it's for looks — and, of course, many of them are for looks more than work. Space for real working should be hidden from public view, if not family. My spare-bedroom home office is a working wreck. I'm afraid for the cats even. A stack of books could tumble over and kill one of the critters.
But that's just me. What say you? If you've had a new house designed a certain way in light of the coronavirus, or had your house remodeled in light of the `Rona, let me know. I'd like to report on it.