MEET THE CLOFFICE
Homeowners renovating, adapting space to meet pandemic needs
Make way for the cloffice.
And while you're at it, maybe put off that basement reno.
At least that's what Home Depot Canada found after looking into how Canadians have changed their homes over the past year.
As COVID-19 became a reality, spaces that once served a single function have now become multi-purpose hubs as homeowners reimagine their spaces.
“We began to see changes in early spring (2020),” said Natalia David, trend and design manager at Home Depot Canada. “People started focusing on the small things they could change from the beginning of the pandemic and are increasingly focused on maximizing their homes' utility to meet their new needs.”
Many started with simple upgrades and DIY projects — like paint, wallpaper or renovating small bathrooms — and moved to more complex projects as they remained home longer, she said.
“As homeowners were adapting to their new reality, they wanted their homes to adapt to their new needs: virtual learning and working from home led to increased demand for home office and work spaces, restaurant closures led to more cooking and kitchen upgrades, patio sets and accessories quickly became a top priority as people stayed home and enjoyed their backyard spaces,” she said.
Now, it's the cloffice — a closet or small space transformed for office use — that's front and centre. Meanwhile, basement renovations, at least in some parts of Canada, weren't as high up on the to-do list.
“We learned that homeowners started carving out space at home to meet their needs. For example, adapting any corner of a kitchen, or a window nook, or even an armoire and turned them into reading, working and meditating spaces,” said David. “By using wall brackets or metal legs and a countertop, one can easily make a working surface, then add some decorative accents like paint or wallpaper and distinguish the space with a small area rug, some plants and a nice desk lamp — all easy to find at Home Depot.”
As for those basements, only 24 per cent of Canadians are looking to renovate basements for new activities or hobbies. Those figures are from surveys conducted by Home Depot Canada.
But it's not just about cloffices. Interest in computer gaming rooms is up and mud rooms are increasingly on the radar.
“This (gaming rooms) is an extension of the home office, but elevated and often with custom bigger desks,” said David. “People get very creative in these spaces with things like colourful paint and lighting.”
As for mud rooms, David said this area is often forgotten, so people have been spending time modernizing it with paint, storage solutions like hooks, coat racks, benches with extra storage and shelves. Doing this, she said, frees up other spaces for new needs.
Going forward, she sees a more conscious customer evolving, one who is more connected to the environment, wanting more natural and eco-friendly products as well as items that are more durable and long-lasting. People will also be more connected to wellness, exercising at home and buying products to help them relax and decompress.