It’s no secret that if you want to know what’s popular right now, just look at what people are searching for online. Think of it as a modern-day version of reading the tea leaves. We recently looked at searches on Houzz from April to June of 2021 and compared them with searches from the same time last year to see how home design interests are changing. What a difference a year can make.
Luxurious decor, the color green, swimming pools and dedicated spaces for work, art and exercise are just some of the trends taking off. All over Marin County, contractors are busy at work, helping homeowners modify their interiors - and exteriors! - to accommodate more time in the home, both separately, for the needed downtime, and as a family or home share situation.
Over the past year, many people’s homes became something of a mini village. The local gym, bar, theater and office turned hyperlocal as people made room to accommodate these activities at home. It’s a major shift in how people think about their homes and one that probably isn’t going away anytime soon.
The ability — or requirement, in some cases — to work and learn from home accounts for perhaps one of the biggest recent changes in home design. There are many ways to carve out space for a dedicated home office area and kid's schoolroom. Consider converting a spare bedroom or a portion of a bedroom or media room, typically only used at night. This could also be a nice retreat during these warm summer days! Or perhaps a standalone shed or ADU might be better for your situation. See the blog I share about ADUs HERE. Or maybe you just a little nook by a window for a laptop. See my article on closet offices HERE.
Creating dedicated space for entertaining is important for striking the right work-life balance these days. For some people, a home bar gets right to the heart of that feeling. Searches for home bars spiked 277% year over year, while searches for wine cellars rose 271%.
Many homeowners are also finding creative ways to burn off some of those calories gained from cocktails and movie night popcorn. Searches on Houzz for “home gym” climbed 156% year over year.
As mentioned earlier, homeowners are looking to get more use out of their homes. Interest increased in flexible furniture and other design details that create multiple functions within a room. A swivel chair is a great flexible design detail that gives users the ability to shift position toward or away from elements in a room. Searches for swivel chairs were up 1,922%. Searches were up for other flexible design features as well, such as “TV armoire with pocket door” (2,259%), “nesting side tables” (1,918%) and “daybed sets” (867%).
if you would like more ideas on optimizing your Marin County home, please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you. Tracy Curtis, Coldwell Banker Realty, 415-910-0599.
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